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Horowitz (Rose) Collection
OCH.RHC
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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
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.
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.
Series I: Old China Hands History Project, 1981-2000
Series II: Research and Writings, 1937-1992
The collection is open for research 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.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Jessica Geiser and Eric Yin, 2013
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Audiovisual materials
Documents
Audiovisual materials