Claire Monis (1922-1967)
Claire Monis, a French singer and resistance fighter, was one of the few survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp where she served as a vocalist in the women's orchestra. In January 1944, at age 21, she arrived at Auschwitz on convoy number 66 from the Drancy camp. Her survival hinged on her recruitment into the camp's orchestra, led by Alma Rosé, where she performed operettas. During her time in the orchestra, she formed bonds with other French prisoners including Hélène Rounder and Fanny Ruback, who also survived. When the Soviet army approached Auschwitz in late 1944, the orchestra members were transferred to Bergen-Belsen camp, arriving on November 2, 1944. Following the camp's liberation by British forces on April 15, 1945, Monis returned to Paris by truck on May 17, 1945.
The experiences of the Auschwitz Women's Orchestra members, including Monis, have been documented in various accounts, some contradicting others. Professor Susan Eischeid's research details the differing narratives of survivors, including those of Fania Fenelon, Violette Jacquet-Silberstein, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, and Helena Dunicz-Niwińska.
Born on February 10, 1922, in Paris's 10th arrondissement, Monis was the daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants. Her father, Avroum (known as Albert) Monis, worked as a theater bellman, played Klezmer clarinet and accordion, and was a cabinet maker. Her mother, Suzanne Aisenstein, had fled anti-Semitic pogroms in Russia. The family ran a furniture business called "Aux Galeries Saint-Maur," which later became "Les Meubles Monis."
Monis's musical career began early. In 1938, she won the "music-hall des jeunes" competition organized by communist youth groups, leading to a performance with Pierre Dac. She appeared in radio concerts on Radio Cité, including Charles Trenet's program, and played the role of "Clarita" in Trenet's 1938 film "Je chante." She performed in numerous Parisian cabarets, including "Chez Elle" with Jacques Pills, "La Boîte à Sardines," and "Au Normandy," where she was known as a "swing singer."
During World War II, Monis joined the French Resistance, serving in the Free French Forces and Fighting French Forces within the Robin-Buckmaster network. She cleverly used her singing tours to transmit information, encoding messages through song order and word changes. The Gestapo arrested her on June 22, 1942, in Paris. Despite attempts to obtain a Catholic baptism certificate, she was classified as "100% Jewish" in December 1943 and deported to Auschwitz.
After the war, Monis received the rank of Lieutenant in the French Resistance. She met Charles-Henri Kahn at a Gaullist rally in 1945 and married him in 1947. They had two children, including Philippe Kahn in 1952, before separating in 1957 and divorcing in 1961. Monis raised Philippe alone, ensuring he would be granted status as a "ward of the Nation" after her death.
She continued her musical career post-war as a violinist and singer, performing classical, klezmer, and jazz music. She appeared in Francis Lopez's operetta "Andalousie" with Luis Mariano at the Gaîté-Lyrique in 1948, reprising the role in Lyon in 1949 and 1950. Later, she moved into production, working on television series including "L'Inspecteur Leclerc" (1962) and "Les Aventures de Robinson Crusoé" (1964-1965). She also produced Marcel Carné's "Trois chambres à Manhattan" (1965) and "Le Golem" (1966) before becoming a producer at ORTF and Radio France.
Monis died tragically on October 25, 1967, at her home in Paris's 16th arrondissement, following injuries from a car accident outside her parents' shop. She was buried in the Parisian cemetery of Bagneux. In 1977, the designation "Mort pour la France" was added to her death certificate, recognizing her service to France.
