Jacqueline Frenkel Lewicki papers

Jacqueline Frenkel Lewicki was born on 5 May 1935 to Pejsach (1906-1942) and Ruchla (née Frydman, 1907) Frenkel in Paris, France. Pejsach and Ruchla, both originally from Warsaw, emigrated separately from Poland to France in 1928. The couple met and married in Paris where they settled and raised their family. In addition to Jacqueline the couple had a daughter, Sonia (1930-), and a son Bernard (1938-). A second son died in infancy. Following the German invasion of France Ruchla fled from Paris with Jacqueline, Sonia, and Bernard. Upon their later return to the city the Frenkels learned that Pejsach had been rounded up by French police and sent to Drancy. On 22 June 1942 Pejsach was deported with the third convoy from Drancy to Auschwitz. Camp death registers record Pejsach death at Auschwitz in October 1942. On the advice of Union generale des Israelites de France (Union of French Jews) Ruchla then placed Jacqueline, Sonia, and Bernard in a children's home located on Rue Guy Patin. The children were later moved to another home on Rue Lamarck. While in the care of the UGIF Jacqueline witnessed German forces round up Jewish parents who had come to visit their children. Jacqueline, Sonia, and Bernard were ultimately removed to a hiding place with a family who lived on a farm in Normandy. While in hiding the Frenkel children were forced to work on the farm and in the family's household. They were given little to eat and subjected to poor treatment once the money for their upkeep ran out. Jacqueline and her siblings developed sores and lice due to the harsh conditions on the farm. After a year Sonia wrote a cousin, Renée, of their circumstances. Renée traveled from Paris to retrieve the children and reunite them with their mother who was living under false the false identity of Lucienne Geffroy outside of the city. As Ruchla's hiding place could not accommodate all three children Jacqueline spent the next year moving between hiding places. After the war the surviving Frankel family members settled in France. Jacqueline and Bernard later emigrated to the United States.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Jacqueline Frenkel Lewicki.

Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2017 by Jacqueline Frenkel Lewicki, daughter of Ruchla (Rachela) Frenkel.