“They had almost destroyed me on Earth, yet I have not abandoned your commands”
Collection of sixteen lengthy letters full of important content from students and administrators at the Zeilsheim and Windsheim yeshivahs in Germany. They discuss obtaining travel visas, food, clothing and the other needs of yeshivah student Holocaust survivors. All these letters were sent to one of the leading activists involved in helping bnei Torah Holocaust survivors – the gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Tzvi [Zeidel] Siemiatycki, a leading rescue activist and son-in-law of the gaon Rabbi Moshe Leib Schneider, rosh yeshivah of Torat Emet in London, where he served as a lecturer. Germany, (Zeilsheim, Windsheim), Poland (Lodz) and France (Brécey), 1946-1948.
These historic letters reveal a window to the inner world of bnei yeshivah who survived the terrible Holocaust. They fought with what was left of their strength to revive the yeshivah world in the smoking Europe. The letters writers were very involved in strengthening the yeshivahs, as can be seen very often in the contents of these letters, such that they gain communal significance as well as much historic value.
The letter writers were usually young people. Some lost all or most of their relatives, may their blood be avenged, at the hands of the murderers. Each and every one of them went through inconceivable gehinnom , yet despite this, they girded themselves and established Torah institutions from the dust for the bnei Torah who survived. The touching verse from Tehillim “They had almost destroyed me on Earth, yet I have not abandoned your commands” could be observed about them.
The letters primarily deal with two institutions – Yeshivat Mercaz HaTorah in the Windsheim DP camp near Nuremberg, and She’erit Beit Yosef in Zeilsheim, near Frankfurt, led by the gaon Rabbi Gershon Liebman.
Details of the letters and their contents:
Letters 1-6 : Letters from Rabbi Yonah Bromberg, a disciple of the Baranovich and Mir yeshivahs, founder of the Mercaz HaTorah yeshivah in the Windsheim DP camp.
* Elul 1946. This letter is full of historic information: “I am located in the American Zone in Windsheim, near Nuremberg … In Windsheim, we founded a yeshivah called Mercaz HaTorah, and there are seventy bnei Torah already. However, the material situation is bleak, everyone is torn and wasted. Last week, we celebrated the opening of the yeshivah in full glory …”
* (Undated). This letter is full of historic information: “Lithuanian bnei Torah who were in Bergen-Belsen have arrived in the American Zone. We have gathered all the bnei Torah from the Lithuanian yeshivahs to Windsheim and we established a yeshivah there – there are currently nearly a hundred bnei Torah …” including avreichim and their families. Their situation has still not sufficiently improved for […] according to the measure given by [האונררא] with the small amount given by Va’ad Hatzalah, because the kometz does not satisfy the lion …”
* Frankfurt, Kislev 1946. In this letter, Rabbi Yonah announces his engagement to “a young lady from Romania who is also alone in the world…” Later on he shares news about funds sent by Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz, one of the major activists and nasi of the Mir yeshivah.
* Frankfurt, Cheshvan, [no year indicated]. This letter reveals the historic fact that “R’ Gershon (Liebman) intends, together with all the bnei yeshivah , to travel to the United States as soon as possible.”
* Frankfurt, 1947. Rabbi Yonah describes the poor condition of the Mir yeshivah students in this letter: “The condition of the Mir yeshivah students has become worse recently, dropping to a very low level. unlike all the yeshivah students with leaders in the United States who concern themselves with them like a father for his son, the Mir yeshivah students are like a flock without a shepherd … There are presently five young men from Mir here …”
Later on in the letter he asks him to take care of their Passover needs: “Pesach is approaching, and the Mercaz HaTorah yeshivah desperately needs candles, please send as many to us as you can. There now are over 120 people currently in Windsheim, including thirty families …”
* Frankfurt, Iyyar 1947. In this letter, Rabbi Yonah explains the reason for the delay in the arrival of the letters, “due to the administrators of Va’ad Hatzalah in Germany, who are upset at Rabbi […], and anything addressed to him is carefully checked and they do not transfer the letter …” Another reason for some of the letters getting lost is the Polish and Ukrainian workers at the post office, and other murderers … They are the thieves …”
Letters 7-13: Letters and postal postcards from Rabbi Chaim Ginzburg, among the prominent young men at the Zeilsheim and Windsheim yeshivahs in Germany, and friend of Rabbi Yonah Bromberg.
