Gertrude Elion, A Legacy of Excellence 1918-1999

“It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”

Gertrude (“Trudy”) Belle Elion’s greatest legacy is the thousands of lives touched by the drugs she and her associates developed for the treatment of leukemia (6-Mercaptopurine or 6-MP), gout (allopurinol), rejection of transplanted organs (azathioprine), and herpes (acyclovir), among other disorders.

Elion was born on January 23, 1918, in New York City, to Lithuanian immigrant dentist Robert and Bertha (Cohen) Elion. Her father came from a long line of rabbis. Elion’s intellect manifested itself at an early age: she was a voracious reader and an excellent student, graduating from Walton High School at age fifteen. The death of her beloved grandfather from stomach cancer led her to choose chemistry as “a logical first step in committing myself to fighting the disease.  That was the turning point,” she later recalled. “It was as though the signal was there: ‘This is the disease you’re going to have to work against.’ I never really stopped to think about anything else.”

Trudy attributed her parents’ emphasis on education to their Jewish background. “Among immigrant Jews,” she said, “their one way to success was education, and they wanted all their children to be educated, it’s a Jewish tradition. The person you admired most was the person with the most education. And particularly because I was the firstborn, and I loved school, and I was good in school, it was obvious that I should go on with my education. No one ever dreamt of not going to college.”

Elion received her B.A. summa cum laude in 1937 but found work opportunities scarce for a woman chemist. She received her M.S. from New York University in 1941.  Despite her father’s losses in the 1929 stock market crash, she was able to continue her education by qualifying for tuition-free Hunter College.  During this period, she also suffered the death of her fiancé.  She never married.  She found work as a quality control chemist at Quaker Maid Company, then as a research chemist at Johnson & Johnson. She landed a position in 1944 as a research chemist at Burroughs Wellcome, the noted pharmaceutical company, eventually becoming head of experimental therapy, a post she held until her retirement in 1983.

Gertrude Elion’s contributions over the course of her career were remarkable.  Among the many drugs she helped to develop were the first chemotherapy for childhood leukemia, the immunosuppressant that made organ transplantation possible, the first effective anti-viral medication, and treatments for lupus, hepatitis, arthritis, and gout.  Her efforts have saved or improved the lives of countless individuals.

Elion was elated when new cures were discovered. She said, “What greater joy can you have than to know what an impact your work has had on people’s lives?” she asks. “We get letters from people all the time, from children who are living with leukemia. And you can’t beat the feeling that you get from those children.”

When Elion died on February 21, 1999, the head of Glaxo Wellcome observed,“Gertrude Elion’s love of science was surpassed only by her compassion for people.”  Her generous heart and brilliant mind touched countless individuals around the world.  She left a legacy that will benefit humanity for years to come.

“Don’t be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don’t let others discourage you or tell you that you can’t do it. In my day I was told women didn’t go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn’t.”

We should give thanks for people like Gertrude Elion who gave of herself to improve the life of others. As we pray for these people let us also pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the protection of Israel (Psalm 122:6). Let us remember the dedication and commitment that Elion had not only for the Jewish people, but people everywhere.

For more about Gertrude Elion and her accomplishments please read Famous Scientists, Wikipedia, and Jewish Women’s Archive.

A Backpack Full of Kisses

“Don’t make me go! I don’t want to go to school!”

This is a plea that most parents have probably heard from their child as the school year begins, especially if the child is just beginning that journey in life.

There are moments that are ultimately for our good, but are hard to go through. Their little voices are so sincere. “But I want to stay home with you!  I miss you when I am at school!”

But as Rivka Zahava knelt in front of her son this morning, an idea sparked.  “Hand me your backpack,” she said.  Sniffling, her little boy shoved it into her hand.  Creating a little hole by unzipping the bag a few inches, she said softly to him, “This morning I put a sandwich and some carrot sticks in your bag.  Now you won’t get hungry.  I also put hugs, kisses, and smiles!  Lots and lots of them!  When you get sad at school, just open your bag and let them fly out at you.” Rivka’s little boy was happy now, so hand in hand they began to walk together.

