Helga Carden passed away peacefully on March 4, 2025, in Santa Barbara at the age of 99. A Holocaust survivor, nurse, medical pioneer, devoted wife, and beloved community member, Helga’s life was defined by resilience, compassion, and an unwavering sense of purpose.
Born in Berlin in June 1925 to Martin and Emma Jonas, Helga was an only child raised in a loving home filled with warmth and affection. She often described herself fondly as “a daddy’s girl,” cherishing those early memories that would later sustain her through unimaginable hardship. The rise of Nazi Germany gradually and profoundly altered the fabric of her existence.
Helga witnessed firsthand the escalating restrictions placed on Jewish citizens — being expelled from her school, banned from public spaces, and excluded from activities she loved, including gymnastics competitions during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. She vividly recalled the chilling impact of Nazi propaganda and mass rallies, including a haunting moment when she saw Hitler himself pass by in a motorcade.