Letters to Rose authors (left to right) Robin Philbrick, Becky Ebner Hoag, and Rose Williams
The Friends of the Port O Connor Library are sponsoring a Book Signing and Program honoring San Antonio Holocaust survivor Rose Sherman Williams. Rose will recount her experiences and share the memories of the six years she was imprisoned by the Nazis during WWII. and introduce her new book Letters to Rose during a program at the Port O Connor Library on October 22, 2019 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Rose Sherman Williams was just 12 years old when Nazi Germany invaded her hometown of Radom, Poland in 1939 capturing everyone in her family. In 1942, she was separated from her family and sent to Auschwitz, and ultimately to Bergen-Belsen. This remarkable woman continues to share her story in hopes that it inspires courage and resilience and touches the lives of those who hear it. She endured physical beatings, starvation, and transfers from one labor camp to another. In 1944, having been deported to the notorious Auschwitz extermination camp, she had a bizarre encounter with the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele, himself. A death march ultimately led her to one of the most despicable camps of all: Bergen-Belsen. But miraculously, she survived to be liberated. Rose was liberated by British soldiers in 1945, and eventually made her way to the United States.
Today, at age 92, she shares her memories as often as she can with the last generation who will know a Holocaust survivor and continues to make presentations whenever and wherever she can. She has found that those who hear her story, are both moved and inspired by her resilience and ability to remain positive in spite of past experiences. Her resourcefulness, faith, and love for mankind fills here audience with hope and inspiration. Letters of admiration and gratitude from young people are included throughout the book and demonstrate how Rose has impacted coming generations.
The public is invited to the program beginning at 5:30 p.m. on October 22, 2019 at the Port O Connor Library. Meet and Greet with refreshments from 5:30 – 6:30 p,m. Program 6:30-7:30 p,m. Book signing and photo ops 7:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Letters to Rose is co-authored by Rebecca Ebner Hoag and Robin Philbrick.
Rebecca Ebner Hoag, a veteran high school English teacher, has been involved with teaching about the Holocaust, both in the classroom and at San Antonio’s Holocaust Memorial Museum. After a 12-year friendship with Rose and co-authoring a book called Our Voices/Our Lives: Twenty Holocaust Survivors Remember for the museum, she volunteered to help Rose with her own book, providing historical context for Rose’s personal experiences.
Robin Philbrick, is a retired San Antonio English teacher. When teaching her students about the Holocaust, her lessons were enriched by her own experience as a military spouse living in a divided Berlin. She included photos and artifacts from places such as Dachau and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps, Hitler’s Eagles Nest, and the Wannsee residence where the Final Solution was created. However, the key element in her lesson plan every year was a presentation by Rose Sherman Williams, whose incredible story created a lasting bond that led to Letters to Rose.
