Rosette Gerbossi pictured with her family (top right)

Rosette Gerbossi pictured with her family (top right)

Date of Birth:  August 15, 1932

Rosette was born in Paris, France in 1932.  Her father owned a fur coat factory, allowing her and the rest of her family a comfortable lifestyle.  “Life was very good.  We were able to go on vacations, and I was given every type of lesson imaginable:  ballet, piano, and even English lessons.”

When the Germans took control of France, Rosette was still a child in school.  She was embarrassed to wear the Star of David on all her clothing. “[The school children] weren’t too friendly to us because it was very dangerous to be friendly with Jewish girls.”

After many arrests of close friends, Rosette’s mother and father were convinced that it was time for Rosette to escape occupied France.  A deal was made with a non-Jewish friend to take Rosette to live in Piegut, France –a zone relatively free of German occupation.  She stayed in Piegut until the war’s conclusion, where she was reunited with her older brother, Bernard, the only survivor of her immediate family.

Rosette volunteers her time with the Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Southwest Florida to share her story.

Holocaust Survivor Rosette Gerbosi discusses her experience in France and the loss of her parents.

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