I never had the privilege of meeting my grandmother, Rose Liepmann Oppenheim, but a telegram she sent from Nazi Germany confirms that she knew I had just been born in Shanghai. That small piece of correspondence is a poignant reminder of a life lost, and it serves as the foundation for Finding Rose, a memoir that recounts the relentless efforts of my family to save Rose during the Holocaust. During the years just prior to World War II, my mother was in China, and her two brothers were scattered—one in Palestine and the other in the United States. Despite the physical distance, they were united in their mission: to bring their mother to safety. Their efforts were tireless but, ultimately, they were thwarted by the horrors of the war.
A Legacy Stolen by War
The story of Rose’s life begins with her deep roots in German-Jewish heritage. She came from a family with a long history of prominence and success in Germany, a life that was abruptly shattered by the rise of the Nazi regime. Rose’s family business, which had been a cornerstone of their livelihood, was forcibly bankrupted. The family’s home was seized, their possessions confiscated, and their entire world turned upside down. As the War raged on, Rose was eventually deported to the Izbica transit camp in Poland, where she perished—along with her sister, her lifelong companion and confidante. Their shared fate is a tragedy that continues to haunt our family to this day.
A Son’s Relentless Search
The memoir also delves deeply into my uncle’s desperate search for his mother. Sent to the United States as a teenager in 1937, he eventually joined the U.S. Army, where he became one of the famous “Ritchie Boys.” These young men, trained to interrogate German prisoners, played a pivotal role in the intelligence efforts during World War II. My uncle also served as General George Patton’s jeep driver and, immediately after the war ended and liberating the Buchenwald concentration camp, he drove through the Russian-occupied zone to Theresienstadt in the hope of finding Rose alive. His search for his mother was filled with both determination and despair, and his efforts reflect the emotional toll that the Holocaust had on our family.
A Legacy Preserved Through Letters
Despite their best efforts, my mother and her brothers were never able to “find” Rose, but their love for her never waned. However, thanks to hundreds of letters that Rose wrote to her children during the years leading up to her deportation, and other family documents carefully preserved for decades in old leather “suitcases of sadness,” I have come to know her. These letters, which were written in the midst of her suffering and fear, have become a vital link between the past and the present, allowing me to connect with a woman I never had the chance to meet but whose presence now feels ever so real. Through these preserved memories, I’ve been able to piece together a portrait of her life—the life she was forced to leave behind, but which still endures through the stories passed down in our family.
Exploring Generational Trauma and Identity
Finding Rose: The Search for My Grandmother spans three continents—Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. Her fate is a tragic reflection of the horrors suffered by so many during the Holocaust My memoir is not simply a reflection on my grandmother’s survival, but an exploration of the generational trauma that affects survivors and their descendants. Through this journey, I am not only paying tribute to Rose, but also examining the complex relationship between memory, history, and healing. As I uncover more of her story, I confront my own identity and the role that family history plays in shaping who I am today.
A Tribute to Memory and Resilience
Though my mother and her brothers were never able to “find” their mother in the physical sense. The letters, photographs, and family documents have allowed me to connect with Rose in ways that transcend time and space. Finding Rose serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving the stories of survival and understanding how personal histories are deeply intertwined with larger historical events. The act of remembering, telling, and sharing those stories is vital to keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive and ensuring that future generations never forget the lessons of the past. This memoir is both a tribute to Rose and a testament to the enduring resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable loss.
Finding Rose is available on Amazon.
