Yeshiva establishing archive
for Holocaust-era writings
LAKEWOOD — Beth Medrash Govoha, a Yeshiva college in Lakewood, has been awarded a grant by the Confer-ence on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany for its establishment of an archive and publication facility that will research and disseminate works of Jewish scholarship salvaged from the Holocaust.
According to a press release, the Claims Conference is responsible for selling Jewish property confiscated by the Nazis for which there are no surviving claimants, disseminating the proceeds to fund services for Holocaust survivors, and further Holocaust research, education and documentation.
"Study and scholarship were central to the lives of European Jews," said Rabbi Tzvi Rotberg, director of publications and chief archivist at Beth Medrash Govoha. "Each town and shtetl (village) took great pride in its rabbi, preacher and teacher. Young and old, rich and poor alike would study sacred texts and take part in lively debates.
"When the Holocaust laid waste to European Jewry and its myriad institutions of learning, many of these texts were hidden away or destroyed. But thousands of surviving manuscripts and journals lie in attics and cellars or gather dust on archival shelves all over the world. These manuscripts and journals reflect the vibrant culture that vitalized pre-war Jewry and gave shape and substance to its life," he said.
Through the efforts of a hand-picked team of scholars, editors and research personnel, the Yeshiva aims to track down these lost scholastic efforts, maintain an archive of documents and correspondence spanning the Holocaust and post-Holocaust eras, and make these files available for research and educational purposes. The Yeshiva is working in cooperation with several prominent libraries and collectors.
"After so many decades, we will give voice, at long last, to scholars who perished at the hands of the Nazis," said Chanie Jacobowitz, director of special projects at Beth Medrash Govoha.
According to the press release, Beth Medrash Govoha has already recovered a vast amount of pre-World War II manuscripts, as well as newspapers, periodicals and journals containing a profusion of Talmudic thought, polemics and insightful commentary on day-to-day life in pre-Holocaust Europe. This material will be transferred to the new archive and the process of cataloging and indexing the materials will continue.
In addition, materials documenting the flight of survivors out of Europe, including those helped by the Yeshiva’s founder Rabbi Aaron Kotler, will be added to the archive, shedding light on World War II rescue operations, refugee relief and the challenges of rebuilding Jewish educational infrastructure in the aftermath of World War II.
The project has been named "Daas Kedoshim," which translates from the Hebrew as "Scholarly Works of the Martyred." The Daas Kedoshim archive will be part of a larger Holocaust Memorial Learning Center now being established at Beth Medrash Govoha, which will include a study program, the publishing and archive facility, a memorial courtyard and a separate children’s memorial.
According to Rotberg, "The Holocaust Memorial Learning Center is being launched at the behest of survivors who seek a meaningful memorial to those who perished in the Holocaust. It will serve as a legacy for those who managed to rebuild their lives after having experienced the tragic events of that era."