Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

03/17/2023

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

“Papa slipped into a whole other mode of being. During the week, he was a pretty hard-working man — but on Shabbos, he was a king.”

Shabbat Shalom! In this clip, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi joyfully remembers his family’s Shabbat prayers. Schachter was born in Żółkiew, Poland (now Ukraine) in 1924 to Salomon Schachter and Hayyah Gittel Schachter. When he was three years old, his family moved to Vienna. His parents worked during the week, so the family rarely ate dinner together — except on Shabbat.

Following the Anschluss, Schacter fled Austria and was interned for a time in detention camps in Vichy, France. He managed to reach the U.S. in 1941 and went on to become a leading figure in the Jewish Renewal movement from the 1960s onward.

Listen to more memories of prewar Shabbat celebrations in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do. Get tickets at mjhnyc.org/visit.

Testimony of Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, 39674. USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive.

03/16/2023

“We were unrecognizable as women. The same gray nightgown, the same shaved hair, and then they gave us tattoos. Only our numbers were different.” - Leah Freiman, Holocaust survivor from Lochov, Carpathians, in modern day Ukraine.

This image is from our exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do, where Freiman’s quote is shown above the the wool uniform dress that Ella Wieder Freilich wore while imprisoned in Dachau and Geislingen in Germany. She used a sliver of wood as a needle to mend the hem and add pockets.

This Women's History Month, we highlight the many women represented in our core exhibition. We hope you will come visit and honor them with us. Plan your visit at mjhnyc.org/visit.

Wool uniform dress: Gift of Ella Freilich, 609.88

Photo description: A photo of a woman looking at Freiman’s quote and Freilich’s wool uniform dress in the concentration and labor camps room on the second floor of our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do.

03/15/2023

Last week, the Museum hosted our annual Spring Women’s Luncheon to bring our community together in support of Holocaust education for students. We are thrilled to share that we raised more than $330k for this important cause.

Guests were treated to a powerful conversation between award-winning writer Mattie Kahn and Elizabeth Bellak, a hidden child of the Holocaust who was known as the “Polish Shirley Temple.”

03/14/2023

For Henny Gurko (née Durmashkin, 11/23/1923-8/11/2002), music was a skill, a life practice, a means of survival, and ultimately a means of connection and reunion to spread joy and hope among survivors like herself.

Before the war, Henny was an accomplished soprano singer who studied opera in Vilna.

During the war, Henny was forced into the Vilna ghetto where she began performing with the ghetto choir and theater that her brother Wolf organized. Later, she was forced to sing daily in several concentration camps, including Dachau. Following liberation, Henny and her sister Fania, the family’s two surviving members, joined the Displaced Persons Orchestra at St. Ottilien DP camp. Henny reconnected with the orchestra from Dachau and traveled with the “Ex-Concentration Camp Orchestra,” performing Yiddish and Hebrew songs at DP camps.

In 1949, Henny immigrated to the U.S. This photograph shows her on stage singing in New York City, ca. 1949-1950, at an event sponsored by the Association of New Jewish Immigrants/Zionist Workers Committee. In this way, Henny continued to use music to stand up for what she believed in and share her talents with her community.

This Women's History Month, learn more about Henny and the many women represented in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do. Plan your visit at mjhnyc.org/visit

Gift of Henny Durmashkin Gurko, 947.98

03/13/2023

Deaf History Month

In recognition of the first day of Deaf History Month, we’re watching the testimony of William Friedman, who was born deaf in a small town near Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary, in 1910. In this closed-captioned clip, Friedman remembers how his father taught him to read and speak Hebrew in preparation for his bar mitzvah.

William went on to become a leatherworker, moving to Budapest at age 18 and later living with his wife in Czechoslovakia. They both narrowly avoided deportation in 1940 and boarded a ship to Palestine but were shipwrecked on an island in the Mediterranean. William and his wife were then interned in Italy until they managed to gain admittance to the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter in Oswego, New York, which housed nearly 1,000 refugees from Europe.

Discover more of William's story, including his experiences as a Deaf person at Fort Ontario, in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do. Watch William remember his bar mitzvah service on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/NdskCKppXJE.

