The Committee for the Defence of Jews (french: Comité de Défense des Juifs, or CDJ; nl, Joods Verdedigingscomiteit, JVD) was a group within the Belgian Resistance, affiliated to the

Front de l'Indépendance The Independent Front (french: Front de l'Indépendance or FI; nl, Onafhankelijkheidsfront, OF) was a left-wing faction of the Belgian Resistance in German-occupied Belgium in World War II. It was founded in March 1941 by Dr Albert Marteaux ...

, founded by the Jewish Communist Hertz Jospa and his wife Have Groisman ( Yvonne Jospa) of ''Solidarité juive'' in September 1942. It was founded in the house of Fela Perelman. The CDJ had thirty-odd members in its children's section alone. These members formed an effective committee and came from all political and religious horizons, overcoming their divergent views to unite for the sake of saving Jewish children. The CDJ succeeded in saving about 3,000 of the 5,000 children who became so-called

hidden children Hidden children during the Holocaust were the (mainly Jewish) children who were hidden in various different ways during the Holocaust, in order to save them from the Nazis. Most were hidden in Poland, though some were hidden in Western Europe. Not a ...

(''enfants cachés''; hidden among non-Jewish Belgian families, convents, etc.). The CDJ was also involved in other aspects of the resistance, producing the clandestine publications such as the

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

periodical ''Unser Wort'' ("Our Word"). The CDJ also functioned as a national organisation in the field of social services. Its Children Section became responsible for hiding and supporting those who had gone underground. The co-operation and assistance from the non-Jewish sector was remarkable. As a result of its actions, it is thought that around 3,000 Jews were rescued from deportation. The price paid for this campaign, however, was high. Many members of the CDJ together with their collaborators were arrested by the authorities.

References

Additional bibliography and filmography

* * *Maxime Steinberg, "L'enfant caché, le défi à la Shoah" in Isabelle Emery (ed.), ''Histoire et mémoire des Juifs d'Anderlecht Années 20-40'', Anderlecht, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Comite de Defense des Juifs Organizations established in 1942 The Holocaust in Belgium Jewish resistance during the Holocaust 1942 establishments in Belgium Belgian resistance groups Jewish socialism Secular Jewish culture in Europe Yiddish culture in Europe

See also

References

Additional bibliography and filmography