Holocaust Remembrance: The Hidden Story of a Jewish Couple Who Saved Thousands in Nazi-Occupied France

On Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Israeli news anchor Tal Meir of Channel 14 shared the extraordinary story of her grandparents, Aryeh and Shulamit Roithman, courageous members of the Jewish underground in France who risked everything to save the lives of countless Jews during the Holocaust.

“On this day,” Meir began, “I feel both a duty and a privilege to tell the story of my grandparents — Shulamit and Aryeh Roithman — heroes of the Jewish resistance in France, whose courage is still largely unknown.”

Shulamit’s daily act of defiance

“For two years,” Meir continued, “every morning my grandmother crossed the bridge in Grenoble, waved politely to the German officer stationed there, and walked on — straight to a secret forgery lab located terrifyingly close to Gestapo headquarters. There she forged identity cards and food coupons for Jews hidden by the underground in nearby villages.

“At the end of each workday, she tucked the forged papers into her bicycle seat, waved again to the armed guard, and silently prayed he wouldn’t suspect her. She did this every day for two years.”

Aryeh’s daring rescue

“When my grandfather Leon heard that his brother had been captured,” Meir recounted, “he forged his own identity papers, walked into Gestapo headquarters in Bordeaux, bribed the commander — and saved his brother, Paul Roithman. That same forged identity later allowed him to travel from village to village, persuading priests and local leaders to hide Jewish families — always under fear of betrayal.”

The underground that saved thousands

“Using those forged documents,” she explained, “tens of thousands of Jewish children, women, and men were smuggled across the borders of Spain and Switzerland. My grandparents’ story is full of astonishing moments of courage, but it was almost lost to history because they never thought of themselves as heroes. They believed they had simply done what was right.”

From the Resistance to modern Israel

“In the past months,” Meir added, “we’ve once again heard stories of heroism — from those who fought bravely on October 7. Even now, soldiers — some of them descendants of the very same Jewish resistance fighters — are battling courageously in Gaza. Their strength and spirit defy description.

“But this time,” she reflected, “our soldiers fight differently. The IDF fighters have a home and families behind them. They have weapons, intelligence, medical teams, and helicopters ready to rescue the wounded — things the heroes of the Jewish underground in France could never have imagined. What they did have was faith and spirit — the same spirit that still lives within us today.”

Passing the torch of memory and faith

“To my dear grandparents,” she concluded, “and to your entire generation — survivors who rose from the ashes and helped build this precious country: your strength and belief in the righteousness of your path continue to inspire us, especially in dark times.

“When we face the horrors of October 7 and feel the grief tightening in our throats, we remember you — and we learn again about faith, resilience, and the enduring power of the Jewish people.

“Thank you for what you did. We promise to carry forward both the torch of remembrance and the torch of hope — to remain worthy of you. Am Yisrael Chai LeNetzach Netzachim — the people of Israel live forever.”