School registration card (student card) of the pupil Weiss Idel at the school named after the Elder of the Jews in the ghetto – Chaim Rumkowski, Łódź Ghetto – May 1940. In Polish.
“We inform you that your son/daughter, Weiss Idel, for the 1940 school year is designated to study at the school of the Chief Elder of the Jews on Szkolna [School] Street, Chaim Rumkowski, May 1940… We wish to emphasize that it is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their children regularly attend the school assigned to them. Note: At the time of registration, the child must present this letter to the school administration.”Top left, printed: “The Chief Elder of the Council of Elders of the Jews in Litzmannstadt.” Lower right: “School Department.”
According to Yad Vashem’s Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names, Ita did not survive the Holocaust and was murdered in the ghetto. See record no. 4661387.
The document was issued by the Jewish administration in the Łódź Ghetto, headed by Chaim Rumkowski, who served as the “Ältester” (Elder of the Jews) appointed by the Nazis. Although formal education was officially banned in the ghettos by the Nazi authorities, Rumkowski insisted on establishing a formal and semi-official educational system under the auspices of the Jewish administration, with many compromises and under strict supervision. Initially, approximately 14 elementary schools were opened. The level of education was relatively high, with subjects such as Hebrew, Polish, arithmetic, science, music, and more. Despite the harsh conditions, students arriving in tattered clothes, often hungry – regular classes were held until the final closure of the schools by the Germans in August 1941. After the official shutdown, underground schooling continued in secret.
16×8 cm. Good condition.
