Bifold document case for a certificate issued to Juliette Usach by Yad Vashem

Juliette Usach (1899-1984) was born in Spain to a Protestant pastor. After completing school, Juliette became a doctor. On July 17, 1936, Nationalist rebels staged an uprising against the Spanish democratically-elected republic, beginning the Spanish Civil War. Both Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy intervened on behalf of the Nationalists. The conflict led to mass violence, and a large number of loyalists were imprisoned in concentration camps or conscripted for forced labor. In 1938, Juliette fled to Pau, about 31 miles over the border in France. In 1939, Juliette was recruited by Marguerite de Felice, a member of the International Relief for Women and Children of the Spanish Republic, to manage a boarding house for Spanish mothers and children. That May, Juliette, her father, and her sister moved to Chambon-sur-Lignon, a Protestant village in south-central France, where the boarding house was located.

On September 3, two days after Germany invaded Poland, France declared war on Germany. In May 1940, Germany invaded France and forced their surrender in June. Germany occupied Northern France and the Atlantic coastline while the southern and eastern regions, including Chambon, were administered the new Vichy French government. The Vichy regime collaborated with the Nazis; instituting antisemitic legislation and camps patterned after those in Germany. That winter, Chambon’s pastor, André Trocmé and a contact with the American Friends Service Committee arranged the release of many Jewish children from the French internment camps. They were then taken in by the residents of Chambon and other villages in the region. Pastor Trocmé received assistance from le Comité Inter-Mouvements Auprès des Évacués (CIMAD, the Inter-Movement Committee for Evacuees) and the Secours Suisse aux Enfants (Swiss Society for Children’s Aid) to establish a colony for refugee children in Chambon.

As part of this effort, in 1941, Juliette’s house was converted into a refuge for Jewish children. The refurbished house officially opened on May 14, 1941 as “La Guespy,” and housed children released from the internment camps, between ages 14 and 18. The group was comprised of adolescents from various European countries, and a mix of Jews, Catholics, and Protestants. Juliette was assisted by two supervisors, a cook, a housekeeper, and a teacher. While at La Guespy, children resumed schooling and were encouraged to attend religious services. Juliette consciously cultivated an atmosphere of religious tolerance and encouraged collective participation in both Jewish and non-Jewish holidays. The success of Guespy led to the opening of a second house for children in November. La Guespy was one of several children’s homes in the village under the direction of August Bohny, a Swiss school teacher and representative of the Swiss Red Cross. Collectively, the village housed around 200 refugee children.

In the summer of 1942, the Vichy government began allowing round ups of Jews. On August 25, Juliette was away from Guespy and her wards were sent to another protective house. A group of policemen attempted a raid on the house and were confronted by August Bohny, who claimed the children were under the protection of the Swiss government. He threatened diplomatic action, and the gendarmes backed down. In November, Germany occupied the remainder of “free” France. By the end of December, Guespy housed 23 children. In 1943, the average age of the Guespy residents decreased to 13 or 14, mostly boys, who required more attention from the caretakers. Regular raids continued to occur in Chambon, however, Juliette and the residents of the community were able to protect the children. Though the children remained unharmed, the number of refugees the town could safeguard decreased.

On June 6, 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy, beginning the liberation of France. The region surrounding Chambon was liberated by the Free French First Armored Division on September 2-3. Following the war, Juliette remained in Chambon. She ran a bookstore there from 1950 to 1964, and then joined the Salvation Army in Lyon. She lived her last years at the Rollin Foundation, a Protestant retirement home. On April 18, 1989, in recognition of her efforts at La Guespy, Yad Vashem recognized Juliette Usach as Righteous Among the Nations.