In Paris, Leah Horonczyk married Salomon (Shlomo) Friedheim, a Jewish immigrant (born 1903). In 1939 their eldest son, Raphael, was born in Paris. The couple lived on Rue Francs-Bourgeois, next door to Leah’s father and two married sisters. The family earned their living from selling cloth and textile products.

Shimon Horonczyk and the families of his married daughters, Chaja-Dwojra Korman and Esther Frenkel, lived around the same courtyard in Paris at 3 Rue Castex. Shimon lived with Esther. His daughter Leah Friedheim and her family lived nearby.

In January 1940 Solomon Friedheim joined the foreign volunteers in the French Army, and fought in North Africa. In August 1940 he was discharged from military service.

Courtesy of Nelly Weinstock, Jerusalem, Israel.

On the eve of the German invasion into France, many Jews volunteered to join the French Army, and were enlisted in the Foreign Legion. Among them were immigrants such as Solomon Friedheim and his brothers-in-law. After the occupation of France, they were discharged from military service. The majority of the foreign Jews who volunteered served in units of the Foreign Legion stationed within France itself: these were mostly infantry units, as well as other small units annexed to the regular French Army; they took part in the fighting during the German invasion of France. Some of the volunteers were sent to units of the Foreign Legion stationed in North Africa.

Courtesy of the Friedheim families, France and Israel

Soldiers in the Foreign Legion, among them Solomon Friedheim, staying with the Jewish community of Sus, Tunisia. Passover, 1940.

Jewish soldiers in the French Army were invited to celebrate Passover in the homes of local Jews.

In 1940 there was a severe shortage of food in Paris, and young mothers were advised by the French authorities leave the city in order to improve their own nutrition and that of their children. At this time Leah’s husband, Solomon, was serving in a unit of the French Foreign Legion stationed in North Africa.

A certificate for “good conduct” awarded to Solomon Friedheim during his service in the Foreign Legion in Tunisia. Solomon was married to Leah neé Horonczyk.

Courtesy of Nelly Weinstock, Jerusalem, Israel

A sign hung on the premises of Solomon Friedheim’s former business, announcing the change of management; in keeping with a German decree from the 18th of October 1940, the business was to be managed by an Aryan supervisor.

Donated by the Friedheim families, France and Israel

A document dated 7 July 1941, which testifies to Solomon Friedheim’s “presence” in the Pithiviers internment camp, signed by the camp commander. The document states that as of the 14th of May 1941, Friedheim is under arrest as a civilian, for an unlimited period. On the 14th of May 1941 Friedheim was arrested in a wave of arrests which targeted Jews who were not French citizens. He was sent to the detention and transit camp of Pithiviers. His brother-in-law, Symcha-Binem Horonczyk – his wife Leah’s brother – was arrested together with him. Solomon succeeded in escaping from the camp, with the help of a local Frenchman for whom he was working. In July 1942 Symcha was deported to Auschwitz where he was murdered.

Courtesy of Nelly Weinstock, Jerusalem, Israel

This photograph was taken in Issoudun, the district of Indre, France

Raphael’s father, Solomon, succeeded in escaping from Pithiviers; he took his wife, Leah Friedheim neé Horonczyk to the unoccupied zone of Vichy France. Chaja-Dwojra Korman, Leah’s sister, succeeded in spiriting her young daughter, Fanny, to her sister in Issoudun. Later the two cousins, Raphael Friedheim and Fanny Korman, were hidden in the small village of Vion, where they remained until the end of the war.

Courtesy of Nelly Weinstock, Jerusalem, Israel

From a letter of Solomon Friedheim to his wife, Leah Friedheim neé Horonczyk, after the birth of the twins.

Monday, 23 August 1943,

My beloved darling,
I thank you for yesterday’s short note. When I read it, tears came to my eyes because of the suffering and pains you have had to endure, but I also cried out of joy. Believe me, dearest one, I sensed the approaching danger all of Thursday. At night, knowing you were in great danger, I was driven almost mad. I kept thinking of my poor little Raphael, and I prayed he would not lose his mother, that he would not be left destitute.
But now I am happy and cheerful – for you, for me for our two little girls and for our little Raphael.
Normally, if we were still in Paris, I would buy you a gift. Unfortunately the circumstances do not allow that, but I can give you one small present: I give you my deep love, my purest, my most beautiful and unconditional love. I am filled with admiration of your courage and bravery in the face of danger.
The responsibility for raising girls is usually placed on the mother; for this reason I am happy you are my wife. You will raise our daughters like your mother, may she rest in peace, raised her daughters. You will sing our songs to them, [impart to them] our pain, our suffering, but also our hopes. You will convey your bravery to them, your heroism, so that they too will be brave, and proud of their roots and their origin.
I keep all the members of our family, so far away from us, in my heart. Let us hope that they are all alive and that, as soon as we can, we will let them know about this joyous event, so that they may share in our joy.
I am writing a letter to Chaeauroux regarding the two-seated carriage. I will post the letter, and the reply will be sent to your address (I have attached a stamp). I ask you not to think about anything right now, to rest and regain your strength. Yesterday your aunt brought you a pair of socks and some “Sept Jours”. But I ask you not to sew them. Use them only for tobacco.
Please give me more details, the first chance you have, about our two beautiful daughters. I will love them as I love Raphael.
Let us be happy, and raise them together in joy. We have much joy still ahead of us.
A shower of kisses to my beloved darling, and the two dear ones.

The whole family survived the Holocaust: Solomon, Leah, and their three children.

11 December 1943
Paris

Mrs. Friedheim
Rue Tous les Diables, 12
Issoudun, Indre

Madam,
We regret to inform you that the Occupation Authorities were in your apartment yesterday, and confiscated all the furniture and personal. The apartment where you lived on Rue Francs-Bourgeois 51 is now entirely empty.
As for our own concerns, we need only use a portion of the apartment. If we do not do so, it is possible that the Occupation Authorities will dictate the manner in which the apartment will be used. In order to straighten out this issue, and prevent a process of eviction, please send us a letter in which you state that you give us the power of handling the property and the apartment.
Please take everything in your stride,

Yours,
The Director of the Property Service

p.s.
It is very important that the letter you send confirming the above, be signed by your husband, since the property is registered in his name.

Courtesy of Nelly Weinstock, Jerusalem, Israel

Of all Shimon Horonczyk's children, only Leah and Solomon Friedheim’s family survived in its entirety.