United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
folder 1
Contains a letter written by a prominent Admor near the end of WWII; a notation on the back of the letter states (in translation)"Erev Shabbos Kodesh, Vayakhel, in the morning 8:00, Tel Aviv" The author describes the deaths of his forefathers, family members, and friends, and his troubles during the Holocaust including the many attempts on his life and times he was saved from certain death. The back of the letter features a prayer in his hand. The letter reads (in translation):"Baruch Hash-m who took us out of the hands of murderers and the netherworld of destruction of the death camps ... many misfortunes have surrounded us, gigantic dangers encircled us, between the teeth of the lions, snakes and scorpions I discovered. In Auschwitz, Dachau, Grosswardein, where the killings are located, and other death camps of the German nation who have destroyed one third of the holy nation, Bnei Yisrael, I was there, and a number of times I was a step between life and death. Hash-m has saved us and I bless on this a blessing of thanksgiving as I am obligated from the Torah ... as it says baruch Hash-m asher hetzil ... and if Yitro made this blessing for Yisrael, the man himself that was saved should bless. I lost everything that was beloved to me, the darling of my eye, my holy father, etc. and his family, my first wife, my son and my three daughters, my brothers and their families, my sisters, uncles, aunt and their holy families. If only my head would cry water without stop because I do not have a consoler. I saw with my eyes the smoke of the crematorium and I smelled the smell of the smoke of the sacrifices and I wandered from place to place in despair after despair when morning after morning my eyes saw my friends and brothers, who just yesterday we prayed and learned together, we suffered and worked together, and now the next day they were taken out dead, bloated with hunger, hit and beaten cruelly and mass burnings. Every heart melts and turns into water ... Pure, holy righteous people from the Jewish nation and the family of our holy fathers, the Admors of Sanz, Shinova, Stropkov, Ropshitz, Ujhely, Apta, ... may all of their memories be for a blessing, may their blood be avenged soon ... and we were left - holy seed from a house of righteous people - just very few - in a dark world .."
Admor letter