Object numberM1991/042:007
DescriptionPrayer sheet, one of a collection of 11 hand-written Hebrew prayer sheets for Jewish festivals and High Holy days printed and distributed by Rabbi Rene Samuel Kapel (Kapelovitz) (1907–1994), who was the 'Aumonier des camps' - chaplain and welfare officer of all reception centres and camps of internment in south/west France from August 1940 to December 1942. This prayer sheet is dated 15 December 1941, which was the first day of Chanukah in 1941. It features the three blessings said on Chanukah, the words of the song Hanerot hallalu and Maoz Tzur. Each letter of the word “Toulouse” appears within the branches of a simple drawn menorah.
Rabbi Kapel’s work has been described as both pastoral and logistical: providing ritual support, advocating for detainees and sustaining Jewish religious life under catastrophic conditions. Textual sources affirm that such materials once circulated. Several historical studies of the aumônerie juive refer to duplicated festival prayers and liturgical leaflets, and one explicitly notes that Kapel organised and financed mimeographing or roneotyping, effectively confirming that prayers and religious texts were being reproduced for use in the camps. Kapel’s own testimony describes his efforts to arrange “prayers for the festivals, candles for Yom Kippur…”.
Rabbi Kapel’s work has been described as both pastoral and logistical: providing ritual support, advocating for detainees and sustaining Jewish religious life under catastrophic conditions. Textual sources affirm that such materials once circulated. Several historical studies of the aumônerie juive refer to duplicated festival prayers and liturgical leaflets, and one explicitly notes that Kapel organised and financed mimeographing or roneotyping, effectively confirming that prayers and religious texts were being reproduced for use in the camps. Kapel’s own testimony describes his efforts to arrange “prayers for the festivals, candles for Yom Kippur…”.
Production placeFrance
Production date 1941-12-15
Subjectritual prayer, Judaica, spiritual resistance, Hanukkah
Object nameprayers
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 209.00 mm
height: 270.00 mm
Language
- Hebrew
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mr. Theo Rawack