Holocaust Remembrance
Temple Emanu-El Holocaust Remembrance Center
The Center (HRC) is a memorial to the Holocaust through a repository of historical artifacts and personal memories, enabling learning of the past and drawing lessons for the future. The Center serves as a link between generations – l’dor vador – so that the lessons and memories of the Shoah inform current and
future generations.
Personal Testimonies of Our Survivors
Monique Bental, mother of Pat Ziv
Jules Alexander, maternal grandfather of Pat Ziv
Monique Bental
Peter Lederman
Susan Lederman
Beatrice Muhlfelder
Selma Rossen
Doris Schneider
The Czech Torah Scrolls
In 1942, as the deportation of Czech Jews to the death camps escalated to its peak, the curators of the Jewish Museum in Prague undertook an extraordinary mission. Realizing they could do nothing to save the Jewish people or themselves, they sought to rescue the Torah scrolls and other treasures from the now deserted synagogues across Czechoslovakia.
As an act of great spiritual resistance to Nazi persecution, more than 212,000 artifacts were brought to Prague, including 1,800 Torah scrolls. Until they were themselves deported to Terezin or Auschwitz-Birkenau, the museum curators carried out their sacred mission to preserve the heritage of the Czech Jewish communities for future generations.
In 1963, the Czech government offered Eric Estorick, a British art dealer, the opportunity to purchase some of the Torah scrolls. He contacted a client, Ralph Yablon, who in turn contacted Rabbi Harold Reinhart of Westminster Synagogue in London. Ralph Yablon funded the purchase of all 1,534 Torah scrolls. They arrived in London on February 7, 1964.
Westminster Synagogue founded the Czech Memorial Scrolls Museum to house some of the scrolls and established the Memorial Scrolls Trust so that the majority of the Czech Torah scrolls could be allocated to congregations around the world who pledge to give the Torah scroll a prominent place in the life of the congregation.
Czech Memorial Scroll 1386
This Torah scroll was written in 1700. It belonged to the members of the Pinkas Synagogue in Prague. The Pinkas synagogue still exists today. This Torah scroll is displayed prominently in a glass case outside the sanctuary.
Czech Memorial Scroll 488
This Torah scroll was written in the late 19th century. It belonged to the small Jewish community of Holesov comprised of 273 families. We read from this Torah scroll on Rosh haShanah morning.
These Torah scrolls symbolize the spirit of Jewish courage, dignity, resilience, and faith at the darkest and most desperate times in our people's history. You can learn more about the Czech Memorial Torah scrolls at: https://memorialscrollstrust.org/.