60 Minutes Rewind: French Resistance during WWII

Overview

• French government collaborated with Nazis during WWII, contributing to the deportation of Jews.
• Underground resistance groups made heroic efforts to save Jews in France.
• Adolfo Kaminsky, a 92-year-old former Jewish teenager, joined the French Resistance and became a master forger.
• His work helped save as many as 14,000 Jewish lives.

Historical Context

• June 1940: Hitler's forces invaded France, leading to the German occupation of Paris.
• Nazis relied on French authorities to identify and round up Jews for deportation to concentration camps, including Auschwitz.
• Many Jewish men, women, and children were arrested and deported.

Adolfo Kaminsky's Journey

• Kaminsky was 18 when he started forging documents for the resistance, emphasizing the urgency of helping Jews escape.
• He created various fake documents, including identity cards and passports.
• Key challenge: Changing Jewish-sounding names to safer, more French-sounding names.
• The word "Jew" had to be removed from documents to avoid detection.

Techniques and Methods

• Kaminsky worked in a secret lab in Paris, disguised as an artist to avoid suspicion.
• He used everyday materials and chemicals to forge documents:
  • Tools: Sewing machine, metal salvage, woodblocks, inks for stamps, and even made paper.
  • Produced up to 500 forged documents per week.

Personal Stories of Survival

• Edith Mayer: Saved from deportation by receiving a new identity and documents.
  • Original name: Edith Meyer; new name: Élise Maillet.
• Sarah Miller: Used fake papers to hide in plain sight, working near Nazi troops without revealing her identity.

Impact of Kaminsky's Work

• Two children saved by Kaminsky's network shared their gratitude for the forged documents that saved their lives.
• They highlight the crucial role of accurate identification papers during the occupation.

Kaminsky's Background

• Kaminsky's family was arrested but released from Drancy concentration camp due to their Argentinian citizenship.
• Witnessed the deportation of many Jews during his time in Drancy, motivating his involvement with the resistance.
• Encountered a resistance member who recognized his skills in chemistry, leading to his recruitment as a forger.

Reflections on the Past

• Kaminsky's daughter, Sarah, learned about her father's past in high school and now shares his story.
• Kaminsky struggles with survivor's guilt, feeling he could have saved more people.
• He maintains a modest view of his achievements, keeping his medals hidden away.

Conclusion

• Approximately 76,000 Jews were deported from France during WWII; only about 2,500 survived.
• Adolfo Kaminsky's forgeries played a vital role in saving lives during a dark chapter of history.