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Jean Iarchy is the son of Moise Iarchy (b. August 14, 1908) and Laja Grad (b. Feb. 14, 1909). He was born on May 4, 1939, in Antwerp, Belgium, where his father was a diamond merchant and his mother worked as an accountant. Jean's parents were affiliated with the Portuguese synagogue in Antwerp and were active in several Jewish community organizations. On May 10, 1940, shortly after Jean's first birthday, Germany launched a surprise attack on Belgium. The Iarchys tried to flee to the coast, but had to return to Antwerp. The Germans enacted anti-Jewish laws and confiscated Jewish property and businesses. By 1942, there were regular round-ups to deport Jews for forced labor. The Iarchys decided that Grad, Jean, and his grandmother should go into hiding. In the beginning of 1942, a member of the resistance, Eugene Cougnet, brought them to his castle, the Chateau de Bassin in Mean. There were approximately 60 other Jews already hiding there. His mother did not think it was safe and they left on October 24th, 1942, the day before the castle was raided by the Germans. With the assistance of another resistance member, Joseph Lebouttte, they were hidden in the home of Mlle. Pierre in Durbuy. Moise attempted to join them, but was arrested at the train station in Malines and deported on the XII convoy 713 on September 15, 1942. He threw a postcard from the train which reached his family; they received one more postcard, and then never heard from him again. He died in the labor camp, Golleschau, a subcamp of Auschwitz, on January 14, 1943. Jean, his mother, and grandmother lived in Durbuy for the remainder of the war. Laja supported the family spinning wool and knitting stockings and sweaters. In September 1944, they were liberated by the U.S. Army. They returned to Antwerp the following summer, in time for Jean to start school. Their rescuers, Eugene Cougnet and Joseph Leboutte, were recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. Laja died in Antwerp, age 71, on March 20, 1980. Jean continues to reside in Antwerp where he has a medical practice. Laja Grad was born on February 14, 1909, in Belgium. She married Moise Iarchy, born on August 14, 1908, and they had a son, Jean, born May 4, 1939. They lived in Antwerp where Moise was a diamond dealer and Laja was an accountant. They were affiliated with the Portuguese synagogue in Antwerp and served on the Board of Jewish Welfare in Antwerp, as well as on the board of the Jewish Cemetery, Frechie Foundation, in Putte- Noord Brabant. On May 10, 1940, Germany launched a surprise attack on Belgium. The Iarchy’s tried to flee to the coast, but had to return to Antwerp. The Germans enacted anti-Jewish laws and ordinances restricting the civil rights of Jews and confiscating their property and businesses. By 1942, there were regular round-ups to deport Jews for forced labor. The Iarchy’s decided that Laja, Jean, and her mother should go into hiding. In the beginning of 1942, a member of the resistance, Eugene Cougnet, brought them to his castle, the Chateau de Bassin in Mean, joining about 60 other Jews who were hiding there. However, Laja did not think it was safe there and they left on October 24th, 1942. The next day, the German Gestapo raided the castle. With the assistance of another resistance member, Joseph Lebouttte, they were hidden in the home of Mlle. Pierre in Durbuy. Moise attempted to join them, but was arrested at the train station in Malines and deported on the XII convoy 713 on September 15, 1942. He threw a postcard from the train which reached his family; they received one more postcard, then never heard from him again. He died in the labor camp, Golleschau, a subcamp of Auschwitz, on January 14, 1943. Laja, her mother, and Jean lived in Durbuy for the remainder of the war. Laja supported the family spinning wool and knitting stockings and sweaters. In September 1944, they were liberated by the U.S. Army. They returned to Antwerp the following summer, in time for Jean to start school. Their rescuers, Eugene Cougnet and Joseph Leboutte, were recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. Laja died in Antwerp, age 71, on March 20, 1980.
The spinning wheel was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005 by Dr. Jean Iarchy, the son of Laja Grad Iarchy.
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a: Height: 35.500 inches (90.17 cm) | Width: 16.750 inches (42.545 cm) | Depth: 11.500 inches (29.21 cm) b: Height: 8.380 inches (21.285 cm) | Width: 3.620 inches (9.195 cm) | Depth: 3.250 inches (8.255 cm) c: Height: 10.500 inches (26.67 cm) | Width: 9.380 inches (23.825 cm) | Depth: 2.870 inches (7.29 cm)
Spinning wheel purchased by Laja Iarchy while she was living in hiding with her family in Durbuy, Belgium. She used it to spin wool from local sheep from which she knitted socks and sweaters that she sold to support her family. After the Germans invaded Belgium in May 1940, they enacted anti-Jewish legislation, confiscated property, and soon were targeting Jews for deportation to labor camps. To escape persecution, the Iarchy family decided to go into hiding in early 1942. Laja, her 3 year old son, Jean, and her mother left Antwerp and, with the assistance of the Belgium resistance, found refuge in Durbuy. Her husband, Moise, tried to join them there, but was arrested and deported to the Golleschau labor camp, where he died on January 10, 1943. Durbuy was liberated by US troops in September 1944. Laja and her family returned to Antwerp the following summer.
The accession number parts a-i designate the following: a. wheel; b. table; c. spool holder; d. spool; e. spool; f. spool; g. flyer; h. spool; i. bobbin. However, these are not separate items and could not be measured, described as such. a-b. Dark, wooden, upright spinning wheel operated by foot treadle. The fly wheel is attached to a semi-circular base with 4 turned legs; it is held up by maiden posts. The wheel is attached to the wooden treadle by a metal footman (bar) and natural fiber string. The treadle is nailed to the leg support bar. One side of the wheel has a tall mother-of-all pole with a drive band tension knob on the top; this is a threaded wood screw surrounded by a cylindrical cage. The mother-of-all pole is attached to a horizontal pole that attaches to the maiden post where the flyer (g) also attaches. Attached to this maiden post is a shorter pole that attaches the spool holder. c-f. The spool holder has a rectangular flat wood surface. Three metal spokes at the top hold 3 wooden spools. The underside has a partial part that attaches to a pole on the wheel. g-i. The U-shaped flyer has metal hooks on both wooden arms. It has a moveable wooden bobbin that attaches to the circular whorl base.
Wooden spinning wheel used while in hiding in Belgium