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, MMJH
Made/Created
Date made
circa 1939 - 1945
Time Period
WWII, 20th Century
Place
* Untyped Place
Germany
Ethnography
Cultural Region
* Untyped Cultural Region
Germany
Inscription/Signature/Marks
Language
Hebrew
Notes
Unclear which portion of the Torah this is as of 3/11/25
Dimensions
Height
4-3/16 in
Width
6-3/8 in
Material
Parchment, Animal Skin, embroided thread
Interpretative Labels
Label Type
Object Label
Label
[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