We all have backpacks on our backs. Ours are packed by God.

God sends us out into this world, where we can’t see Him or hear Him. There are moments that are ultimately for our good, but are excruciatingly hard to go through.  Whether it is the stress of waiting a week for an emergency MRI appointment, or the pain of saying goodbye to a loved one forever, sometimes it feels as if He has abandoned us, and we shrivel up in fear.  Even in those bleak moments, if we look around us, we will find millions of His “kisses” in every moment of every day.  Sometimes it is a helpful neighbor who saves the day; sometimes it is a child’s laughter.  Maybe it is a starry sky, or the smell of an overflowing jasmine plant. Whatever the kiss may look or feel like, it is a moment when we are comforted and encouraged, when we feel that the world is perfectly wonderful and that we have so much to be happy for.

“I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me, the Shepherd of roses.” Why “the Shepherd of roses?”  King Solomon’s hidden message to us is that we make ourselves into roses, then “He is our Shepherd.” A rose is a symbol of freshness … love, alive and beautiful.  Our relationship with our creator should be one of renewed commitment each day.

During Solomon’s reign as king of Israel, there was unprecedented peace and prosperity; Israel was feared and respected by surrounding nations.  Let us pray for the peace that was once a part of Jerusalem to return (Psalm 122:6).  Let’s keep our “backpacks filled with tidings of great joy” to those we meet each day.

To read more about the content of this article see Chabad.

Painful Silence of Terrorism

When a bomb explodes, a rocket falls, or a gunman has his way and there are no deaths to report, we may breathe a sigh of relief, but we must realize that while violent attacks may not always result in the loss of life, they almost always destroy lives.

Terrorist incidents alter or eliminate physical abilities and leave serious emotional scars. Indeed, violence can leave families and entire communities damaged for life, even if their stories aren’t reported on the news.

In September, US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed by terrorists who stormed the US Consulate in Benghazi.  Just a few weeks later, a car bomb killed Lebanese security chief Wissam al-Hassan.  And last month, a serious Hamas offensive sent hundreds of rockets into Israeli cities previously thought invulnerable, killing five and wounding 70 private citizens.  Now, our brothers and sisters in the United States are reeling from a mass execution at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, an act of extreme violence that left 26 dead, including 20 young children.

Stories about many other attacks, bombings and grisly murders around the world – premeditated acts of terror as well as impulsive and senseless acts of violence are circumventing the globe.

When terror attacks occur in Israel, we pray that there are no fatalities.  When one man is killed, it is as though the whole country has a lost a father, brother, husband, or friend. When one young girl dies, all of Israel mourns the death oftheir little girl.  In the hours after an attack, we focus on the death toll. If there are no fatalities, we often breathe a deep sigh of relief and go about our day.

We cannot just focus on the dead.  We must not forget those who have survived terror attacks, but escaped with serious or minor injuries.  We don’t often hear about their suffering because their stories are rarely picked up by the media.  However, it is the survivors of terror attacks who are left to live a life of terror.  In addition to physical injuries (many of which only develop days after an attack), survivors often suffer from shock, anxiety and, even the guilt of knowing that they survived while others did not.  These “symptoms of terror” are debilitating and cause otherwise promising lives to veer off course.

In many cases, it is the families of survivors who suffer the most from acts of terror.  While they have no physical scars and don’t require medical attention immediately following an attack, these men, women and children are plunged into a new reality where loved ones are no longer the same.  Often the family’s primary breadwinners become physical and financial burdens.

These people are not recognized as physically or emotionally injured, but suffer from severe trauma.  Organizations that provide for those who survive are often bound by restrictions and lack of funds.  In Israel such organizations as ATZUM assist when other funding is not available.  It may be quiet in Israel now, but that silence, while heartening for many, is painful for forgotten survivors of terror and their families, those for whom recognition and relief are both vital and unattainable.

