Holocaust Survivor Testimony: Menachem Frenkel

Menachem was born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1936, to a religious family.

When the war broke out, the family tried to escape to England, but failed. They journeyed to Montelimar in southern France, where his father found work in a nougat factory. In July 1942, Menachem's father was taken to a labor camp, and from there to Drancy and Auschwitz, where he died.

Some two months later, the French police came to arrest the family. They were sent to the camp in Venissieux. At that time, attempts were being made by three organizations -- the OSE (Children's Aid Society), Amitie Chretienne, and the Jewish Underground in Lyons -- to remove some 100 Jewish children from the camp, Menachem and his sister among them. They were transferred to Chateau de Peyrins, a private institution run by Madame Germaine Chesneau, where they spent the next year and a half with 108 Jewish children. Menachem's name was changed to Marcel Faure. He has no recollection of studying there, but he does remember that they worked in the vegetable garden, celebrated only Christian holidays, and food was scarce. One night, when Madame Chesneau noticed that one of her workers hadn't returned at night, she feared the women had been arrested. She quickly arranged for all of the children to be dispersed to nearby villages.

Menachem was sent to the village of Rosans to live with the Hughes, a couple with no children. His sister was sent to a monastery. Menachem was hidden in the attic but supplied with plenty of food and even began to study again. He remained in Rosans until the end of the war.

In May 1945, Menachem's mother and sister came to get him. The family came to Israel aboard the "Mataroa" in September 1945. Menachem studied in several residential schools in Israel. In 1955, he completed his studies and was inducted into the "Nahal" Brigade, where he met his wife. They married in 1957 and were among the founders of Kfar Maimon. Menachem worked as a marketer and agricultural consultant for watering systems. The couple have four children and 21 grandchildren. Today Menachem is a volunteer with the civil guard.
Madame Chesneau, the Hughes' and the priest Alexandre Glasberg of the Amitie Chretienne organization have been recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations.

For more details, click here: http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/remembrance/2006/frenkel.asp

Category:

Education

Tags:

• shoah
• holocaust
• yad
• vashem
• survivor
• testimony
• Belgium
• משפט אייכמן
• גדעון הואזנר

[skarlita19]

True heroes !! 

[nacho1685]

For you, my friend, the one who's trying to deny one of the most documented and proved facts of history: we, the decent porcentage of humankind -muslims, christians, atheist or whatever- will never forget this and will never let it happen again. I don't need to be a Jew to feel compassion for the victims. You have such a long way to get to understand that hate leads you nowhere but to self-destruction. Keep evolving!

[rooizilver]

@paisleyyama Both were jewish so likely maybe family. many jews from Eastern Europe and Russia moved to the West and presented themselves as "holocaust" survivors. Even the israeli prime Minister admitted that it is common politics among jews to bring up the Holocaust and call people anti-semite, when they dare to be critical of israel. It's their defense system, and it always works, well not always.

[paisleyyama]

@rooizilver What has that got to do w/this man? He`s not Naftali & he`s not from the USSR. He was born in Belgium.

[rooizilver]

Naftali Frenkel was in charge of the Soviet Death camps.

[Seadweller451F]

The jews perpetuate this holocaust rubbish to gain sympathy from the ignorant & promote an agenda of jewish supremacy. Not a single concentration camp resident addressed a complaint with SS officers concerning "alleged" atrocities at the concentration camps. The "death" camps were routinely inspected by the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz & operated within the guidelines enacted at the Wannsee Conference. The zionist swine were provided with food, shelter, clothing, sanitising showers, & medical care.