Guide to the Rose Horowitz Collection
Special Collections & Archives
University Library
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8326
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Rose Horowitz Collection
Creator:
Horowitz, Rose
Identifier/Call Number: OCH.RHC
Extent:
1.52 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1937-2008
Abstract: Rose Horowitz grew up in Shanghai,
China from roughly the 1920s until the late 1940s. Horowitz remained interested in China
throughout her career, writing about her experiences in China and eventually establishing
with California State University, Fullerton and the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles
an Old China Hands Oral History Project. The collection consists mostly of Horowitz's files
from the Old China Hands Oral History Project, including correspondence between her and
interviewees as well as her notes on the progress of the project. Also included are
Horowitz's writings and research materials, including newspaper articles and information on
China, correspondence with archival institutions, and her finished works on her life as well
as the Jewish experience in China.
Language of Material: English
Biographical Information:
Rahma-Rose Jacobs was born in Shanghai, China, in 1924 to a Sephardic Jewish family. Her
father, who moved to Shanghai from Iraq, worked as the senior accountant for the Sassoon
family while her mother's family had roots in China going back to 1863. As a child, Rose was
often ill, but she was still able to attend the Western Public School for Girls. After
graduating, she began attending a business college, but had to stop when the school was shut
down in 1941 during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai.
After the war, Rose and her mother attempted to immigrate to America, and eventually
settled in California after temporarily being offered asylum in Vancouver, Canada. During
this time, Rose also met and married her husband George Horowitz, who was originally from
Vienna but had fled to Shanghai to escape religious persecution.
After retiring early, Rose dedicated herself to volunteering for various causes, including
working as a docent for the Skirball Museum of Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She also
worked with The Center for Oral and Public History at California State University, Fullerton
to conduct a series of oral history interviews of Old China Hands to document their
experiences living as foreigners in China.
Scope and Contents
The
Rose Horowitz Collection is divided into two series:
Old China Hands History Project (1981-2000), and
Research and Writings (1937-1992).
Series I,
Old China Hands History Project, consists of
materials related to Horowitz's work facilitating and conducting oral history interviews for
the Old China Hands History Project at California State University, Fullerton. Items in the
series include correspondence, notes, newspaper clippings and interview guidelines. Folders
in the series have been maintained in their original order.
Series II,
Research and Writings consists of correspondence,
research material, newspaper clippings, VHS tapes, and an audio cassette related to
Horowitz's research into her family and the overall Jewish community's experience in
Shanghai. Also included are drafts of "Growing Up Jewish in Shanghai," a work written and
presented by Horowitz at the Harvard University Fairbanks Center's Symposium on Jewish
Diasporas in China.
Arrangement of Materials:
Series I: Old China Hands History Project, 1981-2000
Series II: Research and Writings, 1937-1992
Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use:
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Rose Horowitz.
Preferred Citation:
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Processing Information:
Jessica Geiser and Eric Yin, 2013
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Audiovisual materials
Documents
Audiovisual materials
Series I: Old China Hands Oral History Project, 1981-2000
Box 1, Folder 1
Fullerton and UCLA,
1990-1994
Box 1, Folder 2
Outlines to Interviews / Fullerton
Box 1, Folder 3
Oral History Guidelines and Notes
Box 1, Folder 4
Hebrew Union College,
1990
Box 1, Folder 8
Transcriber: Mary Hahesy,
1990
Box 1, Folder 9
Transcriber: Lorna Mason,
1990
Box 1, Folder 10
Wade and Mia Blocker,
1991-1997
Box 1, Folder 11
Colonel Richard Camp - 4th Marines Shanghai,
1992-1993
Box 1, Folder 13
Mabel Bloomfield Haynes,
1991-1996
Box 1, Folder 15
Betty Grebenschikoff,
1990
Box 1, Folder 16
David H. Grover - USS President Harrison,
1991
Box 1, Folder 17
Rachel Hayward - Talk in Vancouver, B.C.,
1991
Box 1, Folder 20
Albert Jouravel,
1990-1991
Box 1, Folder 22
Era Kimberley Holmes,
1992
Box 1, Folder 24
Gordon and Eve Kramer - Pan Guang,
1996-1997
Box 1, Folder 25
Balfoura Levine - Jesus in China Records,
1989-2000
Box 2, Folder 1
David Michell (Toronto),
1990-1992
Box 2, Folder 2
Walter Schnell,
1990-1995
Box 2, Folder 3
Netta Reiffler,
1992-2001
Box 2, Folder 5
Oral History Appointments Sign,
1990
Box 2, Folder 6
Kevin Sinclair,
1990-1992
Box 2, Folder 9
Miscellaneous Old China Hands - Not Taped,
1990-1991
Box 2, Folder 10
Potential Interview Subjects,
1990
Box 2, Folder 11
Japanese Internees Compensation Requests,
1995
Box 2, Folder 12
News Clippings on Tiananmen Square Protests,
1989
Box 2, Folder 13
Shanghai Brochure from Frank
Box 2, Folder 14
Miscellaneous Clippings on China,
1981-1995
Series II: Research and Writings, 1937-2008
Box 3, Folder 1
"Growing Up Jewish in Shanghai" by Rose Horowitz,
1992
Box 3, Folder 2
"China and the Jewish Diaspora" Symposium at Harvard University,
1992
Box 3, Folder 3
Correspondence with Benis M. Frank about China Marines,
1991
Box 3, Folder 4
Correspondence with Hoover Institute at Stanford University,
1989
Box 3, Folder 5
Irene Kuhn -
Gourmet Article on
Shanghai,
1990
Box 3, Folder 6
Photocopies of
New York Times Articles on
China,
1937-1949
Box 3, Folder 7
Cassette Tape - National Public Radio Recording, "Shanghai & the
Jews,"
1990
Box 3, Folder 8
Jacob Family Information,
2001-2008
Box 3, Folder 9
"Shanghai Schools" by Rose Horowitz,
2002
Box 4, Item 1
VHS Tape - Footage from a Family Wedding,
circa 1940
Box 4, Item 2
VHS Tape - Rose Horowitz Interviewed by Frank Eiklor on "Growing Up Jewish in
China,"
1996 August 15
Box 4, Item 3
VHS Tape - Sephardic Igud Yotzei Sin Functions and Oral Histories,
1998
