A Secret Hiding Place

In the Nazi era, Jewish families often had little time to escape, often taking merely the clothes on their backs. Some hid precious belongings in their home or on their property hoping to reclaim them after the war.

A recent discovery in Lodz Poland uncovered 400 objects that probably were stored there by the Jewish residents 83 years ago. “Some of the objects were found wrapped in Polish, Yiddish, and German newspapers, which were dated to around October 1939, Israel’s YNet news site said.”

Uncovered in the discovery were items of both common use, like cigarette holders, perfume bottles, and religious items like menorahs. “Two of the menorahs were lit during Hanukkah celebrations on December 22 organized by the city’s Jewish community.”

Agnieszka Kowalewska-Wojcik, Director of the Lodz Municipal Investments Board said of the find, “The discovery is remarkable, especially the quantity. These are extremely valuable historic items that testify to the history of the inhabitants of this building.”

The items have been turned over to the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Lodz, where researchers will try to determine the items’ owner(s).

The address where the discovery was made, 23 Polnocna Street, was located at the site of the “perimeter of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, that the occupying Nazi Germans established in Lodz in February 1940 and which until August 1944 held 200,000 Jews from across Europe. Most inmates died there or in concentration camps.”

The discovery gives witness to the hope the Jewish owners of the objects had to return to reclaim their goods. For us it gives witness to the tragedy they never returned.

Personal Note: The current issue of our magazine Israel My Glory focuses on the issue of antisemitism. You can read it online at https://israelmyglory.org/.

(Source: AP; The Times of Israel)