Jewish Youth and Identity in Postwar France

Daniella Doron is Lecturer in Jewish history at Monash University where she teaches courses on modern Jewish history, the Holocaust, and the history of the family.

"Doron's work provides a valuable contribution to the growing body of scholary work on postwar relief and reconstruction efforts."—Studies in Contemporary Jewry" Jewish Identity and Youth raises fundamental questions for the understanding of not only Jewish reconstruction in post-World War II France, but also Holocaust memory, postwar French society and culture and the history of postwar European families and children."—French Politics, culture and Society"The value of Daniella Doron's deft and far-reaching study of the debates and institutions centered on Jewish children in post-Vichy France extends far beyond the author's rather modest assessment of the book's contribution to historical scholarship. This work not only adds knowledge to a number of intersecting fields, it also demonstrates what we stand to gain by bringing these fields to bear on one another."—Journal of Modern History"Doron's book appears at a key moment. Its emphasis on children emerging from hunger, displacement and war should render it standard reading for policymakers, NGOs and others interested in shaping the destinies of today's abandoned children."—French History"The present volume makes an important contribution to the history of the Jewish family and of French Judaism in therst decade after the war."—American Historical Review"Daniella Doron's recent book is a welcome contribution to French history and the history of childhood and will interest advanced students and scholars in these areas."—AJS Review"Ultimately, this comprehensive study highlights the debates surrounding family and identity as French Jewish communities slowly recovered and reestablished their place in the French nation. Historically grounded, well organized, and engaging. . . . Highly recommended."—Choice"This work ultimately fills an important gap in the scholarship, and it will serve as a bridge between the numerous studies on the Holocaust and those that examine the impact of the North African Jewish migration."—H-France"Jewish Youth and Identity in Postwar France tells the story of the Holocaust and its aftermath from a strikingly original vantage point: through the lens of the children who survived. In reconstructing how French Jews mobilized around children and families after the Second World War, Daniella Doron demonstrates the centrality of children to the broader project of reconstruction and remembrance in the aftermath of genocide. This gripping and powerful history should be read by anyone interested in the history of the Holocaust, the family, and Jews in Modern France."—Tara Zahra, University of Chicago"Doron's deftly argued and well researched book is an important intervention into a growing body of scholarship on the postwar decade. She convincingly documents the central role that the rehabilitation of Jewish children and the reconstruction of Jewish families played in post-war French Jewish reconstruction and underscores the importance of the decade following the war in shaping Jewish historical evolution in France."—Maud Mandel, author of Muslims and Jews in France: History of a Conflict

• Acknowledgments List of AbbreviationsIntroduction 1. "Their Children? Our Children!:" Holocaust Memory in Postwar France2. "A Drama of Faith and Family:" Custody Disputes in Postwar France3. Notre Vie en Commune: The Family Versus the Children's Home4. The Homes of Hope?: Trauma, Universal Victimhood, and Universalism5. From Competition to Cooperation: Redefining Jewish Identities ConclusionNotesWorks Cited Index