Not only do we need to pray for the families and friends of those who have lost their lives to such circumstances, but the entire nation of Israel. They are the target of terrorism from all directions.  She will not be destroyed, but the constant acts of her enemies have sown seeds of horror in the minds of her people. Let us pray for the peace and protection of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

To read more about the lives of survivors after such acts of terrorism see The Times of Israel.

Rivkah Holtzberg – Woman of Faith

 ”When you have faith, you believe that God puts challenges in front of you, and tests your faith. Sometimes you may not understand why things happen, but that does not mean you should give up. Sometimes it takes years to figure out what you learned from the situation.”

“Rivky was synonymous with a smile, with laughter. You always knew when Rivky was there and she always made everyone feel at home. She was always available to help and was always doing something for another.”

It is easy to smile when things are going well.  But to smile, constantly and meaningfully, when things are difficult, challenging and painful, is a real testament to one’s character.  No matter whom you speak with, be it a family member, childhood friend, co-worker or passing traveler, you will hear the very same thing about Rivka.  Her smile had the power to light up not only her face, but the room and everyone in it.  She knew that even when things were hard, there was joy to be felt and a purpose in one’s life to fulfill.

Nonetheless, Rivka was no stranger to tragedy. She rarely spoke about what tore at her heart and soul day and night.

Gavriel Holtzberg and Rivkah Rosenberg married in 2002.  Their firstborn son, Menachem Mendel, was born a year later, afflicted with Tay-Sachs disease. He died at the age of three.  Their second son, DovBer, was born with the same ailment and was institutionalized in a pediatric long-term care facility in Israel under the care of his grandparents.  He died at the age of four in December 2008.  Their third son, Moshe, was born healthy and lived with them in Mumbai.

After marrying, Gavriel and Rivkah had moved to Mumbai, India to serve as Chabad emissaries and open the first Chabad House in Mumbai.  They taught the Torah, offered drug prevention services, and ran a hostel.  They hosted Jews from all walks of and provided their mikveh to be used by Jews and madechallah available to them.

On November 26, 2008, Rivkah Holtzberg, five months pregnant, and her husband were murdered by Muslim terrorists in their Jewish center, leaving their son, Moshe, an orphan.  He had been rescued and saved by their Indian nanny, Sandra Samuel, who was loved and trusted by the young Moshe. Rivkah’s body was discovered wrapped in a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl).  It is believed that her husband Gavriel covered her body as a final act before being executed by his captors.

Shimon Rosenberg, Rivkah’s father, gave an emotional eulogy for his daughter and son-in-law.  He praised the couple for drawing many Jews to the Torah and Judaism in life and in death.  He told how they had “devoted their lives to acts of goodness and kindness and compassion for others … but they lost their lives in a senseless act of hatred. In the face of this terror we must not bow to fear. We must respond by spreading our own message of tolerance and respect for people of other backgrounds and other beliefs.  He spoke of Rivkah, saying “Thousands of women on this past erev Shabbat lit candles because of you.  You are the cause of this unity. It must continue!”

The nation of Israel is no stranger to terrorism and death. She has been persecuted for righteousness’ sake for too long. Let us continue to pray for the people of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

To read more about Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg see articles inWikipedia, Chabad, Israel National News, Times of Israel.

Muslim Cleric’s Solution: Sterilize Jewish Women

His name is Sheikh Ahmad Al-Suhayli.  He is a prominent imam in Tunisia.  During a recent live television broadcast he, as so many other Muslim clerics before him, demonstrated what the true Muslim peace plan is.  He said that “God wants to destroy this sprinkling of Jews,” so he recommended sterilizing Jewish women, whereby, eventually, the Jews would suffer death by attrition.

