This Sunday, a touching ceremony will take place at Villa Masséna during which Barnéa Hassid, the Consul General of the State of Israel in Marseille, and Daniel Wancier, President of the Committee for Yad Vashem Nice Côte d’Azur, will posthumously present the Medal and Diploma of the Righteous Among the Nations to Marcelle and Philippe Durand, represented by their grandchildren Catherine, Josiane, Michelle, Claude, and Sady. This tribute aims to recognize the discreet heroism and admirable conduct of these two deceased individuals from Nice.
The Righteous Medal is awarded by the Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem to non-Jewish individuals who, at the risk of their lives, saved Jewish people or families during the German occupation. The title of Righteous Among the Nations is awarded based on testimonies from rescued individuals or eyewitnesses and reliable documents. The fact that no reward or material compensation was sought in exchange for the assistance provided is crucial.
For the record: Between 1944 and 1945, the interventions of Marcelle and Philippe Durand helped save the lives of a sister and brother, Françoise and Michel Picard.
After sheltering Michel while Françoise was accommodated by another family, the Durand couple reunited the two children to bring them to a safer zone for them (as raids were intensifying in Nice).
Philippe Durand accompanied them to Isère with farmers. The children stayed there until September 1945, after which their grandparents and aunt were able to retrieve them.