* Lodz, Iyyar ( Parashat Kedoshim), 1946. Yiddish. Shocking letter in which Rabbi Chaim describes the moments they received the difficult news of the Nazis’ murder of his friends and family. He mentions his relative Rabbi Avraham Kravitz, av beit din of Lodz.
* Lodz, Iyyar ( Parashat Emor), 1946. Postal postcard with various postmarks. Yiddish. This letter was written shortly after the previous letter, probably due to the writer’s concern that the previous letter would not arrive at its destination. Its content is somewhat similar to the previous letter, along with additional news.
* Frankfurt-Zeilsheim, Av 1946. In this letter, Rabbi Chaim described his transfer from Lodz to the Zeilsheim DP camp, and the possible ways of traveling to America without a visa. He mentions Rabbi Gershon “of Kavel”- Rabbi Gershon Liebman.
* Windsheim, Cheshvan, 1946. In this letter, Rabbi Chaim writes about the difficulty obtaining entry permits to the United States, and the upcoming visit by the leader of Va’ad Hatzalah and Rabbi Mordechai Landinsky to the Camp.
* Windsheim [no year indicated]. Here Rabbi Chaim writes about the idea of moving the yeshivah to Paris. This idea was disputed among the leaders of the Va’ad Hatzalah. Other news about the visit by Va’ad Hatzalah’s Mr. Schmidt, and that previous visitors did not help the yeshivah “Either they couldn’t – or – they didn’t want to?”
Frankfurt, Iyyar 1947. Rabbi Chaim tells him in this letter that his friend Rabbi Yosef Landtzevesky (Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz’s brother-in-law) received the desired visa. He and Rabbi Yonah were at the consul in Stuttgart, and they are waiting for their visas.
* Tammuz 1947. News about his trip and that of his friend, Rabbi Yonah. He also shares news about the yeshivah in Windsheim: “The Va’ad Hatzalah has not given support for two months due to conflicts between them in New York, and we are suffering due to this political battle – we are the first to be sacrificed!”
Letter 14: Letter from Rabbi Yoel Meir Potoshawitz, one of the administrators of the Beit Yosef yeshivah in Zeilsheim. Zeilsheim, Kislev 1946.
The letter bears the news of the Va’ad Hatzalah’s intent to discontinue their support of the yeshivah, “Because we receive support from the [מהטשיץ] Rabbis’ Council, and we receive packages from [your] honor …”
He also relates that Rabbi Yonah Bromberg intends to travel to Paris. In the margins of the letter, he sends regards to Rabbi Gershom Liebman.
Letter 15: Letter from the great gaon Rabbi Yehudah Leib Nakritz, among the rashei yeshivah of Beit Yosef, son-in-law of Rabbi Avraham Jaffen. Brécey (France), Adar II 1948.
The letter deals with Rabbi Yehudah Leib’s many attempts to receive a permit to enter the United States: “Regarding my forlorn situation with respect to receiving an entry permit to this day – I was told to tell [you] so that you can please do whatever you can to assist me …”
Letter 16: Letter from an unknown writer dealing with receiving a package from the Zeilsheim Camp. 1946.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for brief biographies of Rabbi Yonah Bromberg, Rabbi Yoel Meir Potoshawitz, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Nekritz and Rabbi Chaim Ginzberg
[15] letters and postcards, a total of [16] paper items. Six letters were written on stationery of various organizations: Va’ad Hatzalah, Yeshivat Netzach Yisrael, Yeshivat Mercaz HaTorah and Yeshivat Beit Yosef. Most of the letters are written in ink, with two in pencil.
Overall moderate-fine condition. Fold marks, aging stains and wear. Slight tears in the margins of several leaves.
