Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

In August 1942, when the authorities in southern France began to round up Jews and turn them over to the Germans, Gilbert Lesage was placed in charge of selecting Jews for deportation, according to police secretary-general, René Bousquet’s instructions.
Gilbert Lesage disobeyed his orders and clandestinely warned Jewish and other rescue organizations of impending raids,
When René Bousquet eliminated all exemptions from deportation, Gilbert Lesage ignored this order as well and sent the selection officers an instruction sheet exempting everyone under the age of fifteen.

Gilbert Lesage personally directed the selection process at the Vénissieux camp, near Lyon, and freed 108 Jewish children.
He did the same in other places where Jews were concentrated, near Mâcon, Clermont-Ferrand, Limoges, and Montluçon.
He also enabled ssistance associations to the camps, such as l'Amitié chrétienne Christian Friendship,led by the Father Chaillet and Abbé Glasberg, and l'Oeuvre de secours aux enfants (OSE).

On April 8, 1944, Gilbert Lesage was arrested, reported by Police officers reported to René Bousquet, and investigated on suspicion of foiling “operations meant to concentrate several types of aliens".

Gilbert Lesage remained in prison until the liberation of France.

On February, 1970, Yad vaShem יד ושם‎‎ honored Germaine Chesneau as Righteous among the Nations חסידי אומות העולם‎ for hiding and rescuing 139 people.

On March 18, 1976, Daniel Trocmé was honored by Yad VaShem יד ושם‎‎ as Righteous among the Nations חסידי אומות העולם‎.

On January 14, 1985, Gilbert Lesage was honored by Yad vaShem יד ושם‎‎ as Righteous among the Nations חסידי אומות העולם‎.

In 1990, the entire town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon was honored as Righteous among the Nations חסידי אומות העולם‎, for their humanitarianism and bravery under extreme danger.
A small garden and plaque on the grounds of Yad vaShem יד ושם‎‎ memorial to the Holocaust was dedicated to the citizens of Chambon-sur-Lignon.

In 2004, Alexandre and Vila Glasberg were honored by Yad vaShem יד ושם‎‎ as Righteous among the Nations חסידי אומות העולם‎.