The Boy Who Was In

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 5 MAY/JUNE 2018 THE BOY WHO WAS IN THE EXCLUSIVE PLATINA POST INTERVIEW PAGE 3 Cover Design: Scott Weinberg PAGE 2 FROM PARIS TO NEW YORK TO PLATINA first thing I did was to go home,where I used to live. The apartment was THE STORY OF A HIDDEN CHILD WEINBERG SCOTT DESIGN: sealed off, so I broke through the seal and went inside. By David Wind It was then that I realized I was the first person to enter the apartment It was my great honor to interview Platina resident, since my mother’s arrest. The coffee cup my mother was drinking from Michel (Michael) Jeifa, who was one of the hidden when the Nazis came was still on the table. children of World War II. It was strange, and for some reason, I felt guilty about breaking in and went to the police to report it. The policeman who I spoke with, shook his It was in 1943 when Michel Jeifa became one of head. It is your apartment, he told me, you cannot break in to your apart- France’s hidden children. Until then, he lived in ment. Go back, go live in it. I did. Then I began to look for my father and Paris with his family. Michel’s father, Bernard, a high my sister. I visited his friends and learned that he had gotten false papers couture tailor, a secular Jew, and a socialist, immi- and returned to Paris in 1944. The French Police arrested him, for having grated to France from Russia in the early 1900’s. The false papers, and then sent to prison for 6 months. When he was released, rest of his family immigrated to the United States; he was turned over to the Nazis, and was then put on the last train out of however, Michel’s father did not find the U.S. Paris and sent to Auschwitz. I found Marguerite and her 2 children soon welcoming and returned to France, and to his wife, Michel’s father standing in front of the tailor store after. Her husband had been arrested and sent to Buchenwald, where he Adele, a lovely Parisian Jew who preferred Paris to died. I moved in with them. Marguerite was able to reclaim her home New York. Together, they brought Marguerite and shortly after that. It was in the suburbs, so we moved there, and I spent sent to Auschwitz, her brother Michel into the world. Michel was born my weekends with her, but during the week I stayed in Paris. devastating the family. on March 11, 1927 DW: Why Paris? ML: I returned to school to finish my studies. I was able to work and to It was then, that Michel When Hitler rose to power in Germany, Michel’s get my Baccalaureate—my bachelor’s degree. After that, I continued my was sent to the South of father warned the family, and many others, of what education at the Sorbonne from ‘46 to ‘47. France, to be hidden by a was coming. Most ignored his speaking of the anti- DW: You were 17, almost an adult when you left Paris and were hidden Christian family under Semitism he had fled in Russia, as France treated from the Nazis. Was life hard for you when you became Michel Louie the name Michel Louie their Jewish population somewhat better than most. Pierry? Pierry. His sister’s But on June 14, 1940, when the Nazis reached Paris, ML: I was fortunate, it was not as hard as some. I was sent to the south- husband was taken in everything changed. Orders came for all Jews to the French Alps—working in the forest and living with a Protestant 1941 and sent to Aus- register; the Jeifa family followed the request, as family. chwitz. She and the they always did when it came to following the law. Michel at 15 DW: I have heard many stories about hidden children and the people children went elsewhere, They had been warned not to register by other Jews, who protected them. Many of the children converted to Christianity. As as did Michel’s father, who, sadly, in 1944 was taken but they did because it was what was required. you said, you lived with Christians who were protecting you, did they and sent on the last prisoner train out of Paris to try to convert you to Christianity? Auschwitz on July 31, 1944 In 1941, orders came down for all Jewish business ML: Yes, some of my friends converted. My protectors asked me as well, owners to open their businesses to Administrators. That was the beginning of the end. All too soon, the The following interview is not about the holocaust businesses where either taken over or liquidated. itself, but about Michel and his life following the Which is what happened to the Jeifa family. war. (Michel, when he immigrated, took on the name Michael.) In 1942, all immigrant Polish Jews were rounded up and sent to camps in