Flora Hogman papers

Flora Hogman (born Flora Hillel) was born in San Remo, Italy, on October 11, 1935, to Eric and Stephanie Hillel. Eric (June 27, 1900-1937) was a dentist who lived most of his life in Czechoslovakia. Stephanie Spitzer Hillel (b. July 23, 1904) was also from Czechoslovakia and worked as a journalist. Flora's parents moved to Italy in 1935. Eric contracted tuberculosis and died in 1937. Flora and her mother lived in Italy for the next two years, but in July 1939, Stephanie felt that it would be safer for her and her daughter to move across the border to Nice, France. They were able to obtain a permit that allowed them to cross the French-Italian border.

They spent some time in Nice, but by 1942, the situation in France became very dangerous for both of them. In June 1942, Stephanie put Flora into the Maison d'accueil in Venice, Italy. In 1943, Stephanie took Flora out of the Maison d'accueil and placed her in a convent run by the Poor Clares in Nice. Later that year, Stephanie was captured and sent to the Draney transit camp in France. She was then deported to Auschwitz and killed in October 1943. Flora continued to live in the convent and in similar hiding places for the next year. She believes she was baptized as a Catholic in the convent at some point. Flora was hidden in different towns in the south of France including Valbonne, Magagnosc, and Mouans-sartoux and was moved around quite often because it was dangerous at this point to hide Jewish children.

Her last hiding place was with the Hogman family until the United States Army liberated southern France in August 1944. After Stephanie did not return, Mr. and Mrs. Hogman adopted Flora after lengthy deliberations with her maternal uncle and an aunt. Flora was baptized as a Protestant and given a copy of the New Testament in French to mark the occasion. In 1959, Flora immigrated to New York after her adopted parents passed away.