Lancaster resident honored during Capitol Holocaust Remembrance Day

SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) honored Lancaster resident Michael Rosenbach for Holocaust Remembrance Day at the State Capitol Monday. Rosenbach is a Holocaust survivor of Polish heritage who was born in Uzgan, Russia.

“Mr. Rosenbach’s story is one of hope,” Assemblyman Lackey stated. “Michael lived through an extraordinary experience and thrived against all odds.”

Michael’s mother, Esther Rosenbach, her husband, Albert, and their two daughters managed to escape a Nazi-enforced ghetto in Warsaw, Poland, in 1942.

The family was split shortly after escaping, leaving pregnant Esther and her two daughters on a 2600-mile trek to Uzgan, Russia, where Michael Rosenbach was born.

“As 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and World War II, it is more important than ever that we honor the victims of the Holocaust and ensure something like this never happens again,” said Michael Rosenbach of the day’s event.

Liberation arrived in 1945 with the collapse of the Nazi regime, but closure did not arrive until Michael’s family was reunited with their father. Michael recalls that after years of hiding with Gypsies and other Polish Jews, his family decided to return to Warsaw to find their missing relatives when the war finally ended.

After no relatives were found, the family migrated to Germany. By some miracle, the family was reunited with their father in Frankfurt. The family received visas in 1949 and immigrated to the United States.

“Today, we reflect on a dark age in our world’s history,” said Assemblyman Lackey, in recognizing the importance of Holocaust Remembrance Day. “Not only do we remember those that had lost their lives, but we also pay tribute to those that survived.”

After serving in the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineering Group from 1962-1968, Michael obtained his California State Plumbing and general contractor’s license in 1973. He has been married to his wife, Susan Rosenbach, for more 51 years and has four grandchildren. Read more about Michael Rosenbach here.

Every April, the State Assembly and the Assembly Jewish Caucus hold a ceremony in the State Capitol to honor holocaust survivors and remember victims.

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