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Rosalie was born on July 25, 1931, in Teresva, Czechoslovakia, the youngest of six children in her family. Her father, Israel, was a wholesale importer of fruits, and her mother, Regina, maintained a kosher home. Rosalie was a gifted student but was expelled from school in 1943 because she was Jewish. By April 1944, Rosalie and her entire family were deported to a ghetto in Mátészalka, Hungary.
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In May 1944, Rosalie and her family were sent to Auschwitz Birkenau, where she was separated from her four sisters, brother, and parents. She survived by running to her sister’s line during a selection process. Twice selected for the gas chambers, Rosalie was saved by the kindness of others. Eventually, she was transported with her sisters to labor camps where they were forced to work making munitions.
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They were sent to the Geislingen labor camp in Germany, and later, Rosalie was transferred to Allach, a sub-camp of Dachau, which was liberated by the American army in 1945.
After the war, Rosalie and her sisters reunited with their father, who had survived Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Together, they returned to their hometown of Teresva, only to find it a ghost town. The Jewish homes were emptied, and there were no children playing.
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At barely 14 years old, Rosalie was confronted with harsh realities. Her life, and the lives of her family, had been torn apart, but she wrote, “at least we had our lives.”
When she was eighteen, in November 1949, Rosalie immigrated to the United States, settling for a time in Baltimore, Maryland. It was there that she met her husband, Sidney, in an English class. The couple later moved to South Jersey and started a poultry farm.
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Rosalie and Sidney had three children—one daughter and two sons. Rosalie now has seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She views her descendants as not only her revenge on Hitler but also her hope for the future.
Rosalie authored a book titled Girl in the Striped Dress, and she speaks often about her experiences. A play based on her story was created by Dr. Anthony Hostetter from Rowan University.
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Rosalie Simon interview at Suffolk Y JCC - 2023-2024
Suffolk Y JCC
