In 1943, a young Jewish couple, Odette Rosenstock and Moussa Abadi (known as “Monsieur Marcel”), established a network in the Nice region to rescue Jewish children with the help of prominent Catholic and Protestant figures. A total of 527 children were saved.
The south of France remained in the “free” zone until November 1942. In September 1943, Nazi leader Alois Brunner arrived in Nice. His goal: to deport all Jews who had fled to the southern zone. With the help of the French militia, the Gestapo then hunted down Jews there, just as they had in the northern zone.
Two young Jews, Moussa Abadi and Odette Rosenstock, are among the refugees. Moussa, a theater enthusiast who came from Syria to study in France, and Odette, a doctor with close ties to the Spanish Republican fighters, join forces to save Jewish children.
Bishop Paul Rémond of Nice, who opposed collaborationist France’s subservience to the Nazis, took Moussa Abadi under his protection. A network was set up (finding hiding places for the children, forging documents, and raising funds). Bishop Rémond created a new identity for Moussa: “Mr. Marcel, school inspector,” and set aside an office for him at the bishop’s residence. The bishop filled out fake baptismal certificates and ration cards, and hid the records of Jewish children within the pages of religious texts…).
“Monsieur Marcel” focuses his search on Catholic convents, which were open to Jewish children thanks to Paul Rémond.
Odette, for her part, working under the name Sylvie Delattre, focused her efforts on the Protestant community to find host families. Pastors Pierre Gagnier and Edmond Evrard were particularly effective.
The OSE, the MNCR, and the Jewish section of the M.O.I., in coordination with other Resistance movements, have been actively involved in rescuing Jewish children since 1942. In 1943, Moussa Abadi established his own network based on the organizational model developed by Georges Garel of the OSE.
As a precaution, the children’s place of residence remains confidential, even from their parents.
Moussa, Odette, and the entire network are in constant danger.
Odette was arrested in April 1944 and deported to Auschwitz and then to Bergen-Belsen. “Monsieur Marcel” continued to run the network on his own,
He supported Jewish communist Resistance fighters who were being hunted down by the Gestapo, and he also hid their children.
Odette, unrecognizable, returned from the death camps in 1945.
527 Jews were saved by the Marcel network in the Nice area.
References:
— Coleman Fred, 2015, *The Marcel Network*, Acropole Publishing
— The Abadi Children and Friends Website
