us-005578-irn50916-irn86183
type: RecordSet
physical characterisitics and technical requirements: Small, circular, silver finger ring made from a spoon, with a flat rectangular face and a tapered band. Two illegible Hebrew characters, too worn to read, are engraved on the face and dots descend the shoulders. A date is engraved on the band interior. The band is not connected at the bottom and has jagged edges, as if broken.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: 1941 December 08
has beginning date: 1942-01-01
has end date: 1945-12-31
has end date: 1942-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: heb
has record set type: Item
history: Isaak Racs was born on December 26, 1927, in Riga, Latvia, to Moses and Tema Schusterman Racs. He had four brothers: Mendel, born on December 26, 1923, Rafael Eliezer, born on February 28, 1928, Chona Reuven, born on August 13, 1931, and Aron David, born in 1940. His mother Tema was born in 1900 in Riga to Aron David and Chana Riva Schusterman. She had one brother, three half-brothers, and two half-sisters. Isaak’s father Moses was born on May 8, 1900. He had four brothers and three sisters. Moses was a tailor and had a shop in their apartment. Isaak attended a Jewish school, where he learned Hebrew. He spoke Yiddish at home with his family and learned Latvian and Russian. He was unable to afford to attend high school and worked in a shipping company office. On June 17, 1940, the Soviet Union annexed Latvia and ran protesters over with tanks. Under Soviet rule, Isaak was allowed to go to school at night and work in the day. The Soviets began deporting the wealthy, Jews and non-Jews, to Siberia and Isaak’s boss and his wife were taken overnight. Isaak secretly celebrated his bar mitzvah by going to shul and having a small party with his family. Isaak’s older brother Mendel, age 17, was conscripted into the Soviet army. On July 1, 1941, Germany invaded Latvia. On July 4, the Germans grabbed Jewish men off the street and forced them to light the synagogues on fire with people inside. Mendel did not come home. Isaak searched for him for several days, in town and in the German prison camp for Soviet soldiers, but never found him. On August 1, the Jews were required to wear Star of David badges. In late summer, Isaak and his family moved into the newly established ghetto, which was sealed on October 25. Isaak was permitted to leave the ghetto for his job in the lumberyard. He later worked with his father Moses, who was a tailor for the police department. On November 28, the Germans ordered that all able bodied men older than 16 report to the assembly area. Although Isaak …
history: The ring was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by Jack Ratz.
identifier: irn86183
is or was included in: us-005578-irn50916
record resource extent: overall: Height: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Width: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Depth: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Silver ring made from a spoon for 14 year old Isaak Racs (later Jack Ratz) in Riga ghetto and worn in several concentration camps. Following a mass execution in the ghetto, a jeweler offered to make commemorative jewelry for anyone who could bring him silver. Isaak brought him a silver spoon and had the ring engraved with his Hebrew initials and the date his mother and three younger brothers were murdered. Latvia was invaded by Nazi Germany on July 1, 1941. That summer, Isaak was forced into the Jewish ghetto with his parents, Moses and Tema, and three younger brothers, Rafael, Chona, and Aron. On December 8, 1941, his mother and brothers were executed during liquidation of the ghetto. Isaak and his father were forced laborers in the small ghetto, until they were sent to Lenta labor camp in 1943. Around August 1944, Isaak and Moses were transferred to Stutthof concentration camp. In October, they were sent to Burggraben and worked for the Schichau-Werft shipyard in Danzig. In December 1944 or early 1945, they were sent on a forced march to Goddentow. On March 9, 1945, the prisoners were ordered on another march, but Isaak and Moses escaped into the woods. They were liberated by Soviet forces on March 10. They then lived in Landsberg displaced persons camp. Isaak emigrated to the US in 1947. Moses joined him in 1949.
title: Engraved ring made from a spoon for a Jewish Latvian boy in Riga ghetto