Two photographs of She'erit HaPletah in Czechoslovakia - 1946.
Photograph of a Rabbi holding a rescued Torah scroll surrounded by Czechoslovakian dignitaries.
Group Photograph of the members of the Jewish community in Czechoslovakia. Photographer: L. Kusznir. Dated within the photographer's ink stamp: 1946.
In the tradition of the Jewish communities in Czechoslovakia, there is a well-known story about a Torah scroll rescued in 1946 by a group of Jewish refugees. The Torah scroll originally belonged to the town of Třebíč in Czechoslovakia. It was written in the 18th century and served in the local synagogue. With the rise of the Nazis to power, the Jewish residents of the town were forced to flee their homes. During the Holocaust, the Torah scroll was hidden in a cellar by a non-Jewish local family named Frischer, who kept it hidden until the end of the war. After the war, a group of refugees arrived in Třebíč from other areas of Czechoslovakia and received the Torah scroll from the same family, the scroll was eventually returned to the Jewish community in Prague and has been used by them for years since the war.
We were unable to find photographic documentation of the event of returning the Torah scroll, and it is highly possible that the two photographs before us capture that event. According to the ink stamp of the photographer on the group photograph showing community members, it was taken in 1946. The photograph showing the Rabbi holding the Torah scroll, is undated and lacks any inscriptions, nor on the back. Nevertheless, these two historical photographs document the revival of Jewish life among the community of She'erit HaPletah in Czechoslovakia after the war.
Same size: 9x14 cm. Both photographs are divided back for use as a postcard. Very Good Condition.
