Peppy Rosenthal was born in 1935, in Rozhishche, Ukraine. When Germany invaded, the family was forced into the ghetto. They escaped as the ghetto was about to be liquidated and remained in hiding for the duration of the war. While in hiding, Peppy's mother was separated from the rest of the family and was never seen again. Masquerading as Greeks, the family traveled through Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Austria, eventually settling in Italy, where they lived for several years. With the help of relatives already living in the U.S., the family immigrated in 1950, settling in Flint, Michigan. An eyewitness from Rozhishche later verified that Peppy's mother was seen dead in a forest after she was separated from the family.