In Charleroi, there are cobblestones similar to the ones placed on Thursday, some of which can be found in the streets of the Upper Town. This neighborhood was once the central location for the Charleroi Jewish community before many were arrested, deported and exterminated in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The monument at Marcinelle cemetery bears the names of 445 victims, but it’s estimated that closer to 600 Jews were affected in the region according to Vincent Vagman’s book, “Jewish Presence in Charleroi – History and Memory”.
Meyer Zalc, President of the Association for the Memory of the Shoah stresses the importance of creating more “paving stones of memory” throughout Belgium. With the last witnesses passing away, it’s crucial to ensure that the memory of the Holocaust is not forgotten. Zalc and his team visit schools before each laying of cobblestones to educate students about their significance, inspiring them to continue preserving this history for future generations.
Recently, two classes from the municipal school of Les Haies de Mont-sur-Marchienne had the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust from Dominique Delescaille and Regina Lewkowitz’s great-great granddaughter was present in one of these classes.
Cobblestones like those that were placed this Thursday, there were already some in Charleroi. Particularly in the streets of the Upper Town which before the Second World War concentrated a large part of the Charleroi Jewish community. On the monument to the Jewish martyrs victims of Nazism, in the cemetery of Marcinelle, we discover 445 names. But according to Vincent Vagman who wrote a book “Jewish Presence in Charleroi – History and Memory”, it is more accurate to speak of about 600 Jews who were arrested in the Charleroi region before being deported and exterminated in the camps of Nazi death.
Meyer Zalc is the president of the Association for the Memory of the Shoah. “Paving stones of memory, there must be some 700 in Belgium. And there is an urgent need to install more because the last witnesses are disappearing. Myself, I am 85 years old. I am a hidden child, I therefore escaped deportation. But not my family. We have to place these cobblestones, but above all make them known. Before each laying of cobblestones, we go to schools to explain to the students. Show them and explain to them what they represent. It will be up to them, later, to ensure the memory and the transmission”.
This Thursday, there were two classes from the municipal school of Les Haies de Mont-sur-Marchienne. A few days ago, he had actually received Dominique Delescaille. And in one of those two classes, in fourth grade, there’s Regina Lewkowitz’s great-great granddaughter.
In a world where hate and discrimination still exist, it is crucial that we remember the atrocities of the past and honor the memories of those who suffered. The laying of cobblestones of memory is a poignant way to keep the stories and legacies of those lost alive. It is heartening to see schools educating their students about the importance of these cobblestones and the need to continue to transmit the memory to future generations. As Meyer Zalc states, it is up to us to ensure that the memory lives on. Let us honor the past and build a better future through education and remembrance.