us-005578-irn543242-irn543260
type: RecordSet
archival history: The tefillin bag was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by Gary Werner on behalf of the estate of his mother Annemarie Warschauer.
biographical history: Annemarie Alexander was born on August 3, 1920, in Berlin, Germany, to Isadore and Anna Hirschensohn Alexander, who was born in 1890. Isadore, born in 1876, was a wealthy businessman and the family lived in a thirty-two room house on an estate in Rittergut-Starpel, two hours from Berlin, where they had an apartment. Annemarie had a brother Richard. In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor and Germany was soon living under a Nazi dictatorship. Increasingly harsh legislation was passed to persecute the Jewish population. In 1936, a group of Nazi Party members came to the estate and took Isadore, who was home alone. Two days later, Annemarie and her family learned that he had been killed. Her mother Anne married again, to Leo Munter. On October 13, 1938, Annemarie, 18, married Egon Werner Israelski, 26, in a Berlin synagogue. Egon was born in 1912 to Anna Frankel Israelski (1889-1969) and businessman Hugo Israelski (1882-1950.) They lived with Annemarie’s mother in her large Berlin apartment. On November 9, 1938, during the Kristallnacht pogrom, the synagogue was destroyed and Jewish businesses and homes were vandalized. Soon afterwards, Gestapo blocked the entrance to their apartment building because it was Jewish owned. Eventually, Annemarie and her family were allowed to enter, but they decided it would be safer to move to a different building. Egon was selected for a forced labor camp in Neuendorf and Annemarie volunteered to go with him. They had their own room in the barracks, and Annemarie was in charge of making meals for the thirty-five men in the barracks. Egon dug potatoes and developed back problems and could not work. Annemarie was then sent to work at the Siemens factory in Gartenfeld. After she and Egon applied for visas to leave Germany, she was released from forced labor once she signed a paper saying that she would never reveal what she did there or she could be shot. The family wanted to go to the United States, but the immigration quot…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Extremely worn, hand sewn drawstring pouch with a brown shoelace inserted through the channel sewn near the top. The top portion is made from thin dark red cloth. The bottom half has a 6 point Star of David outline made from 4 rows of clear, yellow, and brown beads with the letters GM in yellow beads within. The Star is set in the center of a black embroidered background on net backing which is exposed in several areas. This section is bordered by twisted black and red yarn. The back has 3 embroidered flowers, one of which is unfinished, attached to a brown beaded stem. The interior is lined with light red cloth with 2 white stripes. The pouch appears to be made from remnants of cloth. It is discolored and extremely worn, with several holes that expose the liner.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
has beginning date: 1940-01-01
has end date: 1940-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn543260
is or was included in: us-005578-irn543242
record resource extent: overall: Height: 7.250 inches (18.415 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Beaded tefillin bag saved by Annemarie Warschauer that was used by a family member. Annemarie and her family lived on an estate near Berlin, Germany. The Nazi regime took power in 1933 and anti-Jewish policies to persecute Jews became law. In 1936, Nazi thugs took her father from their home and killed him. In 1938, Annemarie married Egon Israelski. A few weeks later Egon was assigned to a forced labor camp and Annemarie volunteered to go with him. When Egon was injured, she had to work in a factory. After they promised to leave Germany, they were released from labor service. In 1940, with Annemarie's mother and her husband Leo Munter, they went to Shanghai because it did not require visas. Life there was difficult and primitive. The city was liberated by US troops. In 1947, Annemarie, Egon, and their infant son left for America. Her parents could not get US visas and in 1951 went to Brazil.
title: Tefillin bag