Léon Israël

Léon Israël, also known as Dr. Israël, born on January 13, 1906, in Kœnigsmacker and assassinated by the Milice of Lyon on April 27, 1944, in Mâcon was a French doctor, resistance fighter, and Jew. Before World War II, he pursued studies at the Faculty of Medicine in Strasbourg and quickly became a respected physician, collaborating notably with Max Aron.

Originally from Moselle, he joined his family in Mâcon in 1941 after they sought refuge there. He clandestinely provided medical assistance to the resistance fighters in the city and surrounding areas. He also provided care to the needy in the region, earning the appreciation of the population of Mâcon.

While on his way to visit his brother-in-law and sister, he was shot in front of them and his niece by the Milice, in front of the current 116 rue du 28 juin 1944 in Mâcon. After his assassination, the Israël family was hidden by the Blanvillain family, who were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 2005.

Biography

Birth and youth Léon Israël was born on January 13, 1906, in Kœnigsmacker, in occupied Moselle. His father was named Isaac Israel and was a merchant. His family owned a livestock business. On December 7, 1927, he performed in a comedic duo in Wolfisheim at a ball organized by the Jewish community to celebrate the marriage of the rabbi of Dijon's son to a young woman from the Jewish community of Wolfisheim.

He attended the funeral of Rosa Israël, a member of his family, on May 20, 1932, and also that of Mrs. Abraham Cahen in 1930. In 1929, he attempted the competition to become an intern at the hospital in Strasbourg and was accepted. At the same time, he pursued his thesis, entitled "Benzene Hemopathies", In 1934, he was awarded the Prize of the Association of Students and Alumni of the Faculty of Medicine (Strasbourg) and began publishing numerous scientific articles from 1934 to 1935. at 42 Rue Serpenoise. He joined the Scientific Society of Lorraine in 1937.

Arrival in Mâcon He remained unmarried where they were settled and hidden by the local resistance, particularly by Léon-Albert and Renée Blanvillain, Mâcon-based hardware store owners.

Resistance While being relatively protected by the resistance, Léon Israël took on the clandestine task of providing medical care to the local resistance fighters and made rounds in the city to assist the impoverished.

Assassination and aftermath Resistance members attacked a group of Milice members on April 25, 1944. and one Henri Fournier, who had come from Lyon. They immediately executed him by firing squad.

Following the assassination, the Blanvillain family decided to conceal and extract the Israël family from Mâcon to Sancé until the Liberation of France, when they returned to live in Lorraine. Monique Israël herself died on January 14, 2023.

In recognition of their actions, Léon-Albert and Renée Blanvillain were awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations in 2005. In 2023, the tribute took place as scheduled. The Protestant church of Mâcon laid a wreath, and the mayor of Mâcon and the prefect of Saône et Loire also laid wreaths to honor the occasion.

Works

Scientific publications

Thesis entitled "Benzene Hemopathies," 1934. Histological tests of prehypophyseal hyperfunction in certain obese individuals, Bull. et mém. de la Soc. méd. des hôpitaux de Paris, October 25, 1935 (with Max Aron and A. Jacob). Two cases of refractory urticaria. Treatment with epidermal scarifications and histamine. Soc. de Méd. du Bas-Rhin, December 21, 1935 (with M. Jacob and A. Meyer). Considerations on the genesis of hyperchlorhydria and its treatment with the combined medication of pantopon, papaverine, and atrinal, Nutrition, 1936 (with M. Schwartz, MM. Merklen, and M. Jacob). A case of thrombosis of the inferior vena cava. Thrombophlebitis simulating arterial embolisms and venous origin gangrene (with M. Fontaine and Sousa Pereira), 1936. Postoperative complications. Blood. Gastric secretion. Soc. de Méd. du Bas-Rhin, April 1936 (with M. Froehlich). Facial paralysis in chronic nephritis, Bull. et mém. de la Soc. méd. des hôpitaux de Paris, June 19, 1936. The blood in former gastrectomy patients, Presse médicale, July 1, 1936 (with F. Froehlich).