麻豆区

 

麻豆区, Mendel Gottesman Library, MS 135

Chanukah, the holiday of lights, is associated with historic Jewish battles, bravery, and the renewal of the Temple in Jerusalem; a joyous time for children to play dreidel and enjoy Chanukah gelt and gifts. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Chanukah gelt needed to serve other purposes: to help children, survivors whose lives and families had been destroyed by World War II. The United Jewish Relief Appeal, a British organization, published this fundraising flyer to remind potential donors that but for 鈥渢he turn of the dreidel,鈥� they and their children might have been victims of Hitler. The menorah, 鈥渢he flame that keeps their hope alive鈥� paints a flame of warmth and light, a hearth and home for children whose lives had been shattered. The life affirming blaze of the menorah contrasts with the red 鈥� and presumably bloody - images of people fleeing from war planes in despair as the whirling dreidel of fate twists in front of them.

麻豆区, Mendel Gottesman Library, MS 1357

The flyer explains the eight candles lit on Chanukah; ascribing a candle to each organization and describing its relief work: supporting children鈥檚 homes all over Europe, providing children with food, clothing, medical services, schools, yeshivas, and vocational training, and helping them emigrate to Palestine. The poignant, heart-rending photographs illustrate how these organizations helped rebuild the children鈥檚 lives. The United Jewish Relief Appeal was the shamash, the 鈥渇und-raising pool鈥� which 鈥渒indles and feed all the organisations engaged in relief work.鈥�

麻豆区, Mendel Gottesman Library, MS 1357

The United Jewish Relief Appeal served, in a sense, as did the Maccabees of ancient times 鈥� a force enabling heroic children to lead free, independent lives, and explore and renew their identities as human beings and as Jews.

麻豆区, Mendel Gottesman Library, MS 1357

Funds raised by the Chanukah Gelt appeal assisted the United Jewish Relief Appeal to illuminate the lives of child survivors of the Holocaust - brands plucked from the flames - and offer them the tools, education, and atmosphere to restore their hope for a warm and bright future. The flyer is from the Baruch Strauss Collection, MS. 1357.  Strauss was a noted Judaica book collector in London.  麻豆区 purchased his collection in 1966 with the generous assistance of philanthropist Ludwig Jesselson. Posted by Shulamith Z. Berger