Jordana Arazi always knew that her mother lived during World War II in France, which was under Nazi occupation.
But she never delved into what exactly she went through in those years.
A few years ago she decided it was time to find out what exactly was there.
She embarked on a rocking journey in France following her mother's family, and the result was immortalized in a documentary that will air tonight (Wednesday) at 9:15 PM on HOT8, "Jordan's Journey."
The film was directed by Ayelet Heller, and will be broadcast again tomorrow (Thursday) at 5:35 p.m.
In the film, Jordana, along with her cousin Tamar, traces the story of their mothers, sisters Ivette and Fanny Luanja, and discovers that the two, along with the rest of the family, rescued hundreds of Jewish children during the Holocaust under the noses of the Nazis.
"The Holocaust was present throughout my childhood and adulthood," says Arazi.
"My parents are not Holocaust survivors by definition, they did not go through the camps, but the Holocaust was present in the environment where I grew up. The neighbors around and their stories. From my family story I heard only excerpts. At 17 and a half I left home for the Nahal band, and from there my life rolled , And I did not really dwell on the subject.
I even tried to run away from him.
"Over the years, I discovered the heroic story of my uncle, Georges Loanja, a French national hero who was recognized by the President of France. He was the mother's older brother, and I also heard about the mime artist Marcel Marceau, who was their cousin. Here and there I heard A little story about a mother who fled children on a train from France.
"In 1994, my two parents died, five days apart, and it was like a kind of pit that opened up in me. I suddenly realized that with so much running forward and career and family - I did not ask questions. It's a big story of missing out for me. In 2018 my uncle Georges "He died at the age of 108, and it was covered in all the major media in the world. When I talked about it with my friend, Yoav Ginai, he asked me 'why not go on a journey following my mother?'"
And what did you find out?
"I found out that my mother helped smuggle Jewish children. The family decided to use her as part of the French underground because she looked like an innocent, fair-haired girl with blue eyes. She lost her childhood and adolescence. She was displaced from her home, she had no organized studies. At 12 years old "She was already in real danger of death. I have questions I have no answers to. How much was she aware of the danger? How much did it scar her soul?"
Still, did you get some of the answers? The pit filled up a bit?
"Some of the pit has managed to fill up, but I lack more information. I still want answers, and I know I still have someone to ask. The work for me is not over yet."
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