He described the Jews as having been obstinate since the days of the prophets.  “Whenever Allah commanded them to do something, they did the exact opposite.”  Referring to the establishment of the nation of Israel, he said, “The Balfour Declaration was a tragedy and a catastrophe for the Palestinians in particular, and for the Arab and Islamic nation in general.  He promised a land that he did not own to people who do not deserve it – because it is not the land of the Jews – to pave the way for the racist Zionist movement to rule Palestine and Jerusalem.”

In his prayer he called upon Allah to “Strike them with a resounding blow and do not leave a single one of them.  Do not leave a single one of them on Earth.  Make the wombs of their woman barren and dry up the loins of their men.  Strike them with your hatred and wrath, oh you who delivers harsh punishment and torment.”

The Tunisian Association to Support Minorities (there are about 1,500 Jews in Tunisia) has file suit against the sheikh under a 2011 government decree that criminalizes “calls to hatred between races and religions and the population.”

So tell me again that Islam is a religion of peace.  Exactly how are you going to prove that when the vitriolic verbiage from the lips of Islamic leaders is so volatile?

We must concede to one of the imam’s half truths, whether we want to admit it or not.  The Jewish people in Bible times were often obstinate.  They practically drove Moses nuts for 40 years.  They rejected God’s plan and demanded a king.  He let them have their way, but He also let them bear the consequences.  There were times when they followed after other gods.  It is recorded history.  However, it was Jehovah whom they rebelled against, not Allah.  Allah is not God.  He may be a god of the Muslims, but he is not the God, the Creator of all things good and the Lover of Israel.

As a father chastens his children, so does Jehovah chasten the Jews.  The Scripture foretold that Israel would be scattered among the nations, but that the Lord would also bring them back together into the land as a nation, and that they would prosper there, just as they have.  He established His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.  With Jehovah a covenant is binding.  He will not break a covenant.

As the venomous speech of the Islamic leaders and actions of Islamic terrorists organizations attack on all fronts and by various methodologies, let us remember to pray for the peace and security of the Jews, the Eretz Ysrael, and the city of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).  The Mighty God, the One True God, will hear our prayers and heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14).

Portions of the transcript of the television program may be read at MEMRI TV.  Other information regarding this story may be found at the Times of Israel, theBlaze, the Israel National News, Attorneys Defending Israel.

A Hanukkah Miracle in Siberia

Reb Asher never understood what happened that night.  Who was that warden?  Why had he mentioned the number of candles?  Was he a fellow Jew who was drawn to the sight of a menorah?

Reb Asher Sossonkin, a devoted Lubavitcher chassid, was sentenced to ten years’ in a Siberian labor camp for being a Jew and wanting to live like one.  Cut off from the outside world, in the harshest conditions, he and other “political” prisoners lived together with criminals who were fearsome.

Although imprisoned, Reb Asher continued his observance of Shabbat and became an influence on Nachman Rozman, another Jewish prisoner.  Nachman was born into a traditional family, but at an early age abandoned Judaism and became a staunch communist.

Encouraged by Reb Asher, he began to staunchly observe the Shabbat using ruses which were sometimes successful, but often not.  This totally assimilated Jew found strength of character to maintain his beliefs by daily seeking Reb Asher to discuss the Torah and learn how to perform mitzvahs. He longed to learn to pray from a real prayerbook; therefore Reb Asher transcribed Hebrew prayers phonetically into Russian for him. The two friends found joy in observing the Torah together.

As Hanukkah approached, Reb Asher told Rozman the story of the festival, knowing it was against prison regulations.  However, the two committed Jewish friends were determined to celebrate with enthusiasm and gratitude for their faith in Judaism. They struggled with how to construct a menorah since their plans for celebration had to be kept secret.

However, when Hanukkah arrived, the shining tin menorah was completed. They set it up in a small room adjacent to their barracks and lit it each night, reciting the blessings in front of Jews and gentiles alike. All seemed to bask in its light and take courage from the Hanukkah story, which Reb Asher would tell every night.

During roll call on the fifth night, as the warden came to Reb Asher’s name, he paused, stared at the lights of the menorah and called out, “P’yat?” (Five?) Reb Asher replied in a loud voice,” P’yat!” The warden moved on as if nothing had happened.

