RSS
Only Survivor of 6,000 Jewish Children Deported From France Dies, Aged 97
The sign “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work makes you free”) is pictured at the main gate of the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland. Photo: Reuters/Pawel Ulatowski
JNS.org — Henri Borlant, the sole survivor of the 6,000 Jewish children under the age of 16 who were deported from France to Auschwitz in 1942, died on Dec. 3, aged 97.
Borlant spoke often of his experiences to schools. In 2011, he published a book, Merci d’avoir survécu (Thank you for surviving). The title came from a note he received from a 15-year-old boy who heard the story of his deportation.
The Shoah Memorial saluted his memory in a tweet.
Le Mémorial de la Shoah présente ses sincères condoléances à son épouse Hella, à leurs filles et à l’ensemble de sa famille.
Le Mémorial de la Shoah salue la mémoire d’une figure de la mémoire de la Shoah en France, profondément humble et engagée.#hommage #temoin #shoah pic.twitter.com/LBqAPQIudF
— Mémorial de la Shoah (@Shoah_Memorial) December 4, 2024
Born Hirsch Borlant in Paris on June 5, 1927, Henri was the fourth of 10 children. His parents were naturalized French citizens from Russia.
In 1939, the French authorities evacuated Paris’s 13th arrondissement and in August, his family fled to Maine-et-Loire in Anjou in western France.
Borlant recounted that they were warmly welcomed by the locals and had no idea what lay in store for them. As a precaution, the children, who were educated at a Catholic school, were baptized. Borlant became a Catholic.
On July 15, 1942, his mother, brother Bernard, sister Denise and he were arrested by German soldiers. “They had a list and took everyone who was between 15 and 50 years old,” he said.
Two days later, his mother, Rachel, was released and replaced by his father, Aron. No explanation was given, according to an interview he gave to the Maine-et-Loire region website.
On July 20, 1942, Henri, his brother, sister and father were crammed into cattle cars with 824 others and deported in convoy No. 8 from Angers to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Shoah Memorial said.
As he was transported, he tossed out a note: “Dear Mom, it seems that we are going to Ukraine to harvest.” The letter reached his mother thanks to a railway worker.
Upon arrival at Auschwitz, his sister was killed immediately. His father and brother also would not survive the camp.
“Our extermination was planned, programmed,” he wrote in his book. “We knew that we were living our last moments. The hope that all this would be known one day fueled our will to survive.”
As the Red Army closed in, he was transferred by train to the Sachsenhausen camp, then sent to the Oranienburg camp to work in the Heinkel aircraft factory. In November 1944, Henri was transferred to Ohrdruf-Buchenwald, a Buchenwald annex camp.
Borlant managed to escape from Ohrdruf-Buchenwald shortly before the Americans arrived, hiding with an anti-Nazi meat seller.
He was repatriated to France on April 16, 1945, and reunited with his mother and siblings, who were not deported and survived.
Borlant suffered from tuberculosis on his return, but managed to study medicine and become a doctor.
Like many survivors, he kept his experiences secret, but in the 1990s, he began to speak of what he endured and collect testimonies within the association Témoignage pour mémoire. He was a member of the Foundation for the Memory of the Deportation and served on the educational commission of the Shoah Memorial.
The post Only Survivor of 6,000 Jewish Children Deported From France Dies, Aged 97 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Actress Patricia Heaton Becomes 100,000th Signer of Pledge to Support Jewish Causes, Israel’s Future
Patricia Heaton attends Lionsgate’s ‘The Unbreakable Boy’ New York Premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater, New York, NY, February 19, 2025. Photo: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Emmy-winning actress Patricia Heaton has become the 100,000th person to join the global initiative Jewish Future Promise (JFP) in which individuals take an oath to safeguard the future of Jewish values, traditions, and the State of Israel.
JFP announced on Tuesday that the former “Everyone Loves Raymond” star, who is not Jewish, has helped the initiative reach a historic milestone of gathering 100,000 “promisers,” and $4.65 billion in commitments.
JFP is a moral commitment, not legally binding in any way, in which individuals promise to share Jewish stories, values, and traditions with family and friends. As part of the global commitment, pledgers also promise that if any charitable contributions are made upon their death, at least 50 percent will be allocated to Jewish causes and/or the State of Israel.
