Comité de Défense des Juifs

The Comité de Défense des Juifs or CDJ (, ) was an organization of the Belgian Resistance, affiliated to the Front de l'Indépendance, founded by the Jewish Communist Hertz Jospa and his wife Have Groisman (Yvonne Jospa) of Solidarité juive in September 1942. It was founded in the house of Fela Perelman.

The CDJ had thirty-odd members in its children's section alone. These members formed an effective committee and came from all political and religious horizons, overcoming their divergent views to unite for the sake of saving Jewish children. The CDJ succeeded in saving about 3,000  of the 5,000 children who became enfants cachés ("hidden children", hidden among non-Jewish Belgian families, convents, etc.). The CDJ was also involved in other aspects of the resistance, producing the clandestine publications such as Unser Worth ("Our Word").

The CDJ also functioned as a national organisation in the field of social services. The section Kinderen (Children) became responsible for hiding and supporting those who had gone underground. The co-operation and assistance from the non-Jewish sector was remarkable. Thanks to 'unarmed resistance fighters' more than 3,000 Jews were rescued from deportation. The price paid for this campaign, however, was high. Many members of the CDJ together with their collaborators were arrested by the authorities.

See also
The Holocaust in Belgium

References

Additional bibliography and filmography
, Le Comité de défense des juifs en Belgique, 1942-1944, Éditions de l'Université de Bruxelles, Brussels, 1973
, Histoire et mémoire des Juifs d'Anderlecht Années 20-40, Anderlecht, 2009
, La mission de Victor Martin, Les Films de la Mémoire, video, 55 minutes (summary, in French)
, Comme si c’était hier, Ping-Pong Production (Distribution: National Center for Jewish Film, Brandeis University), 1980, 86 minutes, documentary

Category:Organizations established in 1942
Category:The Holocaust in Belgium
Category:Jewish resistance during the Holocaust
Category:1942 establishments in Belgium
Category:Belgian resistance groups