No one could conceive how two obviously Jewish men had lit a menorah for five nights of Hanukkah, and now, when they were discovered, nothing happened! This was truly a Hanukkah miracle! The prisoners were shocked.  Not only had Reb Asher lit a prohibited fire, but to compound the crime, it was a “religious” fire.

To think that this scenario was being played out in the grim setting of a Soviet labor camp is almost unbelievable, and yet it happened.  Just think, one Jewish prisoner who for the sake of his beliefs would be in Russian captivity for ten years at hard labor, yet he chose to follow the Torah.  Persecuted, yet he stood firm. Not only for himself, but for those in prison with him who held similar beliefs.

The mockery and persecution which two Jewish friends in prison faced together is still being played out in the lives of God’s people daily. Our prayers should be for the peace and protection of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

In Deuteronomy 28:2 the Lord tells us “And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.”  He will surely bless those who pray and support Israel-“the homeland of His people.”

Other stories and more on this article can be found in Chabad.

Adolf Eichmann – The Holocaust’s Architect of death!

When we think of the great architects of the world, names like Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower) or Shah Jahan (The Taj Mahal) or William F. Lamb (The Empire State Building) typically comes to mind.  These men provided us with sites that are readily recognizable and on everyone’s “must see” list when they visit the cities they are located in.  However, there was a German “architect” of whom we all know but who lives in notoriety rather than renown – for Adolf Eichmann was the man who designed the atrocious treatment of millions of Jews – - he was responsible for the attempted genocide of the Jewish race.  In the brief excerpt below from an article by Dr. Mike Evans, we learn a little bit more about this truly vicious man.

On December 15, 1961, a man was sentenced to death by a civilian tribunal in an Israeli civilian court, the only individual ever to have achieved that distinction. The condemned was Adolf Eichmann, the “architect of the Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” He wasn’t executed because he had failed at his job; Eichmann was hanged because he had succeeded all too well. The work of this architect is remembered because of cattle cars, barbed wire, the remains of giant ovens, and the mass graves of six million Jewish men, women and children.

On January 20, 1942, a group of fourteen high-ranking German military and government leaders, Eichmann among them, met at Wannsee, a beautiful villa in a serene lakeside suburb of Berlin. Imagine: Over lunch fifteen men needed only an hour and a half to change the world forever.Ninety minutes was all it took for Adolf Hitler’s henchmen to determine the fate of six million Jews.

As Germany’s defeat became apparent, Eichmann assumed various aliases and identities in an attempt to elude Allied authorities and evade responsibility for his wartime atrocities. Twice captured by the U.S. Army, first as Adolf Barth and later as Otto Eckmann, he managed to escape and lived in northern Germany under the name Otto Heninger before finally slipping away in 1950 to Italy. There, he obtained a refugee passport which allowed him to travel to Argentina under the name of Ricardo Klement. Eichmann found a thriving German community that gave him a warm reception. With their help, he settled into an obscure life and a year or two later, his wife and children quietly joined him.                                                                            

The story of the Holocaust and those who perished must never be forgotten. We must not allow the pathogen of hatred to germinate and blossom into another Holocaust. As George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Based on his extensive research, Dr. Evans took the truth about Adolf Eichmann and masterfully wove it into a novel set in WW II Germany.  Titled, THE LOCKET, the novel tells how the infatuation of a young girl for a teen-age Eichmann plays itself out during the horror of the Holocaust! To Learn more, click here.

During the darkest hours of WW II and the Holocaust, God’s Chosen People could take comfort in His Word, especially Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in danger.”  To ensure that the Jewish race will never face a fate like the Holocaust again, Dr. Evans encourages us all to pray according to Psalm 122:6 and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

To read Dr. Evan’s article in its entirety, click here.  

