's side in France was a highlight of our French trip. Previously, I had gone to Paris by myself (a feat of bravery) to visit a then 90-year-old cousin of my mother's who has compiled a very thorough and accurate family history. I wanted to meet with him while his health was still good and he was still able to remember things about the family. A year later my husband and I visited France again and were able to visit my grandmother's birthplace, Duppigheim, a small village outside of Strasbourg. It was very exciting to see where my grandmother grew up and to visit the Jewish cemetery, where our cousin was thrilled that the grave markers had not been destroyed by the Germans. We then took a train to Paris where Bill was able to meet our family historian.We have also visited relatives in Brussels, Belgium, who are very delightful. During our visit, we were able to see another couple from Bordeaux, France, who had previously visited us in the United States. They were surprised when we said that there were no guards at our Jewish temples and synagogues in our country.
In my great-grandmother's family, five of the nine children came to this country and four stayed in France. The relatives that we met on our trip are descendants of those who stayed. Over 50 were killed during the Holacaust and several hid in the mountains until it was safe to return. One interesting story is that of the historian's niece, who is my generation. Her father and mother were warned that the Nazis were in the village where they fled, asking about Jewish people there. They put their son in a Catholic convent and left the daughter, who was an infant and very sick at the time, with a woman in another village, and disappeared until it was safe for them to return. Maurice, the historian, is still alive because he spent all of World War II in a German prison.
My father's family is from Lithuania and I would love to visit there one day. Many of his relatives were also affected by the Holacaust.
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