Kunin family

Irene Savignon story about her life during the Holocaust in Paris 1941-1945.

 

Irene's mother Leya Kunin was a sister of Irene's Kunin grandfather Haim Kunin. Leya and her husband lived in Paris, France and died during the Holocaust.

irene' story France.doc
Microsoft Word document [73.5 KB]

French Holocaust survivor Irene, my aunt
Years ago my cousin Alex asked to check our family in Riga.
I emailed to Riga archives regarding Kunin family. I was thinking to find cousins of my father. Year later I got letter from Riga. When I started to read I was stunned. All my father family died in Holocaust in December 1941. I felt my 11 relatives just died. I sat shiva for them and ordered to say prayer for one year for all of them. I understood why we were with my cousin only two people from our family. I recovered slowly from that bad news.
5 months later I got email from France if my grandfather was related to Leya Kunin. I check archive papers and discovered that this my grandfather sister. She died in Holocaust but her daughter Irene survived. Her son Eric called me. He asked if I knew Victor Kunin. It was my father. We were both very excited, we found each other 65 years after the war. I spoke to Irene next day. It was a very special day.I was named after her my mother told me later. She asked me about my cousin Alex.
I started to call Alex in Moscow. After 2 days I finally got him.
I told him the story and he said that he knew about french family.
Many years our family kept this secret. They were affraid to go to jail. I called Alex on Tuesday and on Wednesday Alex planed to fly to Paris for short vacation. I gave him Irene's and Eric's phones. He decided to visit Irene. When I called Eric he could not believe it. Alex came to Irene house on Thursday, one week after we spoke to Eric first time. We all thought that it was Got's arrangement. Then Irene and Eric visited USA including NYC.
Next year I visited Irene in France. She sent me her story. I translated and sent to Holocaust museum in DC.