The Holocaust, the French, and the Jews

Examines the events of the Holocaust in France. Discusses the anti-Jewish racial laws enacted by the Vichy government in 1940-41 and the public's reactions to them. The attitude of non-Jews toward Jews shifted from indifference or antagonism to sympathy, due to the brutality of the roundups and deportations in 1941-42. Describes French internment camps, including Pithiviers, Beaune-la-Rolande, Gurs, and Drancy. Chronicles the arrests and deportations of Jews throughout the war. Ca. one quarter of France's 330,000 Jews perished. Of the Jews who survived, ca. 150,000 did so by hiding, with the active or passive assistance of many French Gentiles. Ca. 50,000 Jews survived by fleeing France. Recounts the role of Jewish rescue organizations, Jewish participation in the resistance, and the Jewish resistance. Gives numerous vignettes illustrating the above. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)