Mismatched tefillin obtained by Shmuel Stern at Buchenwald
Gift of Stanley Stern
Id no. 316.96.1-2, Judaica
Shmuel Stern (later Stanley) was born in Nelipeno, Carpathia (Czech)/Horsfalva (Hungary). He was deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp on December 8, 1944 and obtained this tefillin in January 1945.
Stern obtained one tefillin from a Gypsy inmate in trade for a precious sweater. The other, he rescued from a burning heap of religious articles. He put the tefillin in his pocket and later hid it under a mattress. Risking his life by holding on to a personal possession, he would put on the tefillin every morning and recite his prayers. Stern shared the tefillin with his fellow inmates who would line up near his bed each morning to borrow the tefillin and recite prayers. He was sent to the Magdeburg camp in March 1945, where he was liberated in April. Sern immigrated to the US in 1946 and settled in Brooklyn with his brother.
Discover more about this artifact and other stories from the Museum?s collection in, ?To Life: 36 Stories of Memory and Hope? http://www.pickmanmuseumshop.com/tolif36storo.html.
Stern obtained one tefillin from a Gypsy inmate in trade for a precious sweater. The other, he rescued from a burning heap of religious articles. He put the tefillin in his pocket and later hid it under a mattress. Risking his life by holding on to a personal possession, he would put on the tefillin every morning and recite his prayers. Stern shared the tefillin with his fellow inmates who would line up near his bed each morning to borrow the tefillin and recite prayers. He was sent to the Magdeburg camp in March 1945, where he was liberated in April. Sern immigrated to the US in 1946 and settled in Brooklyn with his brother.
Discover more about this artifact and other stories from the Museum?s collection in, ?To Life: 36 Stories of Memory and Hope? http://www.pickmanmuseumshop.com/tolif36storo.html.
