Welcoming the Stranger: The Sheltering of Jewish Refugees at Le Chambon-sur-Lignon

Abstract

The small French Protestant village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and its neighbouring communities on the Vivarais-Lignon plateau sheltered between 2,000 and 3,500 Jewish refugees and potentially another 1,500 non-Jewish refugees during the Second World War. This paper argues that this occurred because of a social imaginary shaped by a strong Reformed Protestant identity and commitment to its values. This social imaginary came from centuries as a persecuted minority, a deep attachment to the Bible, a close affinity with the Jewish people, and a long tradition of hospitality. The inhabitants were catalysed into sheltering Jewish refugees by pastors aware of the dangers of the growing totalitarianism in Europe and with a commitment to mobilising their parishioners. The pastors used the “weapons of the Spirit” in a non-violent manner—although this commitment to non-violence was only partially shared by their parishioners. While there were many contributing factors at play—including social, economic, and geographic—religious factors were primary in the social imaginary that informed the community’s response in welcoming refugees.