RACHEL EPSTEIN
Birth: April 29, 1932 - St. Quentin, France
Survived: Hidden by Righteous Gentiles
Date of Arrival in United States: December 15, 1949
Occupation: Miliner
Avocation: Docent and Eye Witness
Testimony on Holocaust
Personal: Married, two children, four grandchildren
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ROCHELLE EPSTEIN
by Maxine Botesazan
Great Neck North High School
“Out of tragedy there can come goodness. It is evil that provides the breeding ground for goodness and kindness,” confirmed Rachel Epstein, as she told me the miraculous story of how she survived the Holocaust. To most, the Holocaust represents the worst case of genocide known to man. On the other hand, such an event enabled true heroes to emerge and save lives. The heroes of this story are Suzanne and Henri Ribouleau, along with their 2 sons Rene and Marcel.
At the age of ten, on July 19, l942, Rachel’s parents were dragged away by local policemen “for questioning.” When her parents were seized by the five French policemen, the neighbors, M. and Mme. Ribouleau, came up to see the commotion, and insisted on taking care of the children. Little did they know that neither they nor Rachel and her brother would ever see their parents again. And so they embarked on their journey. M. and Mme. Ribouleau, risked their lives every second for the next three years.
One may wonder why Suzanne and Henri put their own lives and the lives of their children in jeopardy to save two complete strangers. They were often asked such questions. Were they family? Were they friends? Were they Jews themselves? They were none of the three. Merely driven by the goodness of their hearts, they continued to care for both Rachel and her brother, even when times got rough. Neighbors questioned their dedication to these two and Jewish children. They simply replied, “We are saving two children. How can anything bad ever happen to us. G-d would never allow it.” Others were baffled as they watched Suzanne and Henri turn down great rewards from Germans for these two Jewish children. In an era of inhumanity and barbarians, members of the community could not understand that the Ribouleaus took care of these children out of pure compassion and kindheartedness.
The self-sacrifice of both Suzanne and Henri Ribouleau was astounding. Since they had not declared Rachel and her brother to the government for food allotments, they would take portions of their own children’s food to feed them. They even paid the rent on Rachel’s parents’ apartment all through the war, constantly anticipating their return. They rescheduled work hours so that someone would be home to watch Rachel’s brother, who was only five at the time. They had the courage to stand up to all, who had come after these Jews. Even when they had scarcely escaped from the Germans who had come to their home in search of the kids they continued to protect these helpless children. Although the Ribouleaus’ were a family, selflessness was not the only characteristic that earned them respect.
Suzanne and Henri Ribouleaus’ fearlessness, compassion, and self-sacrifice helped them redefine the meaning of hero. As heroes, not only did they save these two Jewish children, but they also were the instrument that led to a family of ten more lives between Rachel and her brother after the war. We cannot only commend the Ribouleaus’ for the lives they saved, but also for saving our faith in humanity. It seems ironic that the Holocaust, an event where millions were murdered for religious differences ultimately helped unite a Christian family, which embraced two Jewish children into their lives. And so I leave you with Rachel Epstein’s grateful words, “No we have not forgotten.”
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