Object numberM2009/088:001
DescriptionElementary school certificate for 14 year old Jacqueline Feldman (later Dale). The certificate from the academy in Paris was issued to her on 23 June 1945.
Jacqueline was born in Paris, France on 18 January 1931 to parents Pessa and Icek. Her parents were Polish Jews and married in 1929; shortly after Pessa and Icek moved to Paris. Jacqueline attended a French public school, except for on Thursdays and Sundays, when she attended a Jewish school. Jacqueline recalls that her family weren’t observant but they did visit the synagogue and keep kosher.
Her father Icek (Isaac) was a tailor and served in North Africa with the French Foreign Legion until 1940. He returned to France but was then arrested by French authorities in May 1941. He was deported to Pithiviers Internment Camp in 1941 and then deported to Auschwitz in the July 1942, where he was murdered.
After her father’s arrest, German soldiers visited Jacqueline’s apartment to take her family to a camp, but they managed to hide. Afterwards her mother Pessa decided to flee to the Zone Libre (unoccupied territory) in the south of France. This proved difficult however because of her Jewish identity card. In 1942 (aged 11) Jacqueline was sent by the OSE (Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, a children’s aid organisation) to De l'ecole Du Couret; an orphanage in the French town of Couret. Meanwhile her brother Charles was sent to a nursery. Jacqueline and Charles were reunited a year later at a home in Poulouzat, where they also met Marcel Marceau. When Poulouzat was attacked by German soldiers Jacqueline and Charles moved to a Catholic orphanage in Castera-Verduzan in the Haute Pyrrenees region of France, where they stayed from 1943 until 1945. She and her brother hid their Jewish identity and pretended to be Catholic at Castera-Verduzan. Meanwhile, her mother worked on a farm as a maid.
After the liberation, Jacqueline was taken to two chateaus where she decided to learn sewing, which later helped her get a factory job when she returned to Paris. Jacqueline migrated to Australia in 1949, aged 18, with the help of the OSE. Jacqueline married Louis Pakula in November 1949 and had two children, Rina (born 1950) and Irwin (born 1953). She also joined a Child Survivor group and was naturalized as an Australian citizen five years after her arrival. Later Jacqueline married again to Anthony Dale. Pessa migrated to Australia in 1977.
This certificate is part of a collection of birthday cards, letters, identity cards and photographs donated by Jacqueline from 2003 to 2018.
Jacqueline was born in Paris, France on 18 January 1931 to parents Pessa and Icek. Her parents were Polish Jews and married in 1929; shortly after Pessa and Icek moved to Paris. Jacqueline attended a French public school, except for on Thursdays and Sundays, when she attended a Jewish school. Jacqueline recalls that her family weren’t observant but they did visit the synagogue and keep kosher.
Her father Icek (Isaac) was a tailor and served in North Africa with the French Foreign Legion until 1940. He returned to France but was then arrested by French authorities in May 1941. He was deported to Pithiviers Internment Camp in 1941 and then deported to Auschwitz in the July 1942, where he was murdered.
After her father’s arrest, German soldiers visited Jacqueline’s apartment to take her family to a camp, but they managed to hide. Afterwards her mother Pessa decided to flee to the Zone Libre (unoccupied territory) in the south of France. This proved difficult however because of her Jewish identity card. In 1942 (aged 11) Jacqueline was sent by the OSE (Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, a children’s aid organisation) to De l'ecole Du Couret; an orphanage in the French town of Couret. Meanwhile her brother Charles was sent to a nursery. Jacqueline and Charles were reunited a year later at a home in Poulouzat, where they also met Marcel Marceau. When Poulouzat was attacked by German soldiers Jacqueline and Charles moved to a Catholic orphanage in Castera-Verduzan in the Haute Pyrrenees region of France, where they stayed from 1943 until 1945. She and her brother hid their Jewish identity and pretended to be Catholic at Castera-Verduzan. Meanwhile, her mother worked on a farm as a maid.
After the liberation, Jacqueline was taken to two chateaus where she decided to learn sewing, which later helped her get a factory job when she returned to Paris. Jacqueline migrated to Australia in 1949, aged 18, with the help of the OSE. Jacqueline married Louis Pakula in November 1949 and had two children, Rina (born 1950) and Irwin (born 1953). She also joined a Child Survivor group and was naturalized as an Australian citizen five years after her arrival. Later Jacqueline married again to Anthony Dale. Pessa migrated to Australia in 1977.
This certificate is part of a collection of birthday cards, letters, identity cards and photographs donated by Jacqueline from 2003 to 2018.
Production date 1945
Subjectschoolchildren, orphans (people)
Object nameacademic certificates
Dimensions
- width: 400.00 mm
length: 320.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Jacqueline Dale