99 Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Lights Menorah

Honors and accolades usually come to those who have “paid their dues,” and Abe Weinrib certainly qualifies.  Facing six years of the worst the Nazis had to offer during the Holocaust, he recently received a very special privilege, as the article below shares.

The start of Hanukkah on Saturday night had special meaning for a Holocaust survivor in Ohio who turns 100 next week.  Abe Weinrib was selected to light the first candle on a 13-foot public menorah at Easton Town Center in Columbus on Saturday evening.  Hanukkah commemorates the reclamation by the Maccabees of the Second Jewish Temple after it was desecrated by Syrian Greeks in the second century B.C. Hanukkah runs through sundown on December 16.

“He’s lighting a candle of hope, of love and of meaning,” said Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann of the Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center in New Albany, which sponsors the Easton menorah lighting and another in Bexley on Tuesday. “He is the flame. His life and Hanukkah are synonymous.”

Weinrib was in his 20s, working in Polish factories owned by his wealthy industrialist uncle, when he was arrested and beaten repeatedly by Nazi police who believed that he knew where his uncle might have hidden gold, silver and diamonds.  He spent six years imprisoned in several camps, including the notorious Auschwitz, where more than 1 million prisoners died.

He remembers giving a portion of his bread to other prisoners, having a job dragging corpses to ditches and seeing then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower cry over the carnage.  He was at the Bergen-Belsen camp in Germany when it was liberated in 1945 by British forces. Near death with typhus, he was sent to Sweden to recover.

“Rather than blowing out 100 candles, he’d rather light one candle representing kindness and good deeds,” Kaltmann said. “He wants this to be the way he ushers in his next century. He knows that every day he is alive is a blessing.”

Corrie ten Boom received a number of honors and accolades, too.  And, like Mr. Weinrib, she faced the worst the Nazis had to offer as well.  To learn more about her ordeals, read her book, THE HIDING PLACE, and or take a virtual tour of her home in Ha’arlem, Holland which has been turned into a museum by clicking on www.tenboom.com.  While hopefully you will never have to endure what these two were forced to face, you can show your dedication to God’s Chosen People as the ten Booms did for a hundred years prior to WW II by praying for the peace of Jerusalem, per Psalm 122:6!

To read more, go to the SeattlePi.com website.

Fighting Anti-Semitism in Spain

There is no question that any group of people seems to incite hatred and distrust more than God’s Chosen People.  Much of this hatred is based on the lies perpetuated in THE PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION, a fictional piece that was marketed as truth – first in Russia and then in much of the rest of the world.  As the article below from THE JEWISH DAILY FORWARD shows, Anti-Semitism is alive and doing well on the Iberian Peninsula!

The president of Spain’s Jewish community called for changes to the country’s penal code to better combat online anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.  Isaac Querub, president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain (FCJE), said at a seminar on anti-Semitism in Barcelona on Thursday that article 510 of the Spanish penal code, which deals with racism, needs to be amended to address hate speech on the Internet. A similar amendment needs to be made to article 607, which deals with incitement to genocide, he said.

Referring to a survey form 2011, Qerub said that 35% of Spanish students would not like a Jewish study partner. “We know that prejudices against Jews persist in Spain,” he added.

Spain’s conservative government last month unveiled proposed amendments to the country’s criminal code that would make Holocaust denial illegal should its aim be to incite violence.In 2009, the Spanish daily El Mundo interviewed Holocaust denier David Irving, listing him as an “expert” on World War II. The paper’s editors said the interview was constitutionally protected free speech. The Anti-Defamation League called the interview “an embarrassment to Spain.”

Corrie ten Boom knew all too well what extreme measures Anti-Semitism can take, as she and her family, though not Jewish, suffered the atrocities of the Holocaust.  To learn more about her story read her book, THE HIDING PLACE, and/or take a virtual tour of her home in Ha’arlem, Holland, which is now a museum by going to www.tenboom.com.  We, like the ten Boom’s, can show our love for God and His Chosen People by praying according to the dictates of Psalm 122:6 – - by praying for the peace of Jerusalem.

