Mois : avril 2017

The exhibition created by OSE is now shown at both major Memorial sites in Southern France: the Camp des Milles and the Camp de Rivesaltes. It is also permanently shown at the Ghetto Fighters’ Museum in Israel.

On March 21, 2017, the exhibition “Save the Children 1938-1945” produced by the OSE was opened at the Rivesaltes Memorial Camp. Jean-François Guthmann, President of the OSE, Patricia Sitruk, Director-General, and Katy Hazan, historian and curator of the exhibition, were present.

This exhibition recalls the decisive role of the OSE in the rescue of Jewish children in France from deportation during the World War II. Several of these children portrayed in the exhibition were interned at the Rivesaltes internment Camp. Ten portraits of children saved by OSE are presented in this exhibition. Visible throughout the year 2017, it is also the occasion to present the role of the OSE association today.

This exhibition is also shown at the Ghetto Fighter’s Museum in Israel.

The Jules and Marcelle-Lévy Center for workers with disabilities is proud to put the skills of its bookbinding workshop at the service of the Library of the French Parliament in 2017!

The handicapped workers of this workshop, who had already carried out the valuable renovation of several books, have won the confidence of this prestigious institution by winning a bookbinding call for tender issued by the library of the French Parliament.

They will be making leather covers and canvas for several issues of the “Annals of the Chamber of Deputies” and the “Official Journal”, and for archives of issues of the “Le Monde” and “Le Figaro” newspapers.

This delicate work requires care and professional expertise; all the workers of this workshop were specially trained by an experienced bookbinder in order to gain proficiency and self-confidence.

On March 8^th, the Edith-Kremsdorf Day Care Center was newly inaugurated in its renovated premises. Opened in 2000, it was the first day care center for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in Paris. On Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th, the Ambassador of Germany had paid a visit to the Survivors treated at the OSE center.

Jean-François Guthmann, President of the OSE and Patricia Sitruk, Director General, welcomed nearly 100 people to the renovated premises, including many partners from the City of Paris, the State Health authorities, and the Jewish community.

This renovation project was sponsored by Mrs Liliane Capelle, the former Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of the elderly, who played an active part in the adventure of the creation in the year 2000 of the first day-care center for patients with Alzheimer’s disease in Paris and in France: the Edith-Kremsdorf Center. In front of the guests, Liliane Capelle recalled the innovative aspect of this place at the time and keeps this experience in her memory as a highlight of her political career.

During the visit of the renovated premises, the elders who had not interrupted their morning activity for that much were delighted to testify of their pleasure to be together in their brand new center.

A few weeks prior, on Holocaust Remembrance and Crime Against Humanity Prevention Day on January 27th, the Ambassador of Germany had paid a visit to the many Survivors treated at this OSE center.

The annual meeting of the Scientific Council of the OSE, chaired by Prof. Arnold Migus, was held on February 2^nd at the Imagine Institute, an innovative research and treatment center for genetics headed by Prof. Arnold Munnich. The Council is composed of more than 30 elite scientists in many fields, and this meeting provided the opportunity to introduce 4 new members in fields such as philosophy, IT, history and biology.

On the agenda for this annual meeting:

– The presentation of an ambitious research program named “13-11”, in which OSE is a member of the Research Consortium, presented by historian Denis Peschanski as leader of the research teams: a 12-year-long study to analyze the construction and evolution of individual and collective memory after the attacks in Paris on November 13^th, 2015;

– The care for young adults with a rare combination of multiple disabilities, at the OSE Alain-Raoul-Mossé day-care center, in partnership with the teams of Prof. Arnold Munnich, a lead-expert in genetics, and member of the OSE Scientific council;

–The presentation of the research behind the book written by OSE historian Katy Hazan and Psychologist Marion Feldman: “Jewish Children and Public Assistance”, to be published in April 2017;

– And finally a review of the first five years of existence of the Scientific Council of the OSE.

It is an honor for the OSE to have by our side these prominent personalities of the French scientific world.

The Week of Action Against Racism and Anti-Semitism, initiated by the Ministry of National Education, took place from March 18^th to March 26^th this year. OSE continued its commitment towards educating future citizens through various activities for the youth, involving art, Jewish history and traditions.

1. Tradition and high-holidays to enhance the value of fraternity
The story of Purim celebrates resistance against an attempt to destroy the Jewish people. It conveys in itself a strong message against Anti-Semitism. In addition, this joyful and cheerful feast is celebrated in the many homes of OSE, with masks and magnificent costumes, but also with music:
– At the Elie-Wiesel Home in Taverny, in partnership with the Lev Layeled association, Purim was celebreated with a very special guest: the famous French singer Renaud, who impressed all the guests with his humility and his openness to one and all;
– At the Eliane-Assa Home in Draveil, Purim was a musical party on Klezmer tunes and other traditional music, played by the young musicians of the conservatory thanks to the “Live Music Now” Foundation, with the help of Lev Layeled and J’OSE volonteers;
– Magic was the key word for the Purim celebration in the homes of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Foyer Ensemble), Laversine (House Shatta-and-Bouli-Simon), Luzarches (Maison des Champs).

2. History and memory to educate young citizens
The youngsters of the Fanny-Loinger socio-educational center in Créteil just ouside Paris visited the Memorial-site at Camp des Milles in Southern France, the only French camp for internment and deportation still intact and recently made accessible to the public. Strongly committed to educating future citizens, the Memorial brings visitors to better understand the mechanisms leading to totalitarian regimes and reinforces the vigilance and the responsibility of each visitor against racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of extremism.
This group of teenagers had been taking part all-year-round in a workshop aiming at strengthening their critical thinking capacities as members of a social group. The therapist in charge of the socio-educational program sums up their experiences: “it is by being enlightened by knowledge of the past that each person will be able to avoid, at his or her own level, to be driven into the routine of daily life and into the extraordinary of a mass crime. Because doing nothing is letting it happen.”

3. Art and culture for more tolerance
A visit to the magnificent art exhibition “21 rue La Boétie” at the Maillol museum in Paris, was a rich experience of teachings and emotions for a group children at-risk from several OSE homes and day centers. This exhibition revives, through its collection of modern art, the history of art collector Paul Rosenberg. Combining art history, social and political history, the exhibition highlights a crucial moment of the 20th Century, of which Paul Rosenberg was an emblematic witness, both as an actor and as a victim. It was altogether a great lesson of tolerance for these young people coming from difficult backgrounds.
OSE is strongly committed to continuing its educational programs against racism and anti-Semitism.