Deaf History Month begins on March 13 because on that day in 1988, the ‘Deaf President Now’ Movement successfully campaigned for the appointment of Dr. I. King Jordan, who became the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University.

Testimony of William Friedman, HVT 693. Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

03/13/2023

Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

Each year, we come together to say with one voice, “We will never forget.” Our Annual Gathering of Remembrance will be held on April 16 at 2 p.m. ET, in observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. In a city with one of the world’s largest communities of Holocaust survivors, this Yom HaShoah tribute has power that echoes across generations.

To never forget means to listen, learn, and keep the stories of survivors alive. Join us as we gather in person at the Museum and virtually for music, survivor testimonies, a candle lighting, and more. Learn more and register at https://mjhnyc.org/events/annual-gathering-of-remembrance/.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

03/10/2023

Shabbat Shalom from our Collection, featuring this spice box that was flattened by the Rosenberg family to keep it safe during the Holocaust.

This silver spice box was used for Havdalah. It belonged to Rabbi Ze’ev Wolf Rosenberg, a Rosh Bet Din (head of the rabbinical court) in Debrecen, Hungary. In June 1944, Rabbi Rosenberg and his family were deported to Floridsdorf, a camp for families in Austria, and then to Theresienstadt, in Czechoslovakia. Upon deportation, Rosenberg family members flattened the spice box, and Rabbi Rosenberg’s wife, Rebeka Grosz, hid it in her pocket throughout her time in the camps. Rebeka’s daughter, Judith Thaler, later said that her family did everything they could to hold onto their Jewish identity: “They never gave it (up).”

The Rosenberg family’s spice box was restored after the war, though it still bears the markings from when it was hidden. View it and their challah cover in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do.

Gift of Judith G. Thaler, 2.88

03/09/2023

The Holocaust Educator School Partnership (HESP), made possible by a generous donation from award-winning actress Julianna Margulies, is a paid internship program in which undergraduate and graduate students are trained to teach the history of the Holocaust to middle school and high school students.

As Margulies said, HESP “seeds hope and opportunity, where young adults are messengers and teachers. Through their commitment, we can create a better world for all of us.”

Applications for the Fall 2023 HESP close on March 31. You can learn more and apply at https://education.mjhnyc.org/holocaust-educator-school-partnership/.

03/08/2023

Annelies Bernstein

"If I gave birth someplace, that would have meant certain death."

This International Women’s Day, we’re listening to Annelies Bernstein Herz's memories of s*xual violence and abortion during the Holocaust. In her testimony, Annelies offers a vivid account of her experience ending a pregnancy while in hiding and on the run.

Annelies and her twin sister, Marianne, were born in 1922 in Koenigsberg, Germany, and later moved to Berlin. After Kristallnacht, the sisters were required to serve as forced laborers in local factories. As deportations became more frequent, Annelies managed to procure false identity documents for herself and Marianne, and the girls went on the run. In this part of her testimony, Annelies remembers being coerced to have s*x with a coworker after he discovered her Jewish identity. She sought an abortion to end the resulting pregnancy and, because of her undocumented status, was unable to seek medical care when she experienced complications.

Listen to the rest of Annelies' story on our YouTube channel at youtu.be/4AoniRhd4FU.

Testimony of Annelies Herz, 1991.V.91. Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, recorded in affiliation with the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

03/07/2023

This Thursday, the Spring Women's Luncheon will bring together two inspiring women, Elizabeth Bellak and Mattie Kahn, for a powerful conversation about survival. Join us via livestream this Thursday, March 9th at 11 am ET. Learn more and register at mjhnyc.org/swl. And, support the Museum by bidding on our incredible auction at mjhnyc.org/auction.

Elizabeth Bellak (first two photos, née Ariana Spiegel) was born in 1930 in Stawki, Poland and was a prominent child actress and was known as the “Polish Shirley Temple.” Elizabeth lost her sister Renia tragically, during the war, and survived the war in hiding as a Catholic — baptized with the new name, Elzbieta — at a convent school. She eventually made her way to New York, became Elizabeth, and started a career as a schoolteacher.

