Holocaust memorial vandalised in Paris ahead of annual commemoration
French police are investigating the incident, which has been condemned at both local and national level
French authorities have vowed to restore a memorial connected to the wartime round-up and deportation of thousands of French Jews, noting that it was vandalised ahead of the country’s annual commemoration of the tragedy.
The plaque in Paris, dedicated to a couple – Arsene and Angele Richard – and their daughter Marcelle, as being Righteous Among the Nations for rescuing a thirteen year old Jewish boy, Edmond Rajchman, from the Vel d’Hiv roundup, was broken last week. The Paris police described the vandalism as “an unspeakable act” and said that “investigators are working to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators in order to bring them before the justice system.”
The Vel d’Hiv roundup took place in July 1942, when Vichy French police arrested more than 13,000 Jewish men, women and children in Paris. 8,000 of them were confined to the Vélodrome d’Hiver in the city, where they were kept for five days without food, water or sanitary facilities. Some took their own lives, and the rest were subsequently deported to Nazi internment camps and ultimately to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. More than 75,000 Jews were deported from France, with the help of the collaborationist French authorities, to Nazi death camps, where 97 percent of them were murdered.
On Friday, Emmanuel Gregoire, the Mayor of Paris, posted a picture of the defaced monument on social media, saying: “At 15 rue Louis Braille, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, a commemorative plaque honouring a couple of Righteous Among the Nations and their daughter, who saved a child during the Vél’ d’Hiv’ roundup, has been vandalized.
“At a time when antisemitism is advancing every day in society, and on the eve of a weekend commemorating the roundup, I wish to reaffirm my unwavering support for the Jewish community. Paris is and will remain a land of resistance against all forms of hatred, and the fight against antisemitism will always be an absolute priority in my political commitment.”
Alice Rufo, a Minister in the French government, quoted a famous phrase from the Talmud: “Whoever saves one life saves the entire universe”.
She went on to say that “on July 16, 1942, Edmond Rajchman, 13 years old, escaped the Vél d’Hiv roundup. His mother, Rachel, arrested by the police, was murdered at Auschwitz. He survived: his neighbors at 15 rue Louis Braille, Arsène and Angèle Richard, along with their daughter Marcelle, hid him at the peril of their lives. 84 years later, the plaque that recalled their names on the walls of Paris has been broken.
“To attack the Righteous is to profane the entire universe. The plaque will be restored. Their memory remains intact. In the face of antisemitism, in all its forms, the Republic will not yield.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
