, ▁David ▁and ▁Rach el ▁Liber man , ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁Paris . ▁ ▁Because ▁stay ing ▁at ▁her ▁parents ' ▁was ▁not ▁possible — as ▁the ▁couple ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁studio , ▁which ▁during ▁the ▁day ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁fashion ▁at el ier — M ila ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁a ▁board ing ▁school ▁for ▁children ▁of ▁Russian ▁imm igr ants , ▁near ▁Font aine ble au . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁board ing ▁school ▁was ▁closed , ▁and ▁Mil a ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁Bi ar ritz ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁arist ocr atic ▁couple ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁founded ▁the ▁board ing ▁school . ▁▁ ▁For ▁two ▁years , ▁she ▁attended ▁the ▁local ▁public ▁school . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Naz i ▁occupation ▁occurred ▁in ▁Paris , ▁Rach el ▁and ▁David ▁Liber man ▁fled ▁with ▁their ▁ 1 1 - year - old ▁daughter ▁to ▁Portugal . ▁They ▁remained ▁in ▁Fig ue ira ▁da ▁F oz , ▁a ▁fish ing ▁village , ▁for ▁ 6 ▁months , ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁family ▁received ▁a ▁vis a ▁to ▁imm igr ate ▁to ▁Brazil . ▁ ▁The ▁Liber mans ▁settled ▁in ▁São ▁Paulo ▁where ▁they ▁re open ed ▁their ▁at el ier ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁Paris ian ▁name ▁of ▁Mich eline ▁Sport . ▁ ▁Later ▁they ▁opened ▁the ▁cl othing ▁store ▁Marie ▁Cla ire , ▁ ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁chain . ▁ ▁In ▁São ▁Paulo , ▁Mil a ▁was ▁initially ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Catholic