Over the past few weeks of Term 3, our Year 12 French class has had the pleasure of delving deeper into France’s cultural roots spanning from the events of WWII.  

Deeply transformative and traumatic, WWII shaped the France that stands today and gave a new meaning to its national motto ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.’ 

Throughout this area of study, not only did we learn about the events of WWII, but also how they facilitated the emergence of the French Resistance, the persecution of the Jewish population, propaganda, and Nazi dictatorship. These themes were then taken upon as our own personal projects of research, which will be later used as a topic of discussion in our oral exam.  

Horrified by Germany’s chauvinism towards the Jewish population, it was only natural for me to choose ‘the status of the Jewish’ as my theme of discussion, something I have come to be very passionate about. To better understand the ramifications of the war, our class had the honour of speaking to Madame Esther Wise, a survivor of the Holocaust and French occupation.  

Very little could have prepared me for a meeting as profound and poignant as the one we had with the admirable Madame Esther Wise.  

Having spent many weeks studying France under German occupation during WWII, discovering the atrocities France’s Jewish population suffered was truly incomprehensible. Ostracised and vilified by France’s anti-Semitic government – the ‘Régime du Vichy’ – many Jewish French were subjected to horrible acts of violence and brutality, forcing them to live a life dominated by fear and secrecy.  

Under constant scrutiny from those around them, it was near impossible for France’s Jewish population to escape their plight – particularly once forced to don the renowned Star of David as a sign of demarcation. Once representative of the unity and identity of Judaism, the Régime du Vichy subverted the Star of David into one that condemned its wearers to death. Such an act can only be seen as one committed out of cowardice and inhumanity, transpiring this period of antagonism into what we now know as the Holocaust.  

Four generations: from right to left
Samantha Gelbak, Madame Esther Wise, Saskia Gelbak (Year 8) and her grandmother

As a survivor and victim of the Holocaust, Madame Esther Wise graciously shared her story with our VCE Units 3/4 French class. Madame Wise gave witness to the adversity faced by so many victims of Germany’s reign. Spoken in impeccable French and given with such fervour and humanity, all of us were completely enamoured by her past – causing many tears and laughs along the way.  

Beginning with a brief introduction to her life in Paris before the war, Madame Wise told us that her childhood was free from persecution and judgement. While in a traditional Jewish family, Madame Wise was seen as no different to her peers at school and was rarely questioned on her faith.  

However, this only assured the collapse of Esther’s world as she knew it, when her mother and brother Felix were arrested from their home on 16 July 1942. Among others, three of her sisters were arrested, never to be seen again. Given no choice but to flee the dangers of a life in Paris, Madame Wise made the treacherous journey to the south of France with only the clothes on her back, forced into hiding at the mere age of 17.  

Despite the gravity of her losses, Madame Wise persevered and found sanctuary in the home of a woman willing to safeguard her identity and hide her from French and German authorities. Under the protection of another’s benevolence, Madame Wise survived the unimaginable. Following the Liberation of France in 1945, she soon immigrated to Melbourne by ship in May 1949.  

Made to assimilate herself into a completely new country, with no relations and limited knowledge of the language, we truly admire Esther’s bravery and resilience. We feel privileged to have spoken with her. Above all else, Esther emphasised that we must never forget those who lost their lives to the horrors of the Holocaust, ensuring that such abominations must never happen again.  

On behalf of the Year 12 French class and Madame Mélinand, our Year 12 French teacher, I would like to thank Madame Wise and her beautiful family for their generosity and express my gratitude to Esther for sharing with us such a touching and inspiring story.  

It was truly an unforgettable experience.