Jerusalem, Israel - Dec. 27, 2016 – Jerusalem - The Chanukah story is centered on Jewish identity and symbolizes Jewish resilience and strength. Therefore, it was especially appropriate during the first International Conference for Jewish Educators at Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies, for special Chanukah candle-lighting ceremonies using authentic Chanukah menorahs from the Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection. "Each menorah has a unique story similar to those of Holocaust survivors themselves," said conference organizer Ephraim Kaye, Director of the Jewish World and International Seminars Department at the International School for Holocaust Studies. "Just as we use artifacts and testimonies to tell the story of the Holocaust, so, too, are these menorahs examples of how Jews put themselves at risk to maintain their Jewish identities."
Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council Rabbi Israel Meir Lau's mother was from Krakow. On the third night of Chanukah, at the opening of the international conference for Jewish Educators, Rav Lau lit the special "Krakow Menorah," a rare menorah crafted in Bruges (Brussels) dating back to the late 18th or early 19th century. The menorah represents a facade of a wooden synagogue which was common in Lithuania and Poland up until the Shoah. Many of the synagogues were burned and destroyed during World War II. This multi-purpose menorah was also used to light the Sabbath candles on a weekly basis. At the end of the war, the returning Jews found the menorah with other items from this once thriving epicenter of Jewish life, and it was given to Yad Vashem for preservation and commemoration.
Another menorah to be used at the conference is the Hanukah Menorah from Kiel, Germany, which belonged to Rabbi Dr. Akiva Posner, who served as the last Rabbi of the community of Kiel, Germany from 1924-1933. With the rise of the Nazi Party to power, Rabbi Posner began protesting the insurgence of antisemitic sentiment in the city. Despite his efforts, tension and violence continued to rise in Kiel, forcing Rabbi Posner and his family to flee. In 1933, he, his wife Rachel and their three children left for Eretz Israel. Yehuda Mansbach, grandson of Rabbi Akiva and Rachel Posner, is to light the menorah for the fourth night of Hanukkah.
In 1940, Zelig Scheinowitz crafted a simple wooden menorah from plywood while interned in the Westerbork detention camp. Scheinowitz worked in the clothing factory sorting and fixing cloths. Due to his profession, he managed to survive and together with his family and menorah, he was liberated in April 1945 by the Canadian Army. The menorah was eventually donated to Yad Vashem by Nachman Scheinowitz. Thirty-eight members of Scheinowitz family, including one survivor, will be present at the candle-lighting ceremony on Wednesday night.
The stories of these menorahs and other artifacts can be found in an online exhibition, entitled "Hanukkah – The Festival of Lights."
Over the years, the Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection has amassed one of the world's largest collection, containing some 30,000 items.
Rav Lau spoke of assimilation and survival, his remarks are shared in this video:
