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Les Enfants et Amis AbadiPreserving the memory of Odette and Moussa Abadi and keeping alive the memory of the Shoah

Commemoration of the Vel’ d’Hiv round-up

July 11, 2026

Commemoration of the Vel’ d’Hiv round-up

As July 16 approaches, our country is once again preparing to remember the victims of the Vel’ d’Hiv round-up.

On July 16 and 17, 1942, more than 13,000 Jewish women, men and children were arrested in France by the French police, before being deported to the death camps. Among them were thousands of children whose only crime was to have been born Jewish.

In the face of this barbarity, some chose to look away. Others, on the contrary, decided to resist.

It is in that France that the story of the Marcel network belongs – created by Odette Rosenstock and Moussa Abadi with the support of Monseigneur Rémond, Pastors Gagnier and Evrard and many men and women. This network saved 527 Jewish children from deportation. Behind this figure lie as many lives preserved, as many families, as many futures made possible thanks to courage, solidarity and the refusal of indifference.

The Marcel network reminds us that History is never written in advance. In the darkest hours, ordinary women and men can accomplish extraordinary deeds when they choose humanity over hatred, and courage over resignation.

Today, this memory places obligations on us.

It does so above all because the last witnesses are gradually disappearing and passing on has become our collective responsibility. It does so too because hate speech, rejection of others, antisemitism, racism and authoritarian temptations are growing worryingly all over the world, even in our democracies. The rise of extremes, the normalisation of discourses of exclusion and repeated attacks on fundamental values remind us that nothing is ever won for good.

Commemorating the Vel’ d’Hiv round-up is not only looking to the past. It is questioning our present and affirming the world we want to build. It is recalling that behind the figures there are faces, children, families, shattered lives. It is also keeping alive the values that brought the Marcel network into being: fraternity, courage, solidarity, individual responsibility and the unconditional defence of human dignity.

Remembering is not an exercise in nostalgia. It is an act of vigilance. It is refusing to let oblivion open the way to History repeating itself. It is passing on to the younger generations the landmarks that will allow them to recognise the first signs of intolerance before it is too late.

Because memory lives only when it is shared. Because passing on is already resisting. Because more than ever, we have a duty to remember so that it does not happen again.

For the ceremonies of July 16, we invite you to take part in one of the many commemorations organised throughout France. Your presence is a tribute to the victims, support for those who pass on this memory, and a personal commitment to ensuring that the values carried yesterday by the Marcel network continue to light our common future.

Some ceremonies:

Paris

Fresnes (Val-de-Marne)

Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis)

Guided tour “The Vel’ d’Hiv round-up”

Maison d’Izieu – National Day (Ain)