Others who have already made The Promise include Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby, author and civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz, comedian Modi Rosenfeld, and social media influencer and activist Lizzy Savetsky. JFP also inspires young adults to support Jewish causes through the Jewish Youth Promise, which is catered for 13- to 24-year-olds.
“As a Christian, my spiritual heritage exists in the Jewish people. The bond Jews and Christians share is deep and profound,” said Heaton, the former star of ‘The Middle.”
“Along with that, our shared Judeo-Christian values are the foundation for the free and thriving democracies we see in Israel, America, and around the world,” Heaton added. “The Jewish future is everyone’s future!”
In the aftermath of the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Heaton founded the October 7th Coalition (O7C), which is a network of Christians who stand up against the rise of antisemitism in the US and recognize Israel’s right to exist. “We are here to unite, promote, and encourage meaningful public and private action in the Christian community to strengthen relationships with our Jewish friends and neighbors,” reads a description on the coalition’s website.
Last year, O7C partnered with the nonprofit organization, JewBelong, to launch a nationwide billboard campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism in the US. Heaton has previously said that it should be a “natural” reaction among all humans to reject antisemitism and support the Jewish people.
The funds promised by individuals through JFP will support a variety of Jewish causes, including educational initiatives, community development, social services, and cultural preservation, both in and out of Israel. JFP founder Mike Leven said reaching the milestone of 100,000 people who have taken the pledge is “a profound reflection of our collective commitment to the future of Jewish life.”
“Each of the 100,000 promises made is a promise to sustain our heritage and nurture the values that have defined our community for generations,” Leven added. “Reaching 250,000, 500,000, and even 1 million promises is not just an aspiration; it’s necessary to ensure that Jewish causes continue to thrive and that the State of Israel remains strong. This is more than just a number; it is a living legacy that will continue to sustain and nurture Jewish life and values for years to come.”
The post Actress Patricia Heaton Becomes 100,000th Signer of Pledge to Support Jewish Causes, Israel’s Future first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Florida Gators Become First Team With Jewish Coach to Win NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Almost 40 Years
Florida Gators players celebrate with the trophy after defeating the Houston Cougars in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome, San Antonion, Texas, April 7, 2025. Photo: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Todd Golden became the first Jewish coach in 37 years to win the NCAA men’s basketball tournament when his team, the Florida Gators, beat the Houston Cougars 65-63 in the final of the national championship game on Monday night.
Before Golden, the last Jewish coach to win the NCCA tournament was Larry Brown when he led Kansas to a championship victory in 1988. At the age of 39, Golden, in his third season with Florida, is also the youngest coach to win a national title since Jim Valvano in 1983. Additionally, Golden is the third coach in the last 60 seasons of the NCAA to win a national title after not having an NCAA tournament win, following in the footsteps of Kevin Ollie in 2014 and Steve Fisher in 1989.
Golden is one of three coaches in the history of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to win a national title within three seasons with a team.
Florida’s Monday’s night win in the championship game marked the team’s third national title in its history, following back-to-back victories in 2006 and 2007.
“It was just a great display of grit and resilience,” Golden said in a post-game interview. “I thought our guys did a great job in the second half of finding a way to get nine stops in a row at one point, which flipped the script of the game … we made some big-time winning plays down the stretch on the defensive end that allowed us to win this national championship.”
The head coach of the Houston Cougars, Kelvin Sampson, is not Jewish, but the team includes a player who played professionally for Israel. Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, the son of former Maccabi Tel Aviv player Derrick Sharp, played for Israel’s national youth team.
Golden is an Israeli citizen who played professionally for the Maccabi Haifa basketball team in Israel for two seasons. He made his way to the 2025 NCAA tournament final on Monday at the Alamodome after facing and beating his mentor, Auburn University Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl, on Saturday in the semifinal. An avid supporter of Israel, Pearl is also Jewish. The NCAA tournament’s Final Four bracket this weekend included three teams with Jewish coaches: Florida, Auburn, and the Duke Blue Devils, led by Jon Scheyer.
In 2009, Golden was co-captain of the USA Open Team, coached by Pearl, that won gold at Israel’s Maccabiah Games, which is an international multi-sport event for Jewish and Israeli athletes. Golden was director of basketball operations for the Auburn staff for the 2014-15 season, under Pearl’s leadership, and was assistant coach for the 2015-16 season. Golden came to Florida in 2022.
Prior to coaching the Gators, Golden was the assistant coach at Columbia and the head coach at San Francisco.