To read, and make, comments regarding this topic go to The Jewish Daily Forward website.

December During the Holocaust

1939

On Christmas Eve, 1939 the Germans set the synagogue in Siedice, Poland aflame.  As well as the synagogue, they burned the Torah, an adjoining Jewish study house, and Jewish community offices.  After the fire, the Germans had the Polish police prepare a report blaming the Jewish community for the fire.  Of the 12,000 Jews in Siedice, only 2000 survived the war, with the remainder being shot by the Germans or their Ukrainian counterparts.

1941

Jews were deported from Muenster, Germany to the Riga Ghetto, Latvia.  From a population of nearly 550, emigration had cut the Jewish population to 100 by 1941.  It is believed that only 24 Muenster Jews survived the concentration camps.

Latvia policemen arrested all the Jews of Liepaia, Latvia and took them to jail.  Those with work permits were released.  The others were taken north of Leipaia to Skede and the dunes overlooking the Baltic Sea.  Stripped first to their underwear and then completely naked, they were shot by Latvian SD guard and Germans under the command of SS leader Fritz Dietrich.  From December 15-17 some 2800 Jews were shot, the majority being women and/or children.

1943

Westerbork, Netherlands housed a transit camp that saw some 100,000 Jews pass through it to be sent for extermination or concentration camps.  There was a core of Jews considered “regulars,” who performed various jobs.  Part of this group included a youth movement that attempted to carry on various Jewish activities, and in December of 1941 that included a Hanukkah Celebration.

1945

As part of the Beriha, a quarter of a million Jews were placed in Displaced Persons (DP) camps in Germany, Austria and Italy.  Many of these individuals were instrumental in the War of Independence in Israel in 1948.  One of the major DP camps was Bergen-Beisen, a former concentration camp.  In existence from 1945-51, the camp created a lively social, cultural and political environment.

1947

December of 1947 found the opening of the Jewish National Fund’s Bazaar in Poking Pine City Displaced Person Camp in the Bamberg District of Germany.  At its height it housed over 7500 Jewish survivors and featured theatres and sports clubs.

Hanukkah During the Holocaust – Part II

We all know what a travesty the holocaust was – the annihilation of over six million Jews proves that.  But while this was a blatant example of how the Germans were attacking God’s Chosen People, there was a more subtle attack taking place as well – - for as much as wanting to break their bodies, the Germans wanted to break the Spirit of the Jews.  And that, as Antiochus had found out before them, was a whole lot harder to accomplish!

There is, perhaps, no greater story of the resolve of God’s Chosen People than the story of Hanukkah.  The struggle, and victory!, of the Maccabees in 150 BC against the forces of Antiochus, was culminated by the miracle that is today celebrated as “The Festival of Lights” and features the Menorah, which represents the eight days of light that came from one day’s worth of oil.  To break down Jewish resolution during the Holocaust, the Germans banned many traditions and activities, including Hanukkah.  Following, however, is an example of how faith and tradition can overcome tyranny in even the most adverse times, as reported by I.I. Cohen.

One of the items I smuggled out of Auschwitz, when the Nazis moved me into “Camp Number Eight” – a quarantine camp, for those suspected of carrying typhus – was my spoon. It wasn’t much, but it was mine – and it would come to play an important role in my Jewish life and in those of some of the 500 or so other prisoners there.

When winter came my spoon became involved in an additional mitzvah. By then, we had been transferred to “Camp Number Four” in Kaufering, a camp more similar to Auschwitz in its daily ordeals. Despite the horrendous hardships we suffered daily, however, we tried whenever possible to remember to do a mitzvah and to maintain a self-image as God-fearing Jews, despite all the dangers that involved.

Having always kept mental track of the calendar, I knew when Chanukah had arrived. During a few minutes’ rest break, a group of inmates and I began to reminisce about how, back home before the war, our fathers would light their menorahs with such fervor and joy. We remembered how we could never seem to get our fill of watching the flames sparkling like stars, how we basked in their warm, special glow, how they seemed to imbue us with a special sanctity.

