“I went to do some research at the Shoah Memorial [in Paris]. That was pretty shocking. You know, to see a piece of paper that actually has my grandparents’ names and the number of the convoy that took them away from Paris to Auschwitz… that was pretty scary.” -Monique Rothschild
In this episode, Monique Rothschild shares the extraordinary journey of her parents, Ernest and Hilda, who fled Nazi Germany in 1933. They found refuge in France, and endured war, separation, labor camps, and a dangerous voyage to America before eventually settling in Cincinnati. Blending personal memories with years of family research, Monique reflects on survival, courage, and the lessons she learned from parents who rebuilt their lives from scratch. She shares what she’s learned about resilience, family, and why sharing our stories matters.
This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling. Subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity
Our gratitude to Margaret & Michael Valentine for their ongoing support of this series.
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Episode Resources
Monique remembers her parents, Ernest and Hilda, on Yom HaShoah
Learn more about those who escaped by crossing the Pyrenees Mountains, from France into Spain, during WWII
https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2016/03/28/passage-over-the-pyrenees/
https://jewisheritage.org/the-catalan-route/the-catalan-route-pyrenees-of-lleida
https://www.cnn.com/travel/freedom-trail-france-spain-nazi-escape-route
The SS Navemar, the ship called the “horror ship” that Monique and her mother travelled on to come to the United States
https://jewishlink.news/the-ship-from-hell-that-sailed-to-the-us-in-1941/
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