Two Roses depicts the heartbreaking story of Holocaust survivors Rose Lipszyc and Rose Finkielsztajn as presented in graphic narrative form. Produced as part of the Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives project, it is a powerful account of sacrifice, survival, and solidarity.
Born in Lubin, Poland in 1929, Rose Lipszyc was only ten years old when Nazi Germany invaded Poland setting off the Second World War. In October 1942, as her family was being deported from their home in Osmolice, Rose managed to escape sure death. While on their way to the train station, Rose’s mother pushed her out of line to help her get away, sacrificing herself for the sake of her daughter. Barely a teenager, Rose fled with the help of strangers and friends by using a false identity. She was then reunited with her aunt in Lublin, and the pair went on to work as forced labourers in a factory in Bremen, Germany by impersonating Polish gentile sisters. Depicting how these two women came together and survived the war under vulnerable aliases, Two Roses portrays the incredible depth of their connection and perseverance even as most of their family and relatives were being killed.
Once liberated, Rose settled in Toronto and in 2021, she was awarded the Order of Canada for her work in Holocaust education. A co-creation between award-winning graphic novelist Miriam Libicki and survivor Rose Lipszyc, this book disrupts the narratives of victimization that often undermine the stories of Holocaust survivors. Instead of painting victims of human rights abuse as mere case studies, this book illuminates a crucial part of our shared history with radical care, honesty, and creativity.