The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Rescued Jews During the Holocaust by Karen Gray Ruelle and Deborah Durland DeSaix
The Grand Mosque of Paris is based on a true story of how the North African Muslims who ran the Grand Mosque of Paris hid Jews away from the Nazi forces occupying France, frequently sweeping the city looking for Jews to send to the concentration camps in Eastern Europe.
In a world in which Muslims are often stereotyped as terrorist, this story instead focuses on the many humanitarian deeds Muslims have been done and continue to do in the world.
This is a must read in any study of the Holocaust by fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-graders. The illustrations are beautifully done often using dark colors to emphasize the dire circumstances of people during those dark days.
When the Nazis occupied Paris, no Jew was safe from arrest and deportation. Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet during that perilous time, many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place--the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris.
Not just a place of worship but a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, especially children.
A little-known story of resistance pays homage to those who risked all to create a secret sanctuary in wartime Paris.
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