Antisemitism in France

[Text: As a school-aged child growing up in Paris, Jannushka describes the antisemitism she experienced amongst her peers and in French society.] 

Jannushka Jakoubovitch: To our surprise, at least what my mother said, life went like nothing had happened before. The Germans seemed very happy, very friendly. But of course, my mother didn't say anything to us, the children. Then we rushed to Paris, with a lot of difficulties, because there were not many trains. And it was time to go to school. But at that very moment, it was also time to sew on all our clothes the yellow star. I don't remember what my feelings were at the time. Why my mother volunteered to go to the police and get those yellow stars and to sew them very proper, you know, on our clothes.  

So, my brother went to school, I went to school, I was very eager to go to school. I loved it. And unfortunately, my joy didn't last very long. I realize all of a sudden that I was not welcome anymore. To my surprise now because it's hard for me to believe that the children could be so cruel. Soon after that, I was insulted by the bigger girls but by the girls for my school too. And beaten. 

Interviewer: You were beaten by French school kids? 

Jannushka Jakoubovitch: The kids, yeah. They told me Jew you should go back home; curfew is at eight o'clock. I always remember that. And they insulted me. They told me, you know, all the obscenities they learned from their parents. Here the children were 5, 6, 7 years old, not more. And I don't know much because I blocked my memory then because it was too much. And the teacher called my mom and said, I cannot take the responsibility for your daughter. You have to bring her back, to keep her at home. And soon my brother had to stay home too.  

What is terrible, and stayed with me very much, was the fact that I think my parents didn't believe, and I cannot understand that, that it will be so terrible. Though they were educated people, especially my mother was very sophisticated high bourgeoisie. Soon after, on my father store windows big stars of David were painted, people would gather, and soon a stone was thrown through the windows. The windows were broken several times. There was a little synagogue in our street. [It] was bombed several times. And my mom sometimes took us out at the beginning, out for shopping, and it was an ordeal. It was a nightmare. They insulted us, they threw stones at us, they told us to go back home, I suppose to Israel... I don't remember. And they spat at us and it stays still with me, because when I see two people fighting in the street, I cannot stand it.