Addition

The Barsam family

Moses and Lea Barsam had two children: Rachel, born 4 June 1923 in Antwerp, and Saul (or Paul), born 4 August 1925 in the Hague. The family had moved to the Hague in August 1923. Rachel and Saul, both students, leave the Netherlands on July 17, 1942, in order to reach France (they stay a while in Lyon), then Switzerland. They are arrested at the border on September 18 and sent to concentration camp Rivesaltes. Paul escapes and Rachel is transported to a hospital in Perpignan. Both are freed by Tracy Strong Jr. of the YMCA, and sent to Chambon-sur-Lignon, where Paul enters the students' home «Les Roches», sponsored by the International Student Service. On June 16, 1943, Paul and Rachel leave Chambon and get successfully to Switzerland with the help of the Cimade (Protestant Youth movement). Saul seems to have emigrated to Palestine in 1945.

 

Source: Swiss Federal Archives. Archives of the World Council of Churches, Geneva.