U.S. Private David (“Doov”) Stein World War II Letters from Antwerp. Collection

David (“Doov”) Stein was an American Allied GI, drafted July 1943, who was for seven months stationed in Antwerp following the liberation of the city in 1944. Private Stein was especially active in reuniting families in the United States with their surviving relatives in Antwerp, who had no contact during the Nazi occupation and beyond, obtaining relief for the Jews in Antwerp, and working with the youth. The letters he sent are of utmost importance for the historical narrative and documentation of Orthodox Jewish life in Antwerp in 1944-1945. Prior and after the Second World War, David “Doov” Stein worked as a printer. David “Doov” Stein passed away on January 8, 1989. His wife, Ahda (née Plotkin) Stein, passed away on July 30, 2010. 

Most of Mr. Stein’s and some of his correspondents’ letters were written on “V-mail” forms. The forms were photographed, shipped as film overseas, and developed on photo-paper in the destination country. Most of Mr. Stein’s letters in the collection are addressed to his wife Ahda Stein, some to his parents, some to his siblings, and a few to friends. On 9 September 2022, Shifra Stein Stahl, daughter of David "Doo") Stein, permitted Kazerne Dossin with the consent of her surviving siblings to digitally archive 364 digital copies of letters, one yellow star, 2 burnt remnants of a Torah scroll, 1 notepad, 1 interview and 1 transcript. On 22 December 2022, the digital collection was donated. In February 2024, Kazerne Dossin arranged a license agreement with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York concerning the 91 digital copies of letters which were donated physically to this institution on an earlier date. 

U.S. Private David (“Doov”) Stein World War II Letters from Antwerp. Collection 

478 digitised images (455 digital copies of letters, 1 yellow star, 2 burnt remnants of a Torah scroll and 1 notepad), 1 audio file (1 interview) and 1 document (1 transcript) 

This collection contains letters written by Private David “Doov” Stein during his first months of service in the US Army in Antwerp, from November 10 to December 31, 1944. There are also letters written by Private David “Doov” Stein during 5 ½ of his 7 months of service in the US Army in Antwerp from January 1 to June 10, 1945, and a similar number of letters from individuals and organizations to him, concerning his relief activities on behalf of the Jewish community of Antwerp following the Nazi occupation. This collection also consists of Stein’s notepad containing names, addresses and some details of his Antwerp friends and their relatives in the United States, a worn Belgian yellow star given to Stein by the sister of Mr. Max (Miksa) Klein, burnt remnants of a Torah scroll from the Shomre Hadas Synagogue on Van den Nestlei which Stein picked up while the building was still cordoned off and a recorded interview and transcript of David Stein conducted by Sidney Storch in December 1973. 

Shifra Stein Stahl and Museum of Jewish Heritage (New York) 

Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu 

Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu. Or if applicable, send your licensing request to the Museum of Jewish Heritage: collections@mjhnyc.org 

Digitally stored at Kazerne Dossin as collection KD_00943 

There are letters from David (“Doov”) Stein, dating from after his return to the United States, addressed to Mrs. Ringer situated digitally in KD_00666 (Eli Ringer Collection). These letters include mostly wishes for Rosh Hashana and the birth announcement of Shifra Stein Stahl. There are letters of David "Doo") Stein to the Stern sisters, one of whom is Cecilia Stern who is portrayed in pictures in the Shifra Senderowicz Collection (KD_00670), the collection of Cecilia Stern's granddaughter. The archives of Daniel Isaacman, the"other soldier who helps Jew" that David (“Doov”) Stein mentions in one of his letters, are stored at the University of Pennsylvania: https://archives.upenn.edu/collections/finding-aid/upt50i73/ 

No further accruals are to be expected 

Kazerne Dossin Research Centre