Mattie Kahn (third photo) is a grandchild of Holocaust survivors and an award-winning writer whose work has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Vox, and more. She’s the former culture director of Glamour, where she edited and wrote features on politics and women’s issues. Previously, she was a staff editor at ELLE.com. Her first book, “Young and Restless: The Girls Who Sparked America's Revolutions,” is forthcoming from Viking.

03/06/2023

This embroidered blouse was worn by Isabelle Poust as part of her Purim costume in the Bronx in 1924 or 1925. Her grandmother, Sarah Matison, was a talented seamstress and made the blouse for Isabelle.

Dressing up in costumes is one way that Jews traditionally celebrate the holiday of Purim. Some fast the day before Purim begins, read the megillah (scroll) of Esther, drown out Haman’s name with noisemakers, participate in a festive meal, send gifts to relatives and friends, and give donations to charity.

Learn more and view Isabelle’s costume in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do.

Gift of Isabelle Bengis, 1366.90

03/05/2023

Scribe and Hebrew teacher Prosper Hassine composed this scroll, the “Hi**er Megillah,” to commemorate the 1942 liberation of Casablanca, Morocco, from Vichy rule. Using the form and much of the language of a scroll of Esther, it tells the history of Hi**er’s rise to power, World War II, and the N**i persecution of Jews.

Pictured here is the section of the “Hi**er Megillah” that is parallel to the “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordechai” phrases from the scroll of Esther read on Purim. This one reads: “Cursed be Hi**er, cursed be Mussolini … cursed be Himmler, cursed be Göring…Blessed be Roosevelt, blessed be Churchill, blessed be Stalin, blessed be de Gaulle…” to celebrate the Liberation.

This Purim, view the “Hi**er Megillah” and more in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do. Learn more and plan your visit at https://mjhnyc.org/visitor-information/.

Anonymous donation, 1049.90

03/04/2023

During a 1934 trip to Palestine, Ferencz Fabian purchased this megillat Esther (scroll of Esther) and gave it to his nephew, Rabbi József Klein. Rabbi Klein used the megillah in Cegléd, Hungary, and again as Chief Rabbi of Baja from 1939–1944. Rabbi Klein was deported to Auschwitz in the late spring of 1944, then to Bergen-Belsen and Stettin, where German guards beat him to death. His family had buried the megillah and other heirlooms shortly after he was taken, and in 1949 friends retrieved the megillah and returned it to Klein’s surviving family.

We are so grateful to the Klein family for trusting us with such a precious artifact and story.

Learn more and view Rabbi Klein’s megillah in an olivewood case in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do.

Gift of Eleanor Field and Margaret Klein, 1152.90

03/03/2023

Purim is approaching! This photograph is of a “Purim Spiel” (a festive play to celebrate the holiday) from the Bad Reichenhall Displaced Persons camp on March 6, 1947. These plays are often comic and satirical dramatizations of the Book of Esther, the central text read aloud on the holiday of Purim.

Purim commemorates the heroism of Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai, who stopped Haman, an advisor to King Ahasuerus, from murdering all of the Jews of Persia. It is one of the most festive celebrations in Judaism.

This ’sHistoryMonth, we honor Queen Esther and all of the Jewish women before us. Queen Esther’s story is a powerful example of what it means to use your power to combat injustice.

Learn more about Purim and view objects related to the holiday in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do https://mjhnyc.org/exhibitions/the-holocaust-what-hate-can-do/.

Gift of Robert Marx, Yaffa Eliach Collection donated by the Center for Holocaust Studies, 5388.86

03/01/2023

March has arrived, bringing many opportunities to join us at our live and virtual events! This month’s calendar includes a Yiddish folk song concert, a program on women in the ghettos in recognition of Women's History Month, a talk about the Alhambra Decree in our series History of Antisemitism, a Passover exhibition tour for Museum Members, a book talk, and so much more.

Mark your calendars and register now: https://mjhnyc.org/current-events/

Credits: Seder Plate Made in a Displaced Persons camp, Germany, 1948. Collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, 1999.A.1004. Letter from Ferdinand and Isabella, Barcelona, Spain, 1492. Gift of Robert and Debbie Gordon, 2002.A.284. Credits for the collage of stars can be found at mjhnyc.org/yellowstarcollage.

