Yellow Stars of Tolerance

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YELLOW STARS OF TOLERANCE documents a project to preserve yellow stars that were painted during the Holocaust in World War II on a synagogue exterior wall in Normandy, France to terrorize the local Jewish community. The intent of the recent preservation project is to serve as a testament to that terrible chapter of history and as a reminder of the dangers of intolerance. The documentary opens at the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day in Normandy in June 2014, where US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande extol the virtues of justice and liberty for which the Allies fought and died during the war. In the spirit of the values celebrated at the D-Day anniversary events, the program then moves to the ceremony for the preservation of the stars held a few days later in the Normandy town of Elbeuf. An historical section follows, describing he waves of Jewish history in this area that was formerly a center for the global wool manufacturing industry, explaining the presence of the synagogue. While today the Jewish community is virtually gone from Elbeuf, the stars remain to tell their story. And sadly, the recent, tragic increase in anti-Semitism in France finds an outlet at this wall, giving the story current significance.