SAN DIEGO — Holocaust survivor Rose Schindler, who called San Diego home for decades, died at 93.
Her son, Ben, told us she passed away peacefully Friday night after a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Just three weeks before her death, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, CBS 8 was there as Rose shared her story for the final time.
It was a packed house at the UC San Diego Hillel Center where Rose spoke about her escape from Auschwitz.
Students watched a documentary produced by Rose’s son Ben Schindler, which tells of the horrors of the Nazi death camps. Rose was just 14 years old when she and her family arrived at the concentration camp. She lied and told the guards she was 18. She and her sisters were directed to a line, were put to work, and survived. Her mother and four younger siblings were sent to a different line for women and children. They were killed in the gas chambers.
Rose’s father and brothers were among the six million Jews murdered during World War II.
Rose made a promise to her father before he died. She said in an interview with Marcella Lee, “He told me, ‘Whatever you do, stay alive, so you can tell the world what they're doing to us.’”
And that she did.
For decades, Rose spoke to community groups and students in San Diego and across the country, recounting her painful past but keeping the story of the Holocaust alive.
Her memoir, Two Who Survived, tells her whole story.
Rose’s late husband, Max, was also a Holocaust survivor. He passed away in 2017.
On January 27th, Rose shared their story with students at UC San Diego. One week after that, she and her family received the devastating news she had pancreatic cancer. She died two weeks later.
Rose is survived by her four children, their spouses, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
She leaves behind quite a legacy. Her impact is immeasurable. Her son, Ben, told CBS 8 their family would continue her mission never to let people forget the Holocaust.
Schindler's funeral was scheduled for 1 p.m. February 19 at El Camino Memorial Park at 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121. The public was invited to attend a lunch held after the service at Temple Emanu-El at 6299 Capri Dr, San Diego, CA 92120.
CBS 8 was invited to attend the memorial and lunch held in Schindler's honor.
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