Ile de France Region to Support Yad Vashem Francophone Project

The Ile de France region will support the Francophone Project at Yad Vashem it was announced today. Mr. Janine Haddad, Vice President, Ile de France region and Chargé des Affairs, Internationales et Européennes announced the grant during the visit of fifty French mayors and deputy mayors, accompanied by Jewish community leaders, at Yad Vashem today. The gift will be used for French audio guides, maps and brochures to make Yad Vashem more accessible to the French-speaking visitor.

The mayors’ visit was coordinated by the Forum Franco-Israélien under the leadership of Joel Mergui, and accompanied by Roger Cukierman, President of the CRIF (Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France). After touring the Historical Museum, visiting the Children’s Memorial and holding a wreath-laying ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance, the group met with Avner Shalev, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate and with Miry Gross, Director, French, Benelux and Scandinavian Desk, International Relations Division at Yad Vashem.

Shalev thanked Ms. Haddad for the initiative and welcomed the group’s involvement. “This project will enhance communication between French speaking communities and Yad Vashem and help disseminate the message of Yad Vashem among French speakers,” Shalev said.

“The Ile de France is the first to join in what we hope will be fruitful partnerships between Yad Vashem and French communities,” Gross said. “I call on other French communities to join in this important effort.”