The Postcard

France assumes German occupation, and on September 27, 1940, the first of many German ordinances takes effect. By October 3, rules defining Jewishness take effect, barring Jewish people from office, positions of authority, and the arts. Ephraïm, who has long sought to distance himself from his heritage, is listed as “foreign Jew 1” in their prefecture (93).

Determined to follow the rules, Ephraïm encourages his reluctant daughters to register as Jewish people, which they do. Here, Anne’s mother, Lélia, interjects to say that Ephraïm’s naivety is what will eventually lead to his downfall, while his brother Emmanuel, who never follows the rules, will survive because he refuses to register himself. Lélia draws a parallel between the two types of Jewish people—rule followers and rebels—and how both are needed for a people to survive.

The order is given for foreign Jewish people in France to report to concentration camps, listing themselves as excess labor and thus responsible for working in the conqueror’s lands. Because the decree was for foreigners, Lélia claims, society did not intervene when they were taken away. Ephraïm is listed as stateless and unemployed because his citizenship was denied. His business is turned over to the French, including all of his patents.