Some 70 documents from the estate of Dr. Zvi Azarya (Helfgut), [1920-s-1970-s]. Has interesting documents from World War II. Hebrew, German, Yugoslavian / Serbo-Croatian.
Dr. Zvi Azarya (Helfgut, 1913-2002) was born in Yugoslavia as Herman Helfgut. Studied theology in Sarajevo and in the Beit Midrash for Rabbis in Vienna; studied philosophy in the University of Vienna. In 1938, following the unification of Austria with Nazi Germany, he escaped from Vienna and continued his studies in Budapest. Ordained as rabbi and completed his doctorate in philosophy. After finishing his studies, he served as Rabbi of the Veliki Bečkerek community in Yugoslavia. During World War II, he served in the Yugoslavian army, fell into German captivity, and remained there for four years. After his liberation in 1945, he reached the Bergen-Belsen camp where he assisted Holocaust survivors. Later, he was appointed Chief Rabbi of communities in the area of the British conquest of Germany and was active in recruiting Holocaust survivors to join the Haganah. In 1948, he immigrated to Israel and in the 1950-s was sent to Germany where he served as Rabbi of Koln. He organized aliya and cultivated contact between Israel and Germany. In 1961, he returned to Israel and began serving (voluntarily) as rabbi of Savion. Was active in perpetuating memory of the Holocaust. A founder of the organization She'erit Hapleita, Chairman of the Yugoslavian Fighters in Israel and member of the management and council of Yad Vashem.
This collection includes: * Some 20 documents from the war period or from years adjacent to the war: a drawing of barracks in the German prisoner camp (drawn during the war). Handwritten under the drawing are names of 50 prisoners imprisoned in the camp together with Azarya. Each prisoner signed his name, personal number and added several autobiographic details. 20.5X30 cm. Good condition, foxed. *Nine sketches and handwritten, hand-illustrated leaves, done in captivity: Large New Year blessings, for 1943 and 1944; leaves detailing the hours of prayer in the camp: two leaves for Pesach and a leaf for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (1943); two leaves with the Hebrew title Chug Ivri – invitations for events in honor of Chanuka in Camp Barrack no. 38 (1943); program for an event in honor of Pesach which took place in Barrack no. 38 (1944); another leaf – a program for an event that took place in Barrack no. 36. * Two photographs of soldiers in army uniform (Yugoslavia?), during the war years; another photograph dated (1942) and described in handwriting on reverse side (the people photographed are wearing necklaces with metal disks); photograph of a soccer team from Zagreb (1926) and another family photograph. * Postcard sent from Mitrovica to Novi Sad in 1945. * Printed note, American Red Cross, Standard Package No. 8 for Prisoner of War – attached to a food package, February 1942. * List of war prisoners sitting in prisoner barracks. 16X16 cm. * Postcard with photograph of prisoner camp Stalag 11 B, described on reverse side "Stalag XI B, Fallingbostel Zarobijen od 26.IV.1941-11.IV.1945". Attached is a copy of a "Pesach Haggada to commemorate 20 years from the liberation of war prisoners from German camps" (of the Yugoslavian group), that relates the story of hundreds of Jewish soldiers who served in the Yugoslavian army during World War II and fell into German captivity. The Hagaddah tells of the life of the prisoners in the German camps and is accompanied by photographs and illustrations from the war whose original copies are in this collection.
The archive also includes documents from the 50-s until the 70-s: * Photographs of the tombstones of Jewish soldiers who fell into captivity and died in the prison camp. * A handwritten draft of the anti-fascist council regulation; printed drafts of Osnabrück. * A protocol of the Historical-Museum Committee meeting of the Union of Yugoslavian Immigrants; photocopies (Xerox) of documents from the Jewish museum of Belgrade; photocopy (Xerox) of a ketuba from Bergen-Belsen; letters from the Israel Organization of Discharged Soldiers and The Israel Organization of Soldiers Who Served the Allies During World War II (the Yugoslavian group), the management of the World Jewish Congress, the Jewish Agency, several letters from the organization She'erit HaPleita (Dr. Yosef Lederer), other organizations; copy of letters from Azarya to various organizations and people. A letter by Rabbi She'ar Yashuv HaCohen; letters on the subject Jewish claims of Yugoslavian emigrants according to the Federal Compensation Law; a handwritten notebook, with copies of letters sent to officers and commanders in the Oplag 6 camp, Osnabrück, during the time of Azarya's captivity; additional documents.
Varied size and condition.