And then we got to thinking about the origins of Chanukah, about the war of the Hasmoneans against their Greek tormentors, who were intent on erasing Judaism from Jewish hearts. We recalled the great heroism of the Jews at the time who risked their lives in order to keep the Sabbath, practice circumcision and study Torah. And we remembered how God helped them resist and rout their enemy, enabling Jews to freely observe the Torah and mitzvot once again.

And then we looked around ourselves. Here we were, in a camp where our lives were constantly in danger, where we were considered sub-human and where it was virtually impossible to observe the most basic practices of Judaism. How happy we would be, we mused, if only we could light Chanukah candles.

While we talked and dreamed, we were all suddenly struck, as if at once, by the same resolution: We simply must discover a way of doing the seasonal mitzvah. One fellow offered a small bit of margarine he had saved from his daily ration. That could serve as our oil. And wicks? We began to unravel threads from our uniforms…

What, though, could be our menorah? I took out my spoon, and within moments, we were lighting the Chanukah “candle,” reciting the blessings. We all stood around entranced, transfixed, each immersed in his own thoughts… of Chanukahs gone by… of latkes, dreidels, and Chanukah gelt we’d received as children.

Our unusual Chanukah menorah kindled in us a glimmer of hope. As we recited the blessing about the miracles God had performed for our forefathers “in those days” – but also “at this time” – we well understood that the only thing that could save us would be a miracle. A great miracle like the one hinted at on the dreidel’s acrostic.

No one ever wants the Jews to be in a position that they must give up their traditions and celebrations again.  That’s why that during this time of year, as we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas alike, that we need to adhere to Ps. 122:6 and pray for the Peace of Jerusalem!

To read more about this fascinating subject, go to:      

http://www.aish.com/h/c/s/h/48955466.html 

Hanukkah during the Holocaust

Forced to Preserve the Horror of the Holocaust for Posterity

Sometimes death is a welcomed friend, for it can whisk you away from the pain, agony, and horror you might be immersed in.  William Brasse met this friend seventy years too late to save him from the memories that haunted him during those seventy years.  For William Brasse was forced to photograph the Holocaust for the Nazis, and the scars it created in his psyche never went away, as the excerpt below from an article by Greg Goodsell shows.

Forced by the Nazis to document the atrocities at Auschwitz with his camera, photographer Wilhelm Brasse has passed away at the age of 94. His photographs live on as an example of one of humanity’s darker hours. Haunted by years by the photos he was forced to take, he took some satisfaction that his pictures were later used to convict the Nazis for war crimes.

Wilhelm Brasse was forced to take photographs of frightened children and victims of gruesome medical experiments mere moments from their deaths. More than 1.5 million people died at the notorious camp. Brasse was forced to relive those horrors, was considered a hero after he risked his life to preserve the harrowing photographs.

There were four other contenders. “We were five people. They went through everything with us – the laboratory skills and the technical ability with a camera. I had the skills as well as being able to speak German, so I was chosen.”

A daily parade filed through his makeshift photographic studio. Each day he took so many pictures that another team of prisoners was assembled to develop the pictures.

One especially horrific story of his time at the infamous death camp was the time the diabolical Dr. Josef Mengele requested Brasse to take a photograph of a man’s Garden of Eden tattoo. The man was immediately killed afterwards, and later saw that Mengele had carved the tattoo of the man from his body to have it stretched into a picture frame.

Being forced to witness these attrocities might very well have been worse than suffering through them.  By having the courage to hide negatives, Brasse was, whether he knew it or not, helping to fulfill the promise found in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”  Brasse did what he could to right an outrageous wrong.  We, too, can help protect God’s Chosen People by following the dictates of Psalm 122:6 – - by praying for the peace of Jerusalem!

To read Goodsell’s article in its entirety, go to the Catholic Online website.