Holocaust Survivor Michèle Shares Hidden Childhood with Granddaughter Flora

In a poignant podcast episode, 90-year-old Michèle recounts her childhood hidden during the Nazi occupation of France under a false identity. She speaks with her granddaughter Flora about her Ashkenazi Jewish identity, the trauma of war, and the slow return to a history long lived in silence. Michèle, of Polish and Austrian Jewish descent, was sheltered by maquisards in Brive-la-Gaillarde and taught to feign ignorance by crying when questioned. Her father, a doctor for the resistance, insisted she continue studying Latin, German, and Hebrew despite the Gestapo threat. Michèle describes her religious practice not as faith but as loyalty to her ancestors, writing "God" with dots instead of letters. The conversation explores the multifaceted nature of her Judaism, blending Ashkenazi identity with Alsatian heritage. The episode is part of the "Esprit de famille" podcast series on RFI, published May 26, 2026.