Liliane Gerenstein
| Liliane Gerenstein | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 💼 Occupation | |
Liliane Gerenstein was born on 13 January 1933 in Nice, France to Alexandre Chapse-Gerenstein and Chendlia née Entine.[1] She was a child of La Maison d'Izieu, an orphanage in the french village of Izieu. She was not an orphan herself but had been sent there in a hope she would be hidden from the Nazis. In November 1943, Liliane's parents, Alexandre and Chendlia were taken from Drancy to Auschwitz. [1] In 1944 the Nazi's sent two vans to exterminate the orphanage. On April the 6th, 1944, a Nazi unit, lead by Klaus Barbie, entered the orphanage and forcefully removed all 44 children and 7 adult supervisors,[2] transporting them in vans to Auschwitz concentration camp.[3] A few days before the Nazi raid on the orphanage, many of the children in Izieu wrote letters to their family including Jacques Benguigui and Georges Halpern. [4]However, Liliane wrote a letter to God (originally in French), which was found in the orphanage after the children had been taken.
Letter to God[edit]
Original French
Dieu? Que vous êtes bon, que vous êtes gentil et s'il fallait compter le nombre de bontés et de gentillesses que vous nous avez faites il ne finirait jamais...
Dieu? C'est vous qui commandez. C'est vous qui êtes la justice, c'est vous qui récompensez les bons et punissez les méchants.
Dieu? Après cela je pourrai dire que je ne vous oublierai jamais. Je penserai toujours à vous, même aux derniers moments de ma vie.
Vous pouvez être sûr et certain. Vous êtes pour moi quelque chose que je ne peux pas dire, tellement que vous êtes bon. Vous pouvez me croire.
Dieu? C'est grâce à vous que j'ai eu une belle vie avant, que j'ai été gâtée, que j'ai eu de belles choses, que les autres n'ont pas.
Dieu? Après cela, je ne vous demande qu'une seule chose : faites revenir mes parents, mes pauvres parents, protégez-les (encore
plus que moi-même), que je les revoie le plus tôt possible, faites-les revenir encore une fois.
Ah ! Je pouvais dire que j'avais une si bonne maman et un si bon papa ! J'ai tellement confiance en vous que je vous dis un merci à l'avance.
English Translation
God? How good you are, how kind and if one had to count the number of goodnesses and kindnesses you have done, one would never finish.
God? It is you who command. It is you who are justice, it is you who reward the good and punish the evil.
God? It is thanks to you that I had a beautiful life before, that I was spoiled, that I had lovely things that others do not have.
God? After that, I ask you one thing only: Make my parents come back, my poor parents protect them (even more than you protect me) so that I can see them again as soon as possible.
Make them come back again. Ah! I had such a good mother and such a good father! I have such faith in you and I thank you in advance.
Death[edit]
Liliane died a few days after writing the letter along with all the children in the vans, on the 15th of April 1944, at the age of 11.[5]Her father, Alexandre Chapse-Gerenstein, miraculously survived the Auschwitz and later emigrated to the United States.[6]
Reference in popular culture[edit]
Her name is briefly mentioned in the 2007 drama Freedom Writers directed by Richard LaGravenese, in which the characters in the film visit a holocaust museum.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "MAISON D'IZIEU".
- ↑ "Auschwitz". 23 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ↑ https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/childrens-homes/izieu/personal-stories.asp
- ↑ "Letter of Georges".
- ↑ "Auschwitz". Auschwitz. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ↑ "Liliane Gerenstein". Find a grave. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
External links[edit]
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