Morand Joseph & Leonie (Lange)

Morand, Joseph F. Morand-Lange, Léonie H. Through intermediaries, the Birnbaum family from Antwerp found an apartment in which to hide in October 1942, in the far-away resort town of Godinne-sur-Meuse, halfway between Namur/Namen and Dinant, in the Ardennes region. The Birnbaums consisted of ten-year-old Henry, his four-year-old sister Charlotte, their mother, her parents and her sister-in-law, Rachel Kohn. At first, they rented the first floor of the apartment from Joseph and Leonie Morand, who were living on the ground floor, giving health reasons as an excuse for leaving Antwerp. However, the Birnbaums lacked food coupons and were fearful to leave the apartment. This forced them eventually to reveal to the Morands the truth about their flight from Antwerp. The response of the Morands was that they were willing to take care of their Jewish tenants, in spite of the risks to themselves, and they indeed did so for two years, until the liberation in September 1944. During the two years the extended Birnbaum family spent in Godinne, they paid the Morands only for the rent and the foodstuff they bought. The Germans came twice to investigate the newcomers. The Birnbaums denied being Jewish, but in fear of being detected, they decided to leave for another hiding place. However, the Morands insisted they stay with them, and, miraculously, the Germans, on their second visit did not persist in their investigation. Another act of kindness was when Mrs. Birnbaum was dying of cancer, and Joseph Morand traveled with her and her daughter to a hospital in Antwerp, where she subsequently died. During this whole period, Joseph and Léonie treated the Birnbaums and Rachel Kohn gently and graciously. The two Birnbaum children, Henry and Charlotte, became very attached to the Morands and remained in touch with them for many years after the war. On February 18, 1982, Yad Vashem recognized Joseph F. Moran and Léonie H. Morand-Lange, as Righteous Among the Nations.