Programme of the “Hidden children and deportation” week
January 7 to 11, 2008
The week was opened at the town hall of the 9th in the presence of several personalities and children.
After Jacques Bravo, Mayor of the 9th, and Pénélope Komitès, Deputy Mayor of Paris responsible for disabled people and President of the Departmental Centre for Disabled People, Aude de Saint-Loup, head of the Cours Morvan, spoke.
Read Aude de Saint-Loup’s speech
Pierre-Emmanuel presented the ADJS and the aim of the week: to make pupils aware of a personality who never tired of helping children, and to bring this page of history within reach of an audience that would otherwise find it hard to access – and, in doing so, to promote the educational project of the Cours Morvan…
Then General Bernard d’Astorg spoke, and finally Jeannette Wolgust, of the Abadi Children, who was given a public kiss by the Mayor, so great was the emotion.
Read Jeannette Wolgust’s speech
In the audience: Hervé Guillemet, a teacher seconded to the Fondation de la Résistance, Abadi Children, friends from all over… I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone…
Throughout the week, morning and afternoon, in the Salons Aguado, Abadi Children took turns. Complementing General d’Astorg’s so clear explanations about deportation, they answered secondary school pupils’ questions about the Marcel network. Our panels were displayed in a room next to a small screening room, where the film Le Réseau Marcel was shown on a loop and on request for any visitor. There were also texts about the deportation of deaf people. The children were very attentive and interested; some were preparing for the Resistance competition.
Besides the pupils of the Cours Morvan, we had visits from young people from the Lycée Jean Jaurès, the Lycée Fernand Léger in Argenteuil and Saint-Michel des Batignolles.
The bent silhouettes of Jean-Marc Cerino’s canvases, with their so expressive faces, also spoke to us of the wrench during the week.
A plaque was unveiled on the walls of the Cours Morvan on Friday, January 11 in memory of Odette Abadi, the school’s former doctor. Madame de Saint-Loup welcomed Mr Legrand and Mr Peyronnel, representing Mr Bravo, Les Enfants et Amis Abadi and Dr Olivier Léon. The pupils of the Cours Morvan crowded round, attentive to the ceremony, and despite the rain and cold it was a deeply moving moment.
Read Andrée Poch-Karsenti’s speech
The week closed on the Saturday, after a big-screen showing of Le Réseau Marcel and a very fine show by the pupils of the Cours Morvan, with a round table
Thanks to the audience, the participants, the interpreters and the speech-to-text reporter, and to the Fondation Orange.
A white rose was given to each participant in the Round Table in memory of the resistance group “the White Rose” of Hans and Sophie Scholl.
Our thanks to those who orchestrated this week with brilliance, efficiency, energy and warmth: Aude de Saint-Loup, Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat, General d’Astorg, Annie Carcaillon and the Abadi children.