Rochelle Sameroff displays the one item she has left from her childhood living in France during the Nazi era

Rochelle Sameroff is the only survivor of her family. Her parents, Wolf and Bronia Kokotek and her four-year-old sister Fernande were arrested in the big roundup of the Jews of Paris in July 1942 (the Vel d’Hiv), and deported to Auschwitz. Only Rochelle, or as she was called then, Rachel, was saved as she was hospitalized.

Soon before being deported to Auschwitz, Rachel's mother asked Ms. Registel to look after the little girl. She knew only that her mother one day ceased to pay visit to her at the hospital. Ms. Registel told her her family lived in Switzerland.

As a matter of facts the Nazis had taken her father to Auschwitz on 31 July 1942, her mother on 7 August and her 4 year old sister Fernand spent two weeks alone in a Nazi detention camp before beeing doomed as well to the gas chambers.

Being a devout Catholic, Madame Registel sent Rachel to St. Helene, a convent school. However when it became dangerous for the Jewish girl, she took her out of the school and found a family that would take her, the Voinot family who were bakers in her neighbourhood and took care of her together with their daughter Nicole, saying she was a niece they had in custody for health reasons.

After the war Madame Registel informed Jewish organizations of Rachel’s whereabouts. Although she didn’t want to part with her rescuers, she was taken to a children’s home in Normandy with other orphaned Jewish children. Five years later she joined her paternal family in the US, where she still lives.

Yad Vashem recognized Jeannette and Roger Voinot as Righteous among the Nations and is investigating the case of Ms. Registel.

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