02/28/2023

We are so grateful to the 10th graders of the Jewish Community Youth Foundation (JCYF) for awarding the Museum $4,000 in support of Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, our upcoming exhibition for visitors aged 9 and up about the Danish rescue effort during WWII. Together, Jewish and non-Jewish neighbors of all ages mobilized to create one of the most effective—and exceptional—examples of mass resistance and escape in modern history. Despite the enormous risk, these ordinary citizens united against N**ism to save nearly 95% of Denmark’s Jewish population.

JCYF is a Jewish youth philanthropy program for teens in grades 8-12. Each year, the students reflect on the lessons of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedakah (charity). They pool their own funds and research Jewish causes to bring to the group, which then votes on how the funds should be used. This system aligns strongly with the exhibition’s core message of standing up for what is right.

02/27/2023

N**i doctors Bruno Kurt Schultz and Michael Hesch created this toolkit in 1935 to identify the different races. Schultz was considered the “racial expert” of the SS (Schutzstaffel, or Protection Squads) and worked with Hesch in the N**i Race and Settlement Office of the SS. Their racial determination tables were allegedly based on anthropologist Karl Felix Saller’s work in the 1920s, although Saller had concluded that the human race was the only race. The N**is silenced him and twisted his research to meet their ideological needs.

The toolkit contained foldout charts that could be used by “researchers” in the field to assess the hair, skin, eyes and more of a person to determine their race as it was defined then.

Much research has been conducted on N**i “pseudoscience,” which was used to legitimize the policies and laws that were related to the targeting of “inferior racial types” like Jewish, Black, Roma and Sinti, and Slavic people, setting them apart from the supposedly “pure" A***n people.

Gift of Ian R. Lawson in honor of Lieut. Col. Robert C. Thomson, 2014.31.1

02/26/2023

Eighty years ago this month, the Rosenstrasse Protest of 1943 was waged against the incarceration and potential deportation of roughly 2,000 people who were arrested by the Gestapo on February 27, 1943.​​ The majority were “exempted” Jews, or those who were married to a non-Jew or had one non-Jewish parent. With their loved ones held at Rosenstrasse 2-4 in Berlin, family members, many of whom were women, protested for a week until N**i leader Joseph Goebbels ordered the prisoners’ release on March 6, 1943.

Join the Museum today, Sunday, February 26, for a virtual program marking the 80th anniversary of the protest. Nathan Stoltzfus, the Dorothy and Jonathan Rintels Professor of Holocaust Studies at Florida State University; Ruth Wiseman, daughter of Dr. Rita Jenny Kuhn, who was detained at Rosenstraße; Mordecai Paldiel, former head of the Righteous Among the Nations Department at Yad Vashem; and Jessica Hammer and Moyra Turkington, creators of the educational role-playing game Rosenstrasse, will discuss the history and why it’s important to study today. Learn more and register at https://mjhnyc.org/events/the-rosenstrasse-protest-commemorating-the-80th-anniversary/.

02/24/2023

Shabbat Shalom from our Collection! This metal candleholder was made by Markus Mondschein for his wife, Helle “Hene” Mondschein, during the late 1930s in Vienna. After Kristallnacht (the series of progroms that took place Nov. 9-10 1938, known as the “night of broken glass”), Markus realized his family would have to flee Austria. To prepare for life in a new place, he taught himself metalworking. It was during this time that Markus made this candleholder out of plain metal for Hene.

On December 10, 1938, their daughter, Ruth, was on the first Kindertransport out of Vienna. Ruth and her younger brother were sent to the Netherlands. Within a year, they were joined in the Netherlands by their parents, who had secured visas to the U.S. The family arrived in New York in 1940.

Today, Ruth is a member of our Speaker’s Bureau and works with students in the Museum’s community to share her and her family’s story. Learn about the Speaker’s Bureau at mjhnyc.org/speakers-bureau.

Gift of Ruth Zimbler, 2019.10.1