THE URN
Chapter 24
Written and illustrated
by Elaine Troisi
November 5–25, 1943
4 Rue du Trésor
Paris
Day and night over the next week, Hannah’s thoughts drifted back to Colette’s secret life in the Resistance. With each passing day, the urgency to get Rachel out of Paris grew. She felt the Gestapo closing in—not just on Jacob’s work, but on their family itself.
Over dinner one evening with Max and Colette, the conversation was warm and easy. It was obvious to all that Colette was becoming part of the family.
Afterward, the men excused themselves to the bunker. Max needed to clean the printing press; Jacob had to finish writing the day’s issue of Resist.
As she and Colette cleared the table, the scent of brothy soup and freshly baked noodle kugel lingered in the kitchen, carrying Hannah back to gentler moments of her childhood.
“You two are… deeply involved?” Hannah asked, smiling.
Colette flushed. “Yes. Though I suppose I’m robbing the cradle—I’m two years older.”
“That makes no difference,” Hannah said warmly, setting two cups of espresso on the table. The rich aroma filled the room. “Jacob and I are thrilled for you and Max.”
Colette inhaled. “Espresso! It smells heavenly.”
Hannah’s smile faded. “I brought it hoping to make it last.” She hesitated, then lowered her voice. “I need to talk to you—just between us. You must promise not to tell anyone.”
Colette took her hands. “I promise.”
Hannah blurted it out. “I want you to get Rachel out of Paris—on the next full moon.”
Colette’s eyes widened. “You
can’t mean—”
“Yes,” Hannah said, nodding. “I want you to arrange for Rachel and me to fly to England. In your Lysander.”
Colette pulled her hands away, torn. “Hannah… je suis désolée. It isn’t just my decision. If we’re caught—” She shook her head. “There’s no way. I’m so sorry.”
“But I can pay,” Hannah rushed on. “Whatever it takes—enough for us to live on until the war ends. We’ll come back. After Rachel disappeared like that… after Moishe and Golde were taken…” Her voice broke. “I need you, Colette.”
“Oh, Hannah.” Colette rubbed her temples. “It isn’t only the RAF. The Resistance would have to be involved as well. It’s dangerous—for all of us. Especially Rachel.”
Tears welled in Hannah’s eyes. Her hands trembled."-My child can’t stay here. It isn’t safe. Jews are being taken every day—my parents, Max’s parents. Ever since the Vel d’Hiv roundup last year, it’s only grown worse.”
She swallowed hard. “Colette, you know I’m telling the truth.”
Colette was quiet for a long moment. “There have been cases,” she said finally, “where families of key Resistance members were extracted. It’s rare. I’ve never been part of such an operation though.”
Hannah wiped her cheeks. “Then there’s hope.” A faint smile returned. “Jacob is important to the movement. Rachel and I are his family.”
“Have you told him?” Colette asked gently. “I can’t imagine he would want his daughter to leave without him.”
“I mentioned it once,” Hannah said. “The day we found Rachel. The day you and I met. He thought I was overreacting, though he didn't discard the notion. He just couldn't bear to think about it.. I've been afraid to bring it up again.”
Colette rose to reheat the espresso. The familiar aroma steadied them both.
“You’re my guest,” Hannah said softly. “I should be serving you.”
They drank in silence.
Footsteps approached. Max and Jacob returned, and the women smoothed their expressions.
“Espresso and kugel?” Hannah called brightly.
Colette nudged her affectionately. “I promise—I’ll see what I can do.”
A full moon passed.
In secret, Colette spoke with the Special Operations Executive of the RAF—specifically Francis Suttill—about extracting compromised Resistance families. She vouched for Hannah Rabinowitz and her daughter, fully expecting the request to be denied.
Instead, she was told to wait.
Colette continued dining with Hannah and Jacob nearly every evening.
She adored Rachel, who still called her Alet. Together they played in the child’s imaginary forest. One night, Colette brought a small toy plane.
“Alet!” Rachel squealed. “Tell me a story!”
“Tomorrow,” Colette laughed, hugging her. “That story can wait. For now, let's read Madeleine.
“In an old house in Paris…” Colette read, her voice gentled for Rachel. Lying down, Rachel followed Colette’s face as she read to the end.
“I love you,” Rachel said solemnly, kissing her cheeks—and then her lips—before giggling herself to sleep.
Colette was still smiling as she entered the kitchen. " What a charmer your daughter is! She has a grand passion for Madeleine. I had to read the whole before shipped into dreamland." Her smile faded when she saw Hannah's furrowed brow.
Hannah explained her concern about the growing scarcity of food, even on the black market. That night’s pea soup was rich only because Colette had managed to bring meat and bread. Hunger had already forced Hannah to abandon kashrut; her guilt mattered less than keeping everyone alive. She thanked Colette for the tenth time for her kindnesses, especially for real coffee, not that horrid chicory
Later, after the men returned to the bunker, Hannah poured the last of the espresso.
“I have news,” she said quietly. “I spoke to Jacob.”
“And?” Colette asked.
“It broke my heart,” Hannah said. “Not anger—sadness, like I had drilled a hole in his heart. But he understands now. He won’t leave his work… but he won’t stop us. I begged him to come, too. "Her eyes filled. “He would do anything for Rachel. He loves her so much.”
Colette took her hands. “Then listen carefully. The SOE approved your credentials.”
Hannah stared at her friend. The empty coffee cup clattered. she tried to control her trembling hands.
“You’ll leave on the next near full moon,” Colette said. “Two weeks.”
Hannah rose and the two women embraced, though there were tears.
That night, as she lay in Jacob's arms, Hannah broke it to him. He held her even more tightly. His tears soaked her neck and hair.
When he finally slept, she slipped down to the bunker and opened the vault.
She was shocked to see that it was all but empty.
Only one important object remained—the Egyptian vase Moishe had sworn never to sell. Hannah lifted it gently, her fingers tenderly tracing the figure on its worn surface. Then she returned to the kitchen and hid it beneath the kitchen sink.
The next day, while Jacob worked the press and Rachel napped, Hannah wrapped the vase in towels and placed it in a valise. Max and Jacob would need money. So would she and Rachel in England. It had to be sold … she would learn to live with the guilt.
She walked through Paris like any other woman running an errand, though every instinct urged her to run. The Hotel Drouot auction house lay ahead. Colette would be waiting for her there.
She drew the valise closer as the crowd thickened.
The vase’s secrets—and her fate—were bound together as the sounds of Paris closed around her.
HISTORICAL NOTES
Vel d’Hiv - 1942 roundup using a Paris sports arena where the Nazis captured 13,000 Jews and placed them in inhuman conditions for eventual deportation to death camps
RAF – Royal Air Force of England
SOE – Special Operations Executive was responsible for secretly dropping agents into France and bringing them back safely using their Westland Lysander planes
Francis Suttill - the man responsible for arranging landing sites and pick ups and drop offs for the Westland Lysander in France
JEWISH LEXICON
Noodle Kugle – a popular sweet noodle custard often with dried fruit and served as a side dish or dessert
Kashrut – Jewish dietary law from the Torah that designates what is kosher. Here it describes pork products as forbidden in a kosher home