"On Saturday, December 23, 1939, the mayor announced to the representatives of the Jewish council that since there was a recent custom in Germany to burn a living being during the Christmas Eve procession, we here in Wurka would burn a live Jew during this year's festivities. She intimated, however, that for a certain amount of money, she would be willing to have a paper Jew burned instead of a live Jew.
The heads of the kehilah proceeded with hue and cry to the home of the local rabbi, who was a great communal leader and a lover of all Jews. The rabbi summoned the wealthiest Jews in town, pleaded and beseeched them to donate money to save a Jewish life. They immediately collected six thousand zlotys, which was the arnount demanded. The heads of the kehilah took the money to the mayor, who promised that no living Jew would be burned.
The night of December 24 arrived. When the church bells began to ring, the Jews' hearts began to beat louder. Who could tell what would happen in times like these? A huge fire blazed in the marketplace near the municipality, as at an auto-da-fe. There began a procession of military music; firemen were brought in. They dragged in a young, sturdy, stocky-looking Jew, who was wearing a velvet cap and yarmulka on his head. He had a black beard and earlocks, and was dressed in a handsome new coat, with fine polished boots. The young Jew was dragged to the fire; he struggled slightly without saying a word. Finally, as the crowd's enthusiasm reached its peak, the Jew was thrown into the fire. The young man barely managed to wring his hands; by then the flames had devoured him entirely.
As it later turned out, this was not a living Jew. It was only a stuffed mannequin, in which special springs had been installed to make it seem as if it were resisting while it was dragged to the fire."
I remember the Rebbe saying for Reb Chaskel Besser and Lauder not to return to Poland, No other country got such a response of the Rebbe, he felt that Poland is Etzem Horaa. Was it a rebishe answer? or a pragmatic answer? who am I to know
The video is by dollars and the Rebbe also mentioned Czechoslovakia if I remember correctly. If I recall the Rebbe's issue was Mr. Lauder's plan to rebuild the Jewish quarter and that it shouldn't be just a museum but a living centre with a Yeshiva and community and to that the Rebbe responded not to rebuild the decimated communities. Subsequently when Shluchim went out their tafkid was seen as such to support locals and tourists but not rebuild the communities to their glory pre-war.
why is poland any worse than berlin? a million poles were killed in the camps. why do we let the kehilla grow in germany when they were the actual criminals.
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story from the holocaust:
ReplyDelete"On Saturday, December 23, 1939, the mayor announced to the representatives of the Jewish council that since there was a recent custom in Germany to burn a living being during the Christmas Eve procession, we here in Wurka would burn a live Jew during this year's festivities. She intimated, however, that for a certain amount of money, she would be willing to have a paper Jew burned instead of a live Jew.
The heads of the kehilah proceeded with hue and cry to the home of the local rabbi, who was a great communal leader and a lover of all Jews. The rabbi summoned the wealthiest Jews in town, pleaded and beseeched them to donate money to save a Jewish life. They immediately collected six thousand zlotys, which was the arnount demanded. The heads of the kehilah took the money to the mayor, who promised that no living Jew would be burned.
The night of December 24 arrived. When the church bells began to ring, the Jews' hearts began to beat louder. Who could tell what would happen in times like these? A huge fire blazed in the marketplace near the municipality, as at an auto-da-fe. There began a procession of military music; firemen were brought in. They dragged in a young, sturdy, stocky-looking Jew, who was wearing a velvet cap and yarmulka on his head. He had a black beard and earlocks, and was dressed in a handsome new coat, with fine polished boots. The young Jew was dragged to the fire; he struggled slightly without saying a word. Finally, as the crowd's enthusiasm reached its peak, the Jew was thrown into the fire. The young man barely managed to wring his hands; by then the flames had devoured him entirely.
As it later turned out, this was not a living Jew. It was only a stuffed mannequin, in which special springs had been installed to make it seem as if it were resisting while it was dragged to the fire."
I remember the Rebbe saying for Reb Chaskel Besser and Lauder not to return to Poland, No other country got such a response of the Rebbe, he felt that Poland is Etzem Horaa. Was it a rebishe answer? or a pragmatic answer? who am I to know
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chabadtalk.com/forum/showthread.php3?t=2333
ReplyDeletebut there are shluchim in warsaw and in krakow, they run the krakow mikveh in the Eden Hotel.
ReplyDeleteThe video is by dollars and the Rebbe also mentioned Czechoslovakia if I remember correctly. If I recall the Rebbe's issue was Mr. Lauder's plan to rebuild the Jewish quarter and that it shouldn't be just a museum but a living centre with a Yeshiva and community and to that the Rebbe responded not to rebuild the decimated communities. Subsequently when Shluchim went out their tafkid was seen as such to support locals and tourists but not rebuild the communities to their glory pre-war.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who went to vorki with his sons, and they had problems there
ReplyDeletewhy is poland any worse than berlin? a million poles were killed in the camps. why do we let the kehilla grow in germany when they were the actual criminals.
ReplyDeleteive wondered that too.
ReplyDelete