On the night of Kristallnacht .... November 9-10th, 1938...........Life Before the Holocaust

Life Before the Holocaust “aims to share stories of the Jewish communities that were built and the lives that were lived by Jewish individuals living in countries and towns across the European continent before the start of the Holocaust”. *

The 8th night of Hanukkah, Kiel, Germany, December 12th, 1931

I came across it by chance, and continue to find it a compelling and powerful site.

Members are welcome to share stories about their families, their experiences, and things they may have heard or learned along the way.

The first image I have chosen to reproduce is from William Miconnet who wrote, “Rabbi Akiva Boruch Posner lit this menorah on the 8th night of Hanukkah in full view of the Nazi headquarters in Kiel, Germany, 12 December 1931”

Chava Hochrad

The second was posted by Elaine F. Miller, who added “The young woman on the left was my father’s paternal cousin, Chaya Hochrad. 

She was the daughter of Yachov Hochrad and Khaia Leiter Hochrad of Frampol, Poland. She was one of seven siblings. She did not survive”.

The site is hosted By The National Library of Israel, which was founded in Jerusalem in 1892.*

The National Library of Israel (NLI) "serves as the dynamic institution of national memory for the Jewish people worldwide and Israelis of all backgrounds and faiths.

While continuing to serve as Israel's pre-eminent research library, NLI has recently embarked upon an ambitious journey of renewal to encourage diverse audiences in Israel and around the globe to engage with its treasures in new and meaningful ways.

This is taking place through a range of innovative educational, cultural and digital initiatives, as well as through a new landmark campus next to the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in Jerusalem. The new campus is currently under construction and on schedule to be completed in 2021.

The National Library has four core collections: Israel, Judaica, Islam and Middle East, and the Humanities. Highlights include significant handwritten works by luminaries such as Maimonides and Sir Isaac Newton, exquisite Islamic manuscripts dating back to the ninth century and the personal archives of leading cultural and intellectual figures including Martin Buber, Natan Sharansky and Naomi Shemer.

The National Library holds the world's largest collections of textual Judaica, Jewish and Israeli music, and maps of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, as well as world-class collections of manuscripts, ancient maps, rare books, photographs, communal and personal archival materials, and more".**

*Life Before the Holocaust, https://www.facebook.com/groups/299090977346058/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

**The National Library of Israel, https://web.nli.org.il/sites/nli/english/Pages/default.aspx