4th Days of the Righteous in Thonon
July 12, 2022
On June 17, 2022, we were in Thonon to meet young people from Lausanne and Thonon with LICRA, as part of the 4th Franco-Swiss Days of the Righteous.
Workshop 2, led by Florence Boudoussier, Patrick Weill and Andrée Poch-Karsenti, brought together 12 pupils, including 2 Swiss girls
First the pupils were able to express their emotions on hearing the tragic stories of Jacques CHARMATZ, a hidden Jewish child, and Mohamed ABDEL AZZIZ, a refugee from Darfur.
The notion of the Righteous was explained. This legal recognition created by the State of Israel concerns non-Jews who, without anything in return, helped rescue Jews. Some historical background on the Second World War was needed so that the teenagers could place in context Andrée’s testimony, which followed.
The creation of the Marcel network in Nice in 1943 by Odette and Moussa ABADI to save persecuted Jewish children. The network would save 527 children from all over Europe from deportation. Moussa ABADI called himself a thief of stories, in that he made false papers for the children so that they no longer bore Jewish names, and invented a story for them other than their own.
Andrée was three in 1943 when her parents were arrested by the Gestapo and deported to the death camps. At the time of their arrest, Andrée was playing at the neighbours’ opposite with their son, and so was saved. Thanks to the Marcel network, Andrée was able to remain hidden until the Liberation.
Finally, a bridge was built between yesterday and today with regard to refugees fleeing persecution, war and hunger. What would a Righteous person be today?
Patrick WEILL
Secularism and Citizenship adviser
Interregional Directorate
Youth Judicial Protection, Centre-East