Poland, and in 1943, the arrests DW: By the end of the war, hidden as you were in and deportations to the various camps began for the the South, you only knew that your mother had French Jews. Those who registered were rounded been taken, but nothing about the rest of the family. up, many of those who had not, escaped. For the When did you finally find out about them? Jeifa family, it was a time of tragedy as the Nazis came to arrest them, but the only one home at the MJ: When I returned to Paris, I literally followed the time was Michel’s mother, Adele. She was taken and Army—marched right behind them into Paris. The continued to page 17 PAGE 3 HEALTH and FITNESS Platina Resident and Certified Medical Exercise Specialist - Linda Rosen, addresses audience from the amazing turnout at the Health and Fitness Committee’s Balance and Stabilization Exercise Program. TRANSPORTATION. LOCAL SERVICES. COMPANIONSHIP. By Mal Schneider TRANSPORTATION and AFFORDABLE & FLEXIBLE Pricing LOCAL SERVICES: depending on your needs. • Airports WEINBERG SCOTT AD DESIGN: • Doctors TLC • Local Restaurants • Shopping • Movies/Theatre • Beauty Salon TLC provides assistance to people • House Sitting who need help to accomplish daily • Visits to Friends & Family tasks. The list shown outlines some of • Restaurant Deliveries the services that I can provide. • Grocery Shopping • Attend Events RICHARD FLIEGEL NOW AVAILABLE References Available Upon Request. 561.739.3219 / 954.494.1645 TV & Phone Assistance PAGE 4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE RULE rool DEFINITION: ONE OF A SET OF offending vehicle. In order to be fair to every- EXPLICIT OR UNDERSTOOD one, that penalty will be enforced going REGULATIONS OR PRINCIPLES forward. GOVERNING CONDUCT WITHIN A PARTICULAR ACTIVITY OR Breaking our traffic RULES is dangerous. It may SPHERE. lead to property damage, injuries and even Throughout our lives we death. Stop signs must be obeyed, speed limits have been controlled by must be followed. Again you must inform your Stuart Pernick RULES. From childhood guests and employees that the RULES regarding on there has been someone driving in Platina must be followed. or something that attempted to control our behavior. When we did Going forward you will find that there may be not obey the RULES, there were penalties, from a Sheriff deputies on site writing tickets for traffic slap on the wrist as a child to serious fines and violations. Photo evidence may be used also to even jail time as an adult. catch violators. It may be expensive to break our traffic RULES. Why would I choose to talk about RULES in a column about Platina…because it appears that We cannot ignore the other RULES governing many of our residents have decided that they our behavior here in Platina. That includes, but have finally reached a time in their lives when is not limited to, the pool area and inside the RULES no longer matter…or at least not to them. Clubhouse. When you decided to move into Platina you You have a booklet called “RULES AND REGU- accepted the fact that you were part of a commu- LATIONS”. It is your responsibility to read and nity and along with that came the obligation to know the RULES. You also will find these follow its RULES. Perhaps a particular RULE RULES on the Platina website, platinahoa.com, seems unnecessary or even silly to you…but under the PCMA tab then under Association unless you get it changed you still are expected Documents. Please help everyone by following to follow it. RULES are for everyone not just a them so no one needs a “slap on the wrist” or select few. worse. If you see a violation, please inform the front office staff and it will be attended to. Two areas that are creating the biggest problems here at Platina are the breaking of the RULES As I have reread what I have written, it sounds governing parking and traffic. pretty strong. But I think strong words and actions are necessary if we are to keep Platina Let’s talk about our parking problem at the Club- safe and secure. Please do your part to achieve house. We have limited spaces available and the this goal without reverting to penalties. RULES say only residents with the proper barcodes and stickers may park in the parking Stuart Pernick, President lot. Another RULE says that residents are responsible for the actions of their guests. There- fore it is a resident’s responsibility to inform guests of our RULES. As we learned while grow- ing up, if you break the RULES there may be penalties.

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