"Normalement” – A story of modest kindness
Viktor Frankl once said: “ an abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation, is a normal behavior.”
the “plateau” was a drop of hope in an ocean of despair during the holocaust years for thousands of Jewish children. While there are several documented explanations for the solitary behavior of the local protestant community with the Jewish refugees, I find one that was given to me by Hubert, an 89’ years old local man whose parents sheltered a Jew name Peter Rosenbaum during WW2 to be the most inspiring one. Hubert told me simply: “Normalement”. Hubert's answer reflects a unique modest kindness. As a Jewish/Israeli and grandchild of European Jews and holocaust survivors, I fear Europe's history of violence and hate will once again poison the hearts of its people. Perhaps it will not be us, the Jews the next time to be hunted down, perhaps it will. I came to Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon to unlock my fears and explore better future alternatives to hope for. I came back with a hopeful word Hubert gave me and an idea to share with you, so we all know what we need to look for when the time comes. “Normalement”.
Eyal
