Holocaust survivor Rose-Helene Spreiregen circa 1939 (courtesy of Rose-Helene Spreiregen) and as an adult today. US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Rose-Helene Spreiregen was just a child waiting in line for rations when she overheard adults call her a “dirty Jew.” Naive and vulnerable, she thought, “Maybe they had a point. Maybe I was no good.” Rose-Helene had been fending for herself and her grandmother in German-occupied Paris ever since authorities had deported her mother in July 1942. A year later, fearing more roundups, the pair fled the city with false papers. They hid their identity at police checkpoints along their journey, and Rose-Helene recalled, “I don’t think I was ever more scared.”
Watch to discover what happened next and if Rose-Helene and her mother ever reunited.
Speaker
Rose-Helene Spreiregen, Holocaust Survivor and Museum Volunteer
Moderator
Bill Benson, Journalist and Host, First Person: Conversations with Holocaust Survivors
Watch live at youtube.com/ushmm. You don’t need a YouTube account to view our program. After the live broadcast, the recording will be available to watch on demand on the Museum's YouTube page.
First Person is a monthly, hour-long discussion with a Holocaust survivor that is made possible through generous support from the Louis Franklin Smith Foundation.