Holocaust Memorials - German Reparations
“Today I visited the Hall of Destruction on Mt. Zion and saw a few of the signs of what the Nazis had done. I cried like a baby.”
August 12, 1957 - at night
"I went to Tel Aviv in new trains built with German Reparations."
August 3, 1957 - at night
David's Comments
Acceptance of German Reparations created a rift in the State of Israel.
Hall of Destruction (Chamber of the Holocaust) on Mt. Zion, Jerusalem
A Nazi officer forced a Jewish tailor to sew him a shirt using a Torah scroll
Israel's trains in 1950's were provided by Germany as part of Reparations
A mass protest in Israel against accepting Reparations ("Jewish blood money") from Germany
Opposition leader, Menachem Begin leads the popular protests against Reparations
"Hall of Destruction" - "I cried like a baby"
“Today I visited The Hall of Destruction on Mt. Zion and saw a few of the signs of what the Nazi’s had done. I cried like a baby”
Prior to Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Holocaust memorial was called the Hall of Destruction, also known as the Chamber of the Holocaust. It was established in 1949 on Mount Zion, which is near David’s Tomb adjacent to the Old City.
Yad Vashem on Mt. Herzl is now the official Holocaust Center, but the Chamber of the Holocaust on Mt Zion is still open to visitors
A major difference between Yad Vashem and Chamber of the Holocaust is that Chamber of the Holocaust does not take funding from the Germans. Yad Vashem receives more than 1 milllion euro annually from the German government and substantial donations from Volkswagon and Damlier.
Israel's Trains from German Reparations
“This morning I left Haifa for Tel Aviv …….in new trains built with German Reparations.”
Another word for reparations would be compensation.
Following the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948, the Germans offered the government of Israel reparations as an apology for their country’s participation in the murder of six million Jews.
Many survivors of the Holocaust who traveled to Aushwitz by German trains were traumatized and afraid to travel on trains that came from Germany. Some almost felt as if they were going back to Aushwitz.
Trauma & Protest against accepting Reparations
Many Jews, including my father, opposed taking this “blood money.” Former Israel Knesset Member Dov Shilansky agreed with my father and was even arrested trying to stop the reparations. In October 1952, Shilansky was arrested while attempting to bring a suitcase bomb into the Israeli Foreign Ministry as a protest against the Reparations and was sentenced to two years in prison. My father’s protest against the Germans included his commitment not to buy German products.
David's Comments
1957 vs today
In 1957, Ixxxx
Today, Txxx
LINKS:
“Hall of Destruction” (Chamber of the Holocaust) on Mt. Zion: https://youtu.be/FEwFlA84wpk
Unique items in the “Chamber of the Holocaust”: https://vimeo.com/447458040
German Holocaust Reparations – jewish Virtual library: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/german-holocaust-reparations
German government helps fund Yad Vashem: https://www.yadvashem.org/events/01-february-2012.html
German Companies donate to Yad Vashem Expansion: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/borussia-dortmund-german-companies-to-fund-yad-vashem-expansion-585639