Rachel was born in 1933 in Paris, France, where she lived with her parents and three siblings. Her father worked as a barber, while her mother was a housewife. The family had originally left Poland for France in hopes of escaping the rampant antisemitism, but their safety was short-lived. On June 14, 1940, the German occupation of Paris began.
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Shortly after, the Schutzstaffel (SS) arrested Rachel's father and uncle, sending them to the Drancy internment camp. Tragically, both men died in the camp's hospital in December 1941, victims of brutal German medical experiments.
In July 1942, when Rachel was just 9 years old, her mother sent her to live on a farm that operated as a summer camp for children. Three days after Rachel left, her entire family was taken by the Nazis.
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The owner of the farm threatened to turn Rachel over to the Nazis, but her aunt paid 300 francs to keep her safe. Meanwhile, her mother, Helen, her sister, Sabine, and her brothers, Henry and Adolphe, were all deported to Auschwitz.
Rachel spent some time living with her aunt in Paris before eventually ending up in an orphanage. In 1946, she was taken to the United States by an American soldier.
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Once in the U.S., she lived in five different foster homes.
At the age of 17, in 1950, Rachel got married. She had two children and eventually moved to Los Angeles.
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Rachel Miller interview at HF Epstein Hebrew Academy - 2023-2024
HF Epstein Hebrew Academy