I am proud to say one of my best friends is a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor named Rose Richman. At the beginning of our friendship in 2020 when the whole world was shut down, I called Rose because I knew she was lonely and I had the ability to cheer her up even with a quick phone call. As we got to know each other better, we started talking about anything and everything: what we had for lunch, how the weather is, current events, politics, holidays, fashion, Israel, marriage, traveling, friends, love, and so much more. What started out as a friendly phone call turned into a loving friendship. I visit Rose at least once every year and cherish our time together.
This summer, my friend Rayna Exelbierd and I took her out for a beautiful dinner for her 90th birthday which Rose claims was one of the greatest days of her life. She says “I’ll never forget what you did for me as long as I live”. I call her at least once a week and always Friday afternoon before Shabbat begins. Every time we speak, Rose reminds me to be grateful for every day and everything I have. Her kind heart and optimistic attitude towards the world is so inspiring. I am grateful for our friendship and all of the amazing memories I have with her.
I interviewed Rose to allow her story, legacy, and advice to live on for many years to come.
“What do you want young people today to know about the past”
“The most important thing is to never forget. Where you came from, where your family came from, and who you are. Always remember the past and the people who influenced who you are today. In regards to my past and the Holocaust, keep talking about it. There is always something new to learn and it is very important. Read books, listen to survivors and witnesses, go to school, and use your knowledge to teach others. Do your best to make sure it can never happen again.”
“How did you get to the United States?”
It was very difficult. I grew up in Poland and after the war, I got married to my husband, Harry Richman, who I was married to for 47 years before he passed away. He owned a successful business in Poland, but I did not want to live there anymore because of the Antisemitism. I wanted to move to America because we heard great things about the country. It was very difficult to get a visa to move to America and it took us many years and living in several countries in order to get here. In 1950, I got pregnant with my son and we moved to Israel. We lived there for 3.5 years but life was a very difficult life since the country was still developing. Next, we moved to Paris, then London, and then Canada where we lived for several months at a time while we waited for our visa. My husband had a friend in New York who helped us finally get our papers and come to Brooklyn like most immigrants. On June 15, 1996, my husband passed away and I was devastated. A few years later, I moved to South Florida where I’ve lived in the same house for many years.
“What do you think kept you going through all of these years and gave you the strength to keep fighting?”
For many years people asked me this and I didn’t know what to tell them. My mother was very religious and that is how I grew up. But then, during the war when my mother was holding my hand and we saw soldiers throwing babies into a fire, my mother asked where G-d was now? That was when I lost my faith in religion. It was not until about 5 years ago that I started to believe in G-d again. I met a new non-Jewish friend who brought me to some meetings to learn more about other religions and talk about Israel (from Rose’s description I believe she was brought to a Christians United for Israel conference). I felt reconnected and I started to believe again. Now I believe G-d wanted me to live all of these years and I am grateful every day. It makes life much easier to know I’m not alone, even when I am not around people, because I’m always with G-d. This is how I cope with life now even when I am old and alone.
“What was a moment during the Holocaust that changed your life?”
I was on the train with my mother and hundreds of other people crammed into a cable car going to Belzec, an extermination camp in Poland. It was a very difficult and a scary time. My mother was hopeful and wanted to give me the best chance possible to survive. We saw people getting shot in the distance as we arrived at Belzec and most people were dead in the area. My mom pushed me off the train and I ran as fast as I could into the forest. This is how I survived. In concentration camps you had to work and there was a better chance of surviving, but there you did not. That was the last time I saw my mom and I miss her very much.
“I love how you always look at the world in a very optimistic way. How do you do it even when there is so much wrong happening around us?”
I’m realistic. You can’t believe everything you hear. You have to have an open mind and believe in yourself. You can’t be weak, you have to be strong. And most importantly, you have to love yourself. You shouldn’t care what other people think of you. If you love yourself, everyone else is going to love you. People will like you just the way you are. This is how I think about the world and how I am able to be happy even when I am alone most of the time. That’s the way it is.
“What is your favorite food”?
I like everything. Chicken soup is one of my favorites but I will eat anything. Food is and never was that important to me. I love ice cream, but I can’t eat it anymore. I think eating healthy is one of the reasons I’m still able to take care of myself today. I also go to the gym every day as long as I feel up for it which has greatly helped my health.