Holocaust survivor Francine Christophe was born in Paris on August 18, 1933. While attempting to flee the Nazis in 1942, Francine and her mother Marcelle were arrested and eventually deported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944. Marcelle kept two small pieces of chocolate for her daughter to use when she was helpless and in need of energy. But, when Hélène, a fellow inmate who was pregnant and emaciated, went into labor, the Christophe ladies gave her the chocolate for strength. Hélène gave birth to a baby girl and both survived.
Decades later, Francine organized a conference on the topic of survivors and mental health. When a psychologist from Marseille got on stage, she said she had something for Francine. She placed a piece of chocolate in Francine’s hand and said, “I am the baby.”
Contributor: Jill Goltzer
Photo: Christophe family