In a post-game interview on Monday night, Golden credited Pearl for the success in his career. “I wouldn’t be here without him,” Golden said. “I certainly know that and I’m just grateful for the opportunity he’s provided me over my life. Playing for him back in 2009 was really the start of our relationship and coming for Auburn to work with him for two years, his first two years on the job, I learned so much from him. He’s a great leader, a great man. And it was honestly bittersweet after the game on Saturday, but I know he’s incredibly proud of me and my program right now.”
The post Florida Gators Become First Team With Jewish Coach to Win NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Almost 40 Years first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Antisemitic Incidents Surged 90% in French-Speaking Switzerland in 2024, New Report Finds
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Zurich, Switzerland, Oct. 28, 2023. Photo: IMAGO/dieBildmanufaktur via Reuters Connect
Nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents were reported in French-speaking Switzerland in 2024, marking a 90 percent increase from the previous year amid the aftermath of the Hamas-led massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to a new report published this week.
The Intercommunity Coordination Against Antisemitism and Defamation (CICAD), a Geneva-based NGO, released its annual report on antisemitism in French-speaking Switzerland for last year, revealing 1,789 antisemitic incidents — the highest number recorded since 2014.
Based on CICAD’s new study, the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza prompted a historic surge in attacks on the Swiss Jewish community, with more than half of the incidents (52.5 percent) categorized as “traditional” forms of antisemitism and 14.4 percent linked to anti-Zionism.
In previous years, antisemitic incidents primarily focused on online hate speech. However, the 69-page report identified a “dangerous escalation” of antisemitic acts in 2024, marked by a significant rise in physical violence and threats against Jews, as well as attacks on Jewish property, including homes, businesses, and synagogues.
Last year in Geneva, a 10-year-old Jewish girl was punched in the face, kicked, and had her hair pulled by three classmates who yelled, “There is no place for Jews in the world!” while recording the incident.
In Lausanne, Switzerland’s fourth-largest city, a Jewish man wearing a kippah was attacked in a supermarket. While pushing and hitting him, the assailant shouted, “You are the terrorists!”
According to the report, antisemitic verbal and written threats have also increased, often appearing as graffiti or other forms of property vandalism.
For example, a Jewish family in Lausanne found a threatening message in their mailbox that read: “We don’t want you here — leave before it’s too late.”
In another incident, the office of a Jewish lawyer was broken into, with documents left scattered and the phrase “The world will be purified of Zionists” spray-painted on the wall.
The CICAD also reported an “alarming increase” in antisemitic acts directly targeting Jewish students in schools and universities, including rising Nazi salutes on playgrounds, verbal and physical abuse, and teachers comparing Jews to Nazis in class.
Shortly after the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel, purportedly pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempted takeovers of university facilities at several campuses, with participants calling for the eradication of the Jewish state. For example, posters reading “Intifada jusqu’à la victoire” (“Intifada until victory”) were displayed around the University of Geneva campus.
Other incidents included Jewish students being told, “Go back to Auschwitz,” referencing the largest Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, and “You’re bad at school because you’re Jewish.”
According to the CICAD, the growing security concerns within Jewish communities in Switzerland have turned into a national issue that demands swift action.
The report also found that more than two-thirds (72.1 percent) of all reported antisemitic incidents in 2024 originated from social media platforms, particularly Instagram, Telegram, and X. The study explained that the anonymity and viral nature of these platforms enable the widespread distribution of antisemitic content.
Last month, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), in collaboration with the Foundation Against Racism and Antisemitism (GRA), released its annual report on antisemitism in German-, Italian-, and Romansh-speaking Switzerland last year.
According to this report, antisemitism in Switzerland reached an “unprecedented level” in 2024, with 221 “real-world” antisemitic incidents recorded. This marked a 43 percent increase compared to 2023 and a 287 percent rise compared to 2022, following the months leading up to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.
Of all the antisemitic incidents registered in 2024, 11 were physical attacks on Jews, including an attempted murder in Zurich and an attempted arson attack on a synagogue. In contrast, hardly any such incidents were reported prior to the Gaza War.
One of the most notorious recent cases was the Zurich attempted murder, in which an Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed and left with life-threatening injuries by a Swiss teenager, an Islamic State supporter of Tunisian origin.
The post Antisemitic Incidents Surged 90% in French-Speaking Switzerland in 2024, New Report Finds first appeared on Algemeiner.com.