Name/Title
Fragment of Torah (Envelope)Description
Makeshift envelope made out fragments of a Torah scroll. Hebrew text is faintly visible from the exterior of the envelope.Context
Jacob Hennenberg, a Holocaust survivor, found this artifact and purchased it from a German flea market in 1946. This envelope was made out of portions of a Torah scroll and held German passports. During this time, the Nazi regime sought to implement both physical extermination of Jews, as well as the destruction of Jewish cultural and religious heritage. The desecration of synagogues, Torah scrolls, and other religious objects was a common practice, aimed at erasing Jewish identity and culture. This act of desecration of the Torah is a stark reminder of the Nazi's cruelty and their attempt to eradicate Jewish culture.Collection
Gifts, MMJHMade/Created
Date made
circa 1939 - 1945Time Period
WWII, 20th CenturyEthnography
Cultural Region
* Untyped Cultural Region
GermanyInscription/Signature/Marks
Language
HebrewNotes
Unclear which portion of the Torah this is as of 3/11/25Dimensions
Height
4-3/16 inWidth
6-3/8 inMaterial
Parchment, Animal Skin, embroided threadInterpretative Labels
Label Type
Object LabelLabel
[header] Desecration
[body] This fragment of a Torah scroll was found in a German flea market after the war by concentration camp survivor Jacob Hennenberg. Folded to form a cover for a passport, it is a small example of the humiliations visited on German Jews by the Nazis.
Courtesy Jacob Hennenberg