How a Holocaust Survivor Thanked the Courageous Christians of Le Chambon

This protestant church is where pastor André Trocmé called for non-violent resistance to Nazism in June 1940. It is located in Haute-Loire, France.

(Source: Wikipedia - Pensées de Pascal )

 By John Stonestreet and Glenn Sunshine - Posted at Breakpoint:

Le Chambon-sur-Lignon is a small village in south-central France. Back in 1940, the total population of this area, including the surrounding villages, was only about 5,000. Still, under the leadership of their Protestant pastor André Trocmé and his wife, Magda, the residents of these villages were responsible for saving up to 5,000 Jews from deportation to Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

In late January, Holocaust survivor Eric Schwam passed away at age 90. According to a BBC article, Schwam, a native of Vienna, arrived in Le Chambon in 1943, a refugee along with his mother, father, and grandfather. After the war, Schwam eventually returned to Austria to live a quiet life. However, he never forgot the people of Le Chambon for saving his life. In fact, he left the town more than $2 million in a bequest.

As Dr. Glenn Sunshine described in a BreakPoint article from a few years ago, in the winter of 1940, after the defeat of France, a Jewish woman fleeing the Nazis knocked at the Trocmé’s door, seeking help. Magda attempted to secure false papers for her, but the mayor refused to help. He feared that if the Germans found out anyone in Le Chambon was helping Jews, the entire village would suffer.

This did not dissuade Magda and André. In fact, according to Sunshine, “Pastor Trocmé began to exhort his congregation to shelter any ‘People of the Book’ that were fleeing Nazi persecution, telling them, ‘We shall resist whenever our adversaries demand of us obedience contrary to the orders of the gospel.’” The members of his church responded, volunteering to hide Jews.

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See also:

• André and Magda Trocmé and the Village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon (Breakpoint)