Rue Ordener, Rue Labat by Sarah Kofman

Summary: Rue Ordener, Rue Labat is a moving memoir by the distinguished French philosopher Sarah Kofman. It opens with the horrifying moment in July 1942 when the author’s father, the rabbi of a small synagogue, was dragged by police from the family home on Rue Ordener in Paris, then transported to Auschwitz—“the place,” writes Kofman, “where no eternal rest would or could ever be granted.” It ends in the mid-1950s, when Kofman enrolled at the Sorbonne. 

The book is as eloquent as it is forthright. Kofman recalls her father and family in the years before the war, then turns to the terrors and confusions of her own childhood in Paris during the German occupation. Not long after her father’s disappearance, Kofman and her mother took refuge in the apartment of a Christian woman on Rue Labat, where they remained until the Liberation. This bold woman, whom Kofman called Mémé, undoubtedly saved the young girl and her mother from the death camps. But Kofman’s close attachment to Mémé also resulted in a rupture between mother and child that was never to be fully healed.

This slender volume is distinguished by the author’s clear prose, the carefully recounted horrors of her childhood, and the uncommon poise that came to her only with the passage of many years (Via Goodreads.com).

Pages: 85

Release Year: 1993

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review:

I was amazed by how precise and detailed Rue Ordener, Rue Labat was even though it was less than 100 pages long. It was a quick and engaging read. I found it amazing, yet terrifying at the same time. I do not know how to describe all of my emotions in regards to Rue Ordener, Rue Labat. The book is a memoir of Sarah Kofman's childhood during the Holocaust which includes her father's arrest and deportation. It also discusses the rescue of her and her mother by a woman on the Rue Labat. In addition, it explores how damaged her relationship was with her mother following the war because of the bond she developed with her "adopted" mother, Mémé.

I read Rue Ordener, Rue Labat for my French and Jewish Studies class on France and the Holocaust this semester. In class, we have read and watched films about Jewish children in France who experienced the Holocaust, whether they were hidden and protected, survived and/or escaped the camps, or were murdered. It was fascinating to see how damaging the life of a hidden child could be. I never considered how attached they could grow to their "adoptive" parent(s) and how it might be difficult for them to return to their "normal" life following the war's end. 

Individuals, such as Mémé, who hid Jewish children and families during the Holocaust should be acknowledged and appreciated for their efforts to save Jews; however, their aid to these families might have also been damaging. Not only did the Jewish communities within Europe have to regroup following the Holocaust, but some also had to reintroduce family members and children to their families and the Jewish community. The Holocaust damaged Jewish families and communities in an unknown number of ways. Mémé was also very anti-Semitic and separated Kofman from Judaism. 

I found Rue Ordener, Rue Labat extremely interesting. I easily finished it in one sitting and I highly recommend reading it. I found it fascinating to learn about Sarah Kofman's childhood and some of the lasting impacts the Holocaust had on her and her family. It was a very blunt book, which I enjoyed, but it was also difficult to read parts of it because she was so nonchalant about certain aspects and experiences from her childhood. Rue Ordener, Rue Labat was a fascinating book that I would highly recommend. I am interested to read more memoirs and stories about Jewish individuals from France during the Holocaust. It is a country I knew very little about in regards to the Holocaust and it was engrossing to learn more about the subject.