us-005578-irn597299-irn613352
type: RecordSet
archival history: The prayer book was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Steven Weingarten, the nephew of Berthold Meier.
biographical history: Berthold Meier (1911-1999) was born in Littfeld, Germany, to Toni (neé Heumann, 1880-?) and Seligmann Meier (1878-1920). Seligmann was born in Littfeld, and passed away when Berthold was 8 years old. Toni was born in Beuel, Germany. Berthold was 21 years old and working as a butcher when Hitler came to power in January 1933. Under Hitler’s leadership, conditions in Germany grew increasingly difficult for German Jews. Following the passage of the Nuremberg Laws in September 1935, Berthold was legally defined as a Jew and stripped of his German citizenship, which led to restrictions on his rights. In 1937, he acquired a Deutsches Reich Reisepass, German passport. He later had to get his passport stamped with a red “J” after the Reich Ministry of the Interior invalidated all German passports held by Jews on October 5, 1938. The stamp was the only way that the passport would be valid, and was part of a larger effort by the German government to require Jews to identify themselves and separate them from the rest of the German population. The increasing restrictions in the 1930s led many Jews to emigrate from Germany, and in April 1939, Berthold immigrated to the United States aboard the SS Manhattan. Berthold arrived in New York City on April 27, 1939, and started working as a meat cutter in the city. The US entered World War II soon after the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On March 30, 1943, Berthold was drafted into the U.S. Army. He officially entered the service on April 6, and was assigned to the Medical Department as a Private with the serial number 32877854. In the Army, Berthold continued working as a meat cutter. His main duties were to cut down whole carcasses into smaller parts, prepare meats for distribution, balance deliveries, and weigh and store the meat. His job was essential in making sure that the hospital sites where he worked had steady access to a sanitary food supply. Berthold’s first assignment was at the 275th Station Hospital at…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Book; Revised Edition; 384 p.; 12.5 cm. Prayer book bound in brown cloth covers with a flexible spine. The title and symbol for the National Jewish Welfare Board printed on the front cover in black ink. There is water damage along the outer edges inside of the book, and loosening of the spine along the inside.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: after 1943 April 06-approximately 1946 March 17
has beginning date: 1943-01-01
has end date: 1943-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had identifier: 2
has or had some members with language: eng
has or had some members with language: heb
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn613352
is or was included in: us-005578-irn597299
record resource extent: overall: Height: 4.875 inches (12.383 cm) | Width: 3.250 inches (8.255 cm) | Depth: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Abridged prayer book for Jewish soldiers in the United States armed forces owned by German Jewish refugee Berthold Meier during his service in the US Army from April 6, 1943 to March 17, 1946. The book included the principal Jewish prayer services for times when the owner was unable to attend regular synagogue services. Berthold grew up in Littfeld, Germany with his mother, Toni. His father, Seligmann, died when Berthold was 8 years old. His mother was killed in the Holocaust after being deported to Poland’s Zamosc Ghetto in April 1942. Berthold was working as a butcher in Littfeld when Hitler came to power in January 1933. Following the passage of the Nuremberg Laws in September 1935, Berthold was legally defined as a Jew, which led to growing restrictions on his rights. He immigrated to the US in April 1939, and worked as a meat cutter in New York City. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor leading to the US entering the war. Berthold was drafted into the Army on March 30, 1943. He was assigned to the Medical Department as a Private, and sent to the 275th Station Hospital at Fort Knox, Kentucky to work as a meat cutter. On July 26, 1944 Berthold was deployed to England and began his assignment at the 140th General Hospital in Dorsetshire. Due to his expertise as a butcher, he also received a promotion in rank to a Technician 5th Grade. Berthold returned to the US on August 2, 1945 and received an honorable discharge on March 17, 1946.
title: Abridged prayer book for Jews in the armed forces of the United States used by a German Jewish refugee