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Spouses and Germaine Gabriel Cuvillier
and their son John:
three Righteous Among the Nations Crouy
October 3, 200 joined the Multipurpose Hall of Crouy for a ceremony of recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations prepared and led by Alain Vivien Saul and Habif, representatives of the French Committee for Yad Vashem ..
Cuvillier Gabriel, his wife Germaine (nee Duhauvel) and their son Jean Cuvillier were honored posthumously for having hidden and saved from the Holocaust Jacques Katz and his sister Micheline.
The representative of the Israeli Embassy in Paris, Michel Harel, handed the medal and diploma from just grand-son and son of the three heroes for a day but not for ... forever.
Summary File Yad Vashem:
- "Henry Katz and Rachel Wilensky, Russo-Polish origin, married in Paris. They operate a trade butter and cheese, 3 rue de la Tour d'Auvergne Crouy (Aisne). They had two children: Micheline, born in 1933 and Jacques, born in 1939.
At the outbreak of war, Henry was called up. He was taken prisoner near Sedan. Interned in Hamburg, he managed to give its news to his wife and his mother remained Crouy with two children.
early 1943, Rachel escapes arrest. She decides to go to Tergnier (Aisne), where the mother lives with her husband, Rosalie Katz. Micheline and Jacques are entrusted to their grandmother.
On 2 January 1944, Rachel was interned in the prison of Laon (Aisne). May 2 takes its transfer to Drancy. On 5 May, a convoy takes Rachel to Bergen-Belsen. But
January 19, 1944, at Crouy is the turn of Rosalie Katz and his grandchildren Micheline Jacques and fall into the hands of Germans. All three are pushed into a truck. Unbelievable but true, an officer turned to the witnesses and the arrest application:
"If someone wants to take care of these children, I do not take them!"
- "Among the people attending Crouy this stage, a person has the presence of mind to warn Germaine Cuvillier. It was used by the Katz family before the war. She ran away. No questions question, she takes the kids home.
Germaine Cuvillier, her husband and their son Gabriel Jean hid and protected and Micheline Jacques until liberation.
Rachel is back from Bergen-Belsen in late April 1945 to find his children shining. Alas, Rosalie Katz died in deportation.
Rachel Jacques Micheline and never forgot their benefactors. "
Excerpts from speeches by the Mayor of Crouy:
- " This ceremony is a tribute to the family CUVILLIER for a courageous act that allows two children to escape deportation ago aged 66. Nothing is forgotten, Time has not erased, nor the Nazi barbarism and the complicity of the French state, nor the resistance to the occupier, or acts of generosity and discrete like family CUVILLIER. What the fact Mr. and Mrs. CUVILLIER for these two children is exceptional ...
When, January 19, 1944, Micheline Jacques and their grandmother Rosalie stopped, it knows what to expect. At that time, everyone knows that the arrest is followed by deportation, without return. What we know is the method used to make you die. That is why the grandmother Rosalie wants to throw it out the window of the 1st floor and is Micheline which will prevent him. Rather kill himself than be arrested, Rosalie will not return.
is terrible and the fear of arrest is present among many Jews in the year 1944.
Madam Germaine CUVILLIER is maid in KATZ, among Leveque, the tobacconist, and in Nouvian, the butcher, do not ask questions. When she is prevented, she finds a way to travel to collect and Micheline Jacques to be treated like his own children. It's simple and obvious to the couple Cuvillier, but this gesture is not without danger, to thank you for an information. And the German soldiers are likely to CROUY. They occupy houses requisitioned - 14, I said Jacques KATZ ...
Madam CUVILLIER visiting TERGNIER to collect and Micheline Jacques waiting on the sidewalk, anxious and whose only hope is to see it happen. Ms. CUVILLIER knows all this. Never mind the supply problems with the ration card, no matter the risk of being denounced, Madam CUVILLIER does what she considers her duty. This is normal. And Marshall may well leave his anti-Semitic laws, the Germans and the militia to arrest. That is abnormal.
Today, the Medal of the Righteous will be given, posthumously, the little son of Mr. and Mrs. CUVILLIER. It is a great honor and I'm happy, as Mayor of CROUY, share this honor, which reflects on all Crouyssiens.
We are proud to have done Mr and Mrs CUVILLIER for children KATZ.
I thank Mr. and Mrs. SAUL Habif, delegates of the French Committee for Yad Vashem who orchestrated the ceremony.
I also thank His Excellency Michel HAREL representing the Israeli Embassy in France whose presence honors our village. "
Speech by Jean Francois Cuvillier:
-" I am very touched receive the Medal of the Righteous Among the Nations testifying to the act of humanity of my grandparents and Germaine Gabriel Cuvillier and my father John.
As my mother testified:
"They were simple people, true, wonderful kindness and generosity."
They have hidden, protected, lavished much love to Jacques and Micheline, considering them as their children.
This day pays tribute to them.
On behalf of Mom, my brothers and sisters, I am proud to bear witness to this memory humanity.
Whatever our differences, every man, woman's place and should be respected as such. Anything that goes against it is an affront to the dignity of human beings.
May this ceremony be a witness to the power of life. "
Note: Our thanks to Viviane Saul for his contributions this blog page.
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