Tefllin from Auschwitz

Object/Artifact

-

anonymous...

Name/Title

Tefllin from Auschwitz

Entry/Object ID

5371A

Description

This fragment of Tefillin was given to Cleveland Height High School Holocaust educator Leatrice Rabinsky in 1975 by an employee at Auschwitz. There are 3 other scrolls that were given to Rabinsky, this one features text from Exodus 13:1-10, a common selection to be featured on Tefillin (transcription available in Inscriptions/Signatures/Marks section of catalog entry).

Context

In 1975, Cleveland Heights teacher Leatrice Rabinsky led a group of students on a tour of Auschwitz. This scroll, which had been found by a camp caretaker, had been hand-lettered by a scribe and lay hidden under a barracks floorboard for more than 30 years. This scroll is 1 of 4 that was given to Rabinsky during this visit.

Collection

WRHS

Category

Judaica

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1850 - circa 1945

Time Period

18th Century, 19th Century

Place

Continent

Europe

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Transcription

Hebrew Text (Exodus 13:1-10) א וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. ב קַדֶּשׁ-לִי כָל-בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר כָּל-רֶחֶם בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה: לִי הוּא. ג וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-הָעָם, זָכוֹר אֶת-הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים, כִּי בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיא יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה; וְלֹא יֵאָכֵל חָמֵץ. ד הַיּוֹם אַתֶּם יֹצְאִים, בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב. ה וְהָיָה כִּי-יְבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה, אֶל-אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ, לָתֶת לָךְ–אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ; וְעָבַדְתָּ אֶת-הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה. ו שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי חַג לַיהוָה. ז מַצּוֹת, יֵאָכֵל אֵת שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים; וְלֹא-יֵרָאֶה לְךָ חָמֵץ, וְלֹא-יֵרָאֶה לְךָ שְׂאֹר בְּכָל-גְּבֻלֶךָ. ח וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ, בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר: בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יְהוָה לִי, בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם. ט וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת עַל-יָדְךָ, וּלְזִכָּרוֹן בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ, לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת יְהוָה בְּפִיךָ: כִּי בְּיָד חֲזָקָה, הוֹצִאֲךָ יְהוָה מִמִּצְרָיִם. י וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת-הַחֻקָּה הַזֹּאת, לְמוֹעֲדָהּ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה.

Language

Hebrew

Translation

English Translation 1. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the Israelites, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” 3. Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, on which you went out of Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by the strength of His hand the LORD brought you out from there. You shall not eat anything leavened. 4. Today you are going out, in the month of Aviv. 5. And when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites—the land He swore to your ancestors to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you shall perform this service in this month. 6. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a festival to the LORD. 7. **Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen

Material/Technique

Inscribed, Ink

Dimensions

Height

4-1/4 in

Width

5/8 in

Length

32-5/8 in

Materials

Material Notes

Parchment

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Object Label

Label

[headline] Message Across Time [body] In 1975, Cleveland Heights teacher Leatrice Rabinsky led a group of students on a tour of Auschwitz. During the tour, the group was given four parchment scrolls from a set of ritual Tefillin, which had been found by a camp caretaker. This scroll, one of the four, had been hand-lettered by a scribe. It lay hidden under a barracks floorboard for more than 30 years.