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.
The decisive turning point came on Kristallnacht — the “Night of Broken Glass.” Helga awoke to a city transformed by violence and destruction. On her way to school that morning, she encountered shattered storefronts and the smoldering ruins of Jewish institutions. That night, she watched from her apartment window as looters ravaged the pharmacy across the street. The sound of breaking glass would echo in her memory for the rest of her life.
In March 1939, just shy of her 14th birthday, Helga’s parents made the heart-wrenching decision to send their only child to safety on the Kindertransport, a rescue effort that brought nearly 10,000 Jewish children to the United Kingdom. She arrived in England alone, with minimal English and facing an uncertain future. She was welcomed by Anne and Jack Posnansky, a compassionate couple who along with their three children, became her second family.
Helga never saw her beloved father again. He died in a detention center shortly after her departure. Her mother, however, survived deportation and forced labor, and the two were reunited years later — a joyful moment tempered by the weight of all they had endured and lost.
Determined to forge a meaningful life from tragedy, Helga trained as a nurse in England, working in a London hospital during the Blitz. She recounted nights spent sleeping under tables with fellow nurses as bombs fell overhead, committed to caring for the injured regardless of the danger. This unwavering dedication during those harrowing years laid the foundation for her future calling.
After the war, Helga continued her medical career at the Montreal Neurological Institute, where she assisted in complex surgical procedures. In 1962, she and her mother immigrated to Los Angeles, where Helga joined the groundbreaking open-heart surgery team at Kaiser Foundation Hospital. She later became one of the first graduates of a pioneering anesthesia program in Southern California, building a respected and distinguished career.
Helga met her husband, John Carden, on the ski slopes — a moment of serendipity that led to 25 years of adventure, love, and partnership. After retiring to Santa Barbara, Helga became an active and cherished member of the community. She was a fixture at the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, where she volunteered and shared her powerful life story with thousands of students and visitors.
She served as a founding voice in the Federation’s Portraits of Survival exhibit, an initiative that pairs survivor testimonies with photography and personal reflection. For more than two decades, Helga gave voice to those who lived through one of history’s darkest periods — always emphasizing the enduring values of empathy, remembrance, and moral courage. In 2023, she recorded a StoryFile, an interactive digital biography that preserves her voice, wisdom, and firsthand accounts for future generations.
Helga also found joy in challenging herself physically. At age 55, she took up competitive running, completing her first marathon at 60. She joked — only half in jest — that she was annoyed to place fourth, despite being one of just 12 finishers in her age group. That fierce determination, dry humor, and resolute spirit were hallmarks of her remarkable personality.
Carden, a gymnast as a child and a marathon runner as an adult, pictured in her nineties | Credit: Courtesy
Helga lived with a grace shaped by hardship, a wit reflecting her British upbringing, and a fierce independence forged through survival. She loved dogs unconditionally, treasured time spent in nature’s quiet beauty, and relished long conversations.
On the morning of her passing, Helga asked one of her visitors — as she always did — how the students were responding to her exhibit. Before saying goodbye, she gently expressed that she was ready. Her clarity and calm in that moment were true to the way she had lived her nearly century-long life: brave, thoughtful, and at peace with her journey.
Thanks to the support of the Nissenson family and Vista del Monte, Helga’s StoryFile will remain a permanent part of the Federation’s Holocaust education work, ensuring her legacy continues to teach, inspire, and uplift for generations to come.
Helga Carden was a survivor, a pioneering medical professional, and a beacon of light in this community. May her memory be a blessing and her story continue to illuminate the path toward greater human understanding.
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