us-005578-irn522308
title: Partially embroidered tablecloth made by a Belgian Jewish woman recovered postwar
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn522308/acquisitions/1
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn522308/alternateIDs/1
biographical history: Salomea Fejnman was born on January 17, 1908, in Warsaw, Poland. Her mother was Frimet Fejnman. Salomea had eight sisters. She married Zelik Poler, who was born on October 19, 1908, in Warsaw. Zelik had one brother and two sisters. Salomea and Zelik lived in Belgium, first in Forest, then in Anderlecht in Brussels. Zelik’s family also lived in Belgium, while Salomea’s family remained in Warsaw. Zelik was a leather manufacturer. Salomea helped with Zelik’s business and worked as a seamstress. The couple had five children: Fanny, born November 5, 1930, Rosette, born February 8, 1932, Abraham, born November 4, 1933, Jeannine, born June 6, 1936, and Lilia, born July 7, 1938. Zelik’s parents were religious and the family celebrated Jewish holidays. In 1938 or 1939, Zelik left Poland for Venezuela with his brother and brother-in-law. He did not contact Salomea again and did not send her money. Salomea worked as a seamstress to support her children, but struggled financially. Germany invaded Belgium on May 10, 1940. The Convent of les Soeurs du Saint Saveur, a block away from Salomea’s home, provided aid to impoverished people in the area. When Lilia became ill, the nuns visited and brought her medicine and a doll. They offered to hide Lilia in the convent. Salomea agreed, but only if they would hide all of her children. When the Germans began rounding up Jews, Salomea brought her children to the convent. Abraham was sent to live with the priests and Fanny, Rosette, Jeannine, and Lilia stayed in the convent. The children used the false name Polet. Abraham was called Albert, and Lilia was called Lilian. Salomea was able to visit her children occasionally, but it became too dangerous and the nuns decided to stop letting her in. Salomea climbed up a ladder and scaled the roof, trying to get inside, but she was caught. She was arrested and sent to Mechelen (Malines) transit camp. On September 26, 1942, Salomea was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on Transport …
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Square, lightweight, white cotton table covering, partially embroidered over a blue inked pattern in satin stitch, stem stitch, and French knots in light purple, gold, white, and brown satin floss. Embroidered in white in the center is a stylized S. Each opposing corner has the same scene. Two corners depict a man and a woman holding hands and leaning in for a kiss. The man wears a purple stitched Pierrot harlequin costume with a ruffled collar and polka dots; the woman, a gold stitched ballerina costume. The other two corners have 2 figures in similar costumes, but different poses. The man plays a guitar and is stitched in gold; the woman is sniffing a flower bouquet and is not embroidered. A leafy vine winds around the border of the cloth, with an embroidered trefoil flower in each corner. Sewn around the border is a 2 inch strip of drawn thread whitework embroidery with a floral pattern and a scalloped edge.
archival history: The tablecloth was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005 by Jeannine Poler, Lilian Poler Breziner, Rosette Poler de Szajnert, and Fanny Poler de Neuberger, the children of Salomea Poler.
type: RecordSet
identifier: irn522308
record resource extent: overall: Height: 32.750 inches (83.185 cm)
has or had holder: us-005578
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
scope and content: White tablecloth partially embroidered by Salomea Fejnman Poler circa 1940-41, in Anderlecht, Belgium, and recovered by David Poler, her father-in-law, after the war. The persecution of Jewish persons in Belgium by German authorities after the May 1940 invasion, made it extremely difficult for Salomea, 33, to care for her five children, ages ten to two: Jeannine, Lilian, Rosette, Fanny, and Abraham. Salomea sought safe hiding place for them, and Abraham was placed with Catholic priests and the girls in a convent. In September 1942, Salomea was sent to Mechelen (Malines) transit camp and then deported to Auschwitz concentration camp, where she was killed. The five children, and their paternal grandparents, who living in hiding in a hospital, survived the war. Salomea’s eight siblings in Poland perished. After the war ended in May 1945, the children lived in Jewish orphanages until joining their father in Venezuela.
has record set type: Item
has beginning date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1940-01-01
has end date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1941-12-31