Czech Memorial Scroll No. 867
Object numberM2000/034:001
TitleCzech Memorial Scroll No. 867
DescriptionTorah scroll, Bohemia, c1880 restored in 1964.
On permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, London.
The Sefer Torah originates from Hermanuv Mestec, a town in Czechoslovakia, c1880. It is one of 1564 Czech Torah’s which constituted part of the treasures looted by the Nazis from the devastated Jewish communities of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia between 1938 and 1945. They were housed in a synagogue on the outskirts of Prague until 1964, when the collection was conveyed to the Westminster synagogue in London where they were restored and shipped to synagogues around the world, distributed in memory of murdered communities.
Inscription in Hebrew at the bottom of the wooden handle reads, ‘This is the Torah which was given to Moses; number 867 Czech Memorial Scrolls Westminster Synagogue London 1964-5724.’
A small Jewish community existed in Hermanuv Mestec from the end of the 15th century. A synagogue was built in 1760. At its peak in 1893 the community numbered 1,085, including the Jews in 40 surrounding villages, but declined to 54 in 1930. In 1942, the Nazis deported the last remaining Jews to death camps. The synagogue treasures were sent to the State Jewish Museum in Prague for safety, where curators valiantly strove to preserve the legacy while working under Nazi occupation. Today, there is no Jewish population left in Hermanuv Mestec (Heřmanův Městec) and the restored synagogue is used as a venue for cultural events.
According to Michael Heppner, Czech Torah Network, “The Scrolls were saved by the implementation of a remarkable plan that had been instigated by a group of Jews in the beleaguered Jewish community and not, as had previously been imagined, as part of a mythical Nazi plan for a 'museum of the extinct race' ... this reflects the true situation instead of the diplomatic fiction that was necessary to satisfy the Communist authorities who had agreed to sell the Scrolls to Westminster Synagogue in London.”
Used by the Canberra Jewish community for more than two decades, the congregation decided, with approval from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, to present this Torah scroll to the Sydney Jewish Museum as part of Shoah Remembrance week in 2000.
To learn the full story of the Czech memorial scrolls please visit www.memorialscrollstrust.org
On permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, London.
The Sefer Torah originates from Hermanuv Mestec, a town in Czechoslovakia, c1880. It is one of 1564 Czech Torah’s which constituted part of the treasures looted by the Nazis from the devastated Jewish communities of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia between 1938 and 1945. They were housed in a synagogue on the outskirts of Prague until 1964, when the collection was conveyed to the Westminster synagogue in London where they were restored and shipped to synagogues around the world, distributed in memory of murdered communities.
Inscription in Hebrew at the bottom of the wooden handle reads, ‘This is the Torah which was given to Moses; number 867 Czech Memorial Scrolls Westminster Synagogue London 1964-5724.’
A small Jewish community existed in Hermanuv Mestec from the end of the 15th century. A synagogue was built in 1760. At its peak in 1893 the community numbered 1,085, including the Jews in 40 surrounding villages, but declined to 54 in 1930. In 1942, the Nazis deported the last remaining Jews to death camps. The synagogue treasures were sent to the State Jewish Museum in Prague for safety, where curators valiantly strove to preserve the legacy while working under Nazi occupation. Today, there is no Jewish population left in Hermanuv Mestec (Heřmanův Městec) and the restored synagogue is used as a venue for cultural events.
According to Michael Heppner, Czech Torah Network, “The Scrolls were saved by the implementation of a remarkable plan that had been instigated by a group of Jews in the beleaguered Jewish community and not, as had previously been imagined, as part of a mythical Nazi plan for a 'museum of the extinct race' ... this reflects the true situation instead of the diplomatic fiction that was necessary to satisfy the Communist authorities who had agreed to sell the Scrolls to Westminster Synagogue in London.”
Used by the Canberra Jewish community for more than two decades, the congregation decided, with approval from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, to present this Torah scroll to the Sydney Jewish Museum as part of Shoah Remembrance week in 2000.
To learn the full story of the Czech memorial scrolls please visit www.memorialscrollstrust.org
Production placeHermanuv Mestec, Czechoslovakia
Production date circa 1880
SubjectRitual Object, Judaism
Object nameTorah scrolls
Materialparchment
Dimensions
- with rolers height: 1050.00 mm
height: 658.00 mm
width: 280.00 mm
parchment only length: 658.00 mm
Language
- Hebrew
Credit lineOn permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust, London.