Catholics and Protestants Protecting Jews during the Holocaust
I have wireless access in the conference room. So I am blogging live!
Catholics and Protestants Protecting Jews during the Holocaust presented by Clara Krug. Georgia Southern University
In 1940, German occupiers and the Vichy Regime began to arrest foreign Jews. As the war continued, both governments also arrested French Jews. Some French citizens helped Jews find asylum. This session focuses on the staff of a Catholic school and the citizens of a Protestant community who risked death to help Jewish strangers. Their stories are told in the films “Au revoir, les enfants” and “Le Chambon: La colline aux mille enfants.”
- collaborator
- victim
- bystander
- resister
11 Million Jews were targeted in all over Europe. Over 5 million in UDSSR, over 2 million in Poland.
Germans estimated that they were 33 million people in France and 26% of them being Jews. Jews had migrated towards France, because they were granted citizenship. Facilitated immigration due to their loss in WWI. In reality they was only 1% Jews living in France at the time the Nazis invaded. Nazis had over estimated. There is no reason for that.
Over 90% of the Polish Jews died, there is a survival rate of 76 % of French Jews. What made the difference? Who helped them?
What role did the Catholic church play? Pope Pius XII did not offer ANY help or criticize any of the doings. The pope and the vatican did not help except to the ones who converted or the ones that had married Christians.
In 1940 over 98% of population of France was Catholic. Anti Jewish laws were not protested by the Catholic Church.
How did the Nazi know how to find the Jews in Paris? Jews had to fill out cards to be identified. They felt nothing would happen to them if they followed those orders. They had been treated fairly in France until then. Once that started happening the Arch Bishops started protesting. July 1942 Round up. Only 5-6 protested (out of over 90). Resistants: Some reacted by wearing the Jewish yellow star, hiding Jewish students in schools, tipping their hat when walking by someone who wears a yellow star.
Movie “Aur revoir les enfants”.
Based on events from writer-director Louis Malle’s own childhood, Au revoir les enfants is the tragic story of friendship and devastating loss between two boys at a Catholic board-school in Nazi-occupied France. Julien befriends Jean, and the two precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie until Jean’s secret—that he is a Jew being hid by sympathetic priests—is revealed. Subtly and precisely observed, the film is a tale of cowardice and courage and ultimately heartbreaking awakening into adulthood.
French Protestant Church was less than 1% of the French population. Difference
Nature of the bystanders made the difference in the number of Jewish survivers.
Any bystanders who had a natural resistant to the Nazis were in favor of the Jews. Protestant President starting resisting in 1941. In May of 1942 the Protestants protested the anti Jewish laws being passed. . Provided centers to help Jews.
Chambon was a small village about 3000 people, that were taking in especially Jewish children. They called them “Old Testament” They felt it was they duty to resist against a totalitarian government. Call upon Christians NOT to collaborate. Let small groups of Jewish children on an escape route to Switzerland. The children had to walk by themselves over the mountai.
Movie: Le Chambon: La Coline aux mille enfants
The French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon was inhabited by rough farmers of Huguenot descent. They knew a lot about religious persecution from their history. So, during World War II when Hitler imposed his heinous laws and set out to arrest all Jews, this village would not stand for it. This is one of the epic sagas of the war, this century, and Western civilization. Under the courageous leadership of a Christian pastor, this village risked extermination by the Nazis to provide safety and refuge for 5,000 Jewish children. In this compelling drama we see the human side of Le Chambon: How much can they risk before they break? How to handle the inevitable human conflicts? And then there are those who fall in love at the most inopportune time. In French with English subtitles. 118 minutes.
No evidence that Protestants tried to convert any Jews. Orthodox Jews kept kosher and kept High Holy Days during their time with Protestants. Pastors encouraged their communities to shelter Jews. Helped save over 200,000 Jews.
Questions to ask yourself:
- Who were the bystanders?
- Who were the collaborators?
- Who were the resistants?
- Who were the perpetrators?
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