Israeli NGO sees it as 'a moral obligation' to acquire auctioned Holocaust artifacts in Germany

The German auction house Felzmann recently caused global controversy when it announced plans to sell personal items that belonged to Jewish Holocaust victims. Many Jewish and German critics argued that it is unethical to sell belongings of individuals who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Yad Ezer L’Haver (Helping Hand to a Friend), an Israeli NGO based in Haifa decided to act by buying some of the artifacts and bringing them to the Jewish state. The organization plans to display the items at its Holocaust museum in Haifa. 

“We couldn’t stand by while memory was being sold,” the NGO stated. “This is a moral obligation to rescue the past for future generations.”

Feltzmann planned to sell artifacts such as clothing, suitcases with Jewish names, prayer books and other belongings of Jews who were deported to the concentration and extermination camps during the Second World War. 

The NGO’s CEO, Shimon Sabag, condemned the auction house’s intention to profit from items belonging to Holocaust victims. 

“It is unacceptable to trade in items that bear witness to the memory of the Holocaust and the suffering of the Jewish people," Sabag said. ”These items belong in a museum, especially one like ours in Haifa, where entrance is free and students and the general public can learn about one of the darkest chapters in Jewish history."

The NGO eventually succeeded in buying many of the artifacts from the auction house, which after negotiations agreed to suspend the sale of the remaining items. 

Holocaust survivors in Israel have welcomed the initiative to bring the artifacts to a museum in the Jewish state. 

“These letters show how Jews communicated. Schoolchildren who study the Holocaust should see them and understand. The letters must be preserved, and if possible, translated, so that future generations can read them. The Holocaust must not be forgotten," 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Manya Herman said. 

Sabag vowed that his organization would continue to work against the commercialization of Holocaust-related items. 

“Yad Ezer L’Haver is committed to doing everything possible to prevent the inappropriate trade of Holocaust artifacts and to ensure their proper place is in education, commemoration and remembrance,” he stated.

The recently acquired artifacts were scheduled to be displayed for the first time on Monday at an event hosted by the Knesset’s Special Committee for Combating Drugs and Alcohol. Holocaust survivors and officials were also expected to attend the special event. 

There are currently less than 200,000 Holocaust survivors in the world and the majority reside in Israel. Their numbers are dwindling rapidly due to their advanced age. A report in April forecasted that a whopping 70% of the currently living Holocaust survivors will be gone within the next decade. 

“This report provides clear urgency to our Holocaust education efforts,” Gideon Taylor, president of Claims Conference, stated. 

“Now is the time to hear first-hand testimonies from survivors, invite them to speak in our classrooms, places of worship and institutions. It is critical, not only for our youth but for people of all generations to hear and learn directly from Holocaust survivors. This report is a stark reminder that our time is almost up, our survivors are leaving us and this is the moment to hear their voices,” Taylor warned.