In 2006 as her 50th wedding anniversary was approaching, French Holocaust survivor and educator Simone Kaufman created a memoir that she gifted to her children. When I visited Simone in her home she showed me a copy of the treasured keepsake as she shared her story of survival.
“I was born June 27th, 1935 in Hayange, France. The town is located in the Lorraine region of France. My father’s name was Pierre Baruch and my mother was Erna Walarsky. During the war she changed her name to Marianne. My older brother, Gilbert, passed away last year. When I was three years old my family moved to Dijon (my father’s hometown). Dijon is the capital city of the historical Burgundy region in eastern France, one of the country’s principal wine and mustard making areas. My paternal grandfather owned a butcher and deli shop and my father worked with him. My mother earned income working in a 5 & 10 store”.
Kaufman recalled Germany’s invasion of France.
“I was four years old when ‘The Battle of France’ resulted in Germany’s invasion of France. My father served in the French army before marrying my mother. After war was declared in France, he was called back into service to fight against Germany. Shortly afterwards he was captured by the Germans as a prisoner of war. After escaping the enemy, my father returned to Dijon. I remember the day the Germans marched into our city. A friend and I crossed the street from my home to pick some flowers. Suddenly I heard my mother screaming at me and she subsequently spanked me. ‘The Germans are coming, the Germans are coming’ she yelled as she scolded me. Chanoine Kir, a powerful politician and Catholic leader, who was a family friend, suggested that my father escape to England. My father chose to remain in Dijon and became involved in the ‘Resistance’ movement. I remember the Gestapo coming to our home in February 1942 and arresting my father and taking him to a local prison. My mother spoke fluent German and tried in vain to get my father released, unfortunately he never was. In May 1942, my father was sent to a transit camp. In June 1942 he was deported to Auschwitz and murdered there in September. He was only 39 years old. Since the Germans recorded details of their victims, I have documentation that confirms the date of my father’s death.”
Kaufman recalled moving to Lyon.
“In July 1942 with the help of Chanoine Kir, my mother, grandmother, brother and I traveled to Lyon. My mother had a friend who worked for a Jewish organization that was protected by the Gestapo, therefore my mother was fortunate to find work. Living in Lyon we were always fearful of the unknown. I remember the constant interruption of siren alarms and lying flat in the street as bombs fell nearby when I couldn’t get to a shelter. Food was scarce, however, I remember the school providing us with a cookie each day that contained vitamins. As the bombings became more intense, my mother placed me in the care of an older couple who lived outside Lyon. She soon became fearful that the couple would betray me and came to bring me back to Lyon. In 1945 Lyon was liberated by the Americans. The Germans retreated by blowing up most of the city’s famous bridges.”
Kaufman reflected on life following liberation.
“My family and I returned to Dijon after the war. We moved into the apartment that my grandfather owned. My grandmother who took care of my brother and I while my mother worked died when I was 11 years old. Since my mother couldn’t take care of us, my brother and I were able to live in a children’s home in LeMans where my grandfather was in charge of all the food orders. The home was a château that resembled a Renaissance castle. During the time I lived there I learned to appreciate cultural arts including music and art. In 1948 I moved into a home for girls near Paris.”
Kaufman recalled moving to America.
“In March 1949 after our visas became valid, my mother, brother and I sailed to New York aboard the SS Sobieski. The vessel was a Polish ship that was used during the war. After arriving in New York, we traveled by bus to San Francisco and moved in with my uncle. Three months later we returned to New York and settled into an apartment located near the Museum of Natural History. I enrolled in high school where one of my assignments from the English Department included interviewing Dick Haymes, a famous singer of that era. In 1952 I enrolled in The City College of New York (CCNY) and started a French Club. I graduated in 1956. I got a job as a bookkeeper and was hired as a French/English translator after a client who owned a Japanese import company heard my accent. My mother and I became involved in the French colony. It was a network of clubs and organizations whose members were natives of France. In 1954 I met my husband, Maurice. We were married on June 24th, 1956 and were blessed with three daughters, a son, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. We moved to Paramus, New Jersey in 1958 where I worked for 25 years as a French language teacher. I also served as an advisor to the National Honor Society. In 1990 I co-authored a test book for students that was implemented throughout the country. Maurice worked in his uncle’s embroidery factory in New Jersey and later for a lampshade manufacturer. During our vacations and following our retirement, Maurice and I enjoyed traveling around the world. He died last year after we were married for 67 years.”
Kaufman shared her words of wisdom.
“Love and respect people regardless of their faith and heritage.”
