Lyon
August 29, 1942
Sylvain Lévy was the first parent to come collect the child he had been assigned. Many of the volunteers helping in the rescue operation were French Jews. They understood better than anyone the discrimination that their foreign brothers and sisters were facing. The man, with his smiling face and rosy cheeks, was joined by his oldest daughter, who had brought a doll. They understood what a difficult position the refugee children were in and hoped that a simple toy could help ease the family’s future adopted daughter.
Lili welcomed the Lévys into the convent. Sylvain was well known among Jewish aid organizations. He had been bringing food and other basic supplies to foreign refugees for quite some time.
“Mr. Lévy, thank you for being so prompt,” Lili said.
“Of course. I can only imagine what this poor girl has gone through, and I didn’t want to drag out her anguish any longer. The sooner she finds a home to rest in and get back something of normalcy, the better for her.”
* * *
Élisabeth found Eva Stein and took her hand. The child followed her with her head down. Dark rings circled her eyes that were red from crying. She wanted to ask Élisabeth for news of her father—had he been on that bus the day before?—but she did not have the courage to open her mouth.
Sylvain’s daughter knelt and handed Eva the doll with a smile. Eva hesitated and looked to Élisabeth.
“It’s all right—it’s for you.”
Eva took the doll from the older girl’s hands and gently held it to her chest. Sylvain’s daughter also handed her a lollipop, which finally elicited a smile.
“We want you to come home with us,” the daughter said. “We’ve got loads of toys, and you can play with all my brothers and sisters. You’ll have a really good time.”
Eva’s mouth puckered as if she would cry. The older girl stroked her cheek and gave her a hug. Eva let herself be held, and she wept softly. The others swallowed back their own tears.
“Thank you for everything,” Lili told the Lévys.
“No, thank you and all of you workers. You’ve saved all these children,” Sylvain said, his voice cracking as he waved toward the mass of children playing and imitating the dances of the youth actors helping them endure the long wait.
Joseph Weill double-checked his list and confirmed that all was in order. He was supervising the handoff of the children to the families. The plan was to keep sibling groups together and to prioritize placing the children in homes with families rather than religious institutions whenever possible. Furthermore, the adults responsible for the children were to respect the Jewish customs and beliefs of their charges.
Lili and Élisabeth said goodbye with a twinge of grief. Up to then they had viewed the moment of family placements as an enormous relief, a sign that the plan to rescue the children was working. But what they felt was a sense of loss. The children would be much better off with their new families; even so, the social workers were sad to see them go.
* * *
Horst Finder, one of the oldest adolescents, left the convent with the intention of locating his mother, who had been in the hospital when he was detained and taken to Vénissieux. Lili had helped falsify his age so the gendarmes did not send him to the bus with the other adults, but now he needed to find his family. Lili gave him directions for how to reach his mother’s current hiding place, but the young man was so sleepy and disoriented that he could not remember what he was supposed to do after turning a few corners.
He walked aimlessly for a while until he saw a group of German soldiers. They eyed him and started walking toward him. Keenly aware of the danger he was in, Horst crossed the street. A priest buying a newspaper from a stand looked up and saw what was going on. As if speaking to the newspaper salesman, the priest said, “Don’t say anything, but follow me, just not too close.”
Horst walked after the priest under the Nazis’ gaze. His heart was pounding in his chest and several times he thought his legs would give out. He forced himself not to look at the soldiers and to keep the priest in sight.
The clergyman stopped in front of a van and whispered, “When you hear the motor, hop in quick.”
The priest disappeared into the van and a moment later the engine roared to life. Horst opened the door, slipped in, and sank down low as he closed the door after him.
“I’m Father Orbillot. I’m going to take you to Sainte-Foy-lés-Lyon, where there’s a community of Marist Brothers who will look after you.”
“But I’ve got to find my mother. This is the address.” Horst held out the piece of paper Lili had given him.
“I can’t take you there; it’s too dangerous. Stay with the brothers for a few days, and then they’ll help you get to her.”
Horst began to cry. He knew the man had saved his life, but he was afraid it meant he would never see his mother again.
* * *
As the stranger helped Horst escape, Joseph Weill made sure the adoptive families left with the right children. When he saw that Georges had returned from visiting the cardinal, he suggested they sit together over a cup of coffee.
“I have something to ask you,” Joseph said. “We need an OSE coordinator who will deliver the children to the families that can’t come for them. It’s a risky job.”
The young man smiled. He had been with the Resistance for some time and had already decided that he would do whatever was needed, even if it cost his life.
“I’d love to do it.”
* * *
While the two men talked, Lili distributed among the children pieces of cake made with great love and affection by the mothers of the scouts. It was their way of helping out.
When she saw that Joseph had gone back to reviewing his lists, Lili went up to Georges. “Hey, how are you doing?”
“Oh, like the rest of us—foggy-headed with a frenetic sense of vertigo. I think this is the closest I’ve felt to a hangover my entire life.”
Lili laughed. It was not their lot to be carefree, relaxed young people who poured themselves into studying, falling in love, and whiling away their days unconcerned. Now, every movement they made and every step they took was marked by the desire to see things change.
“It’s already so hot in here, and it’s only noon,” she said with a sigh.
“It’s because we’re all in this one room. Children are like little ovens cranked up to high.”
Lili leaned over to Georges and kissed his cheek. He looked at her in surprise.
“I don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” she said by way of explanation, “but I want to tell you that I love you. The moment I first saw you, my legs went weak. When all of this is over, I’d like to go out with you.”
Smiling, Georges touched the spot on his cheek where her lips had brushed against him.
“Holy smokes! Nothing like this has ever happened to me!” He grabbed her hand, cocked an eyebrow, and led her to a discreet corner where he could kiss her properly. As the couple snuggled into each other, more than half the children continued waiting for their adoptive parents. Time kept passing, and the danger increased. A Nazi official was after them, willing to do anything and everything to get those children and their caretakers shipped off to Germany.