Marcel Marceau: The Renowned Mime Who Saved Jewish Children during the Holocaust.
Marcel Mangel was born in 1923 in France to a Jewish family. He became a fan of Charlie Chaplin when his mother took him to the movies when he was five years old. He practiced Chaplin impersonations and fantasized about starring in silent films.
During the German occupation of France, Marcel and his younger brother Alain changed their surname to "Marceau" to escape being identified as Jews. They became members of the French Resistance, saving hundreds of Jewish youngsters from extermination camps.
Marcel used mime for the first time to keep Jewish children quiet while he helped them escape to Switzerland. Marcel saved the children of a Jewish orphanage in eastern France by pretending to be a boy scout. He told them they were going on a trip to the Alps, and then he led them to safety in Switzerland. Marcel made the dangerous trip three times, saving hundreds of Jewish orphans. He didn't get discovered by the Nazis because he managed to keep the children quiet along the way by entertaining them with mime.
In 2001, Marcel was awarded the Wallenberg Medal for his acts of courage during the Holocaust.
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