A personal gift from Rumkowski to the children of the ghetto - a personal 'Happy New Year' greeting from the head of the Judenrat in the Lodz ghetto, Mordechai Haim Rumkowski, in which he announces to the children of the ghetto about the distribution of three slices of bread and five candies on the occasion of Rosh HaShanah 1941.
The touching message printed on the voucher itself reads in Yiddish: "Tate en mame! [Father and mother!] for the adults of the Jews of the Lodz ghetto. I am sending you here a nutrition voucher for a hot dinner, especially for your little children between the ages of 2-7 years. (Deadline for receipt The bread will be announced in a special announcement), as well as I am also sending each of you a special voucher for 5 delicious and sweet candies from my factory. Give them to your sweet child. And eat for health. I congratulate you on Ktiva VeChatima Tova. Mordechai Haim Rumkawski" on the right side, the slip confirming that the children received the gift appears separately and it reads: "The eldest son hereby signs that he received the ticket for the child... for 5 candies... and the bread ticket...".
Rumkowski himself ran an orphanage before the war, and he often claimed that children were a significant part of his life, and in the first months in which the ghetto operated, the Judenrat did make efforts to take care of the needs of children. well known the moving photograph in which Nachman Zonaband - the postal worker, and the person responsible for distributing food to the children of the ghetto, is seen handing out candy to the children of the Lodz ghetto on Hanukkah 1941, see here
How horrifying and painful is the fact that exactly one year later on the eve of Rosh Hashanah of the year [1942] Rumkowski called to parents to give their children to be exterminated in his famous speech "Give me the children": "A severe blow struck the ghetto. They ask us to give up the most precious ones we have - the children and the elderly. I had to have my own child, so I gave the best years of my life to children. I already lived and breathed with children, but I never imagined that I would have to provide this sacrifice to the altar with my own hands. In my older age, I must stretch out my hand and beg: brothers and sisters, hand them over to me! -Fathers and mothers, give me your children." In the famous action called "Sperre" (short for the German word meaning "curfew"), the Germans murdered hundreds of people and deported 15,685 people, about a third of them children under the age of 15.
Only a few slips of this type are known to exist in the world! they were found in a warehouse with other finds from the ghetto, most of which were damaged in the fire.
20x10 cm. Stains on the left. Good condition.
