Gabi Goslar, born Rachel Gabriele Ida Goslar on October 25, 1940, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, stands as a quiet yet powerful symbol of survival during one of the darkest periods in human history. At 83 years old today, Gabi’s life journey still resonates across generations, reminding the world of the strength of the human spirit even when all hope seems lost.
Gabi came from a well-respected Jewish family. Her parents, Ruth Judith Klee and Hans Yitzkhak Goslar, were German-Jewish refugees who found a new home in the Netherlands after fleeing Nazi Germany. Her father, Hans, had held a senior government position in Berlin as the deputy minister for domestic affairs, a role that once brought stability and security to the family. But when World War II engulfed Europe, that sense of safety quickly disappeared.
Early Loss and Unimaginable Hardships
Gabi’s childhood was marked by profound loss at an early age. Her mother died in 1942 while giving birth to her younger sister, Hannah, leaving their father to care for the two girls alone. Only a year later, in 1943, Gabi’s grandfather passed away, compounding the family’s sorrow just as anti-Jewish persecution intensified under Nazi occupation.
In a desperate effort to shield his family, Hans Goslar obtained Paraguayan passports, hoping they would protect them from Nazi deportations. The plan only worked temporarily. In 1943, Gabi and her family were captured and sent to Westerbork, a transit camp in the Netherlands notorious for holding Jewish prisoners before they were shipped to concentration camps.
As a child, Gabi faced severe health issues. Chronic ear infections often left her hospitalized even while the threat of deportation loomed. On February 15, 1944, the Goslars were transferred to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Life in Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen was known for its harsh and unsanitary conditions. Gabi, her sister Hannah, and their father were placed in a slightly better section for prisoners with foreign passports, sometimes called the Palestinian exchange list. But conditions were still dreadful, and disease and starvation were rampant.
While at the camp, Hannah fell gravely ill. Gabi, then just a child herself, was cared for by Mrs. Abrahams, a mother of seven who embodied the spirit of compassion even in the bleakest of places. Acts of kindness like this reminded Gabi that even amidst terror, human decency could survive.
Tragedy struck again when her father, Hans Goslar, died on February 25, 1945, just weeks before the camp’s liberation by Allied forces. By April, only Gabi and her sister remained from the once-thriving Goslar family.
Post-War Life and Finding Hope Again
After liberation, Hannah was in critical condition and required extended hospitalization. The sisters’ lives took a hopeful turn when Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank, stepped in as a guiding figure. The bond between Gabi Goslar and Anne Frank is often remembered as a testament to friendship in horrific times.
Otto Frank helped Gabi and Hannah find stability again. The girls were sent to live with an uncle in Geneva, Switzerland. By 1949, at age nine, Gabi started a new chapter in Israel, seeking safety and a chance to build a life far away from the memories of war.
In Israel, Gabi settled in Petach Tikvah and married a man with the last name Mozes, adopting a quiet family life. She chose to step away from public view for decades, focusing on her own family and healing from years of trauma. Details about her children and immediate family have been kept private, honoring her wish for a normal life away from headlines.
Keeping Memory Alive
While she spent much of her adult life outside the spotlight, Gabi made a significant return when she participated in the unveiling of memorial stumbling blocks in Germany to honor her parents. These brass plaques mark the last freely chosen homes of Holocaust victims and serve as enduring reminders of lives cut short.
Gabi Goslar’s estimated net worth remains undisclosed, as her life’s focus was never on fame or financial gain. Instead, her legacy lives in her words and actions.
In 2010, she released her memoir, I Have to Tell Someone, a deeply personal account that gives voice to the horrors she witnessed and the lessons she carries forward. The book became a vital tool for Holocaust education, ensuring that the silence of millions is not repeated in history’s pages.
Advocate for Peace and Tolerance
Later in life, Gabi stepped into advocacy work, sharing her story to promote peace and tolerance. Her connection with Anne Frank, whose diary remains one of the most read accounts of the Holocaust, helps bridge her message to new generations.
She speaks not just for herself but for those who never made it through the camps. Her talks focus on the need for compassion, understanding, and the importance of standing against prejudice of any kind.
Why Gabi’s Story Still Matters
Today, Gabi Goslar’s life continues to inspire educators, historians, and young people who may feel distant from the past. Her resilience is proof that survival is not just about living through dark times but about finding ways to heal and remind the world why remembrance matters.
Her friendship with Anne Frank, her survival through unimaginable trauma, and her quiet but powerful voice as an advocate make Gabi Goslar’s legacy more than a footnote in Holocaust history. It is a living call for hope, understanding, and the courage to speak out against hate—no matter how many years pass.
