On the occasion of Purim, we present a unique exhibit from the MGW collection – the megillah of Abraham Hendel, head of the so-called rabbinical workshop in the Warsaw Ghetto, purchased in March last year at an international auction.
Megillah (Hebrew for "scroll") refers to five biblical books ( hamesh megillot ) that are inextricably linked to the celebration of selected Jewish holidays. One of the oldest known love poems – the Song of Songs – is read in the synagogue during Passover, while the Book of Ruth is read during Shavuot. On Tisha B'Av, verses from Lamentations are recited to commemorate the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, while on Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, the words of Ecclesiastes are recited.
However, it is the Book of Esther that has been most strongly associated with the term "megillah," becoming synonymous with its formal name. This doesn't mean that its content is superior to the other four megillot . However, only this one is read from a real, handwritten parchment scroll, accompanied by a unique ritual—the listeners make noise with special rattles each time Haman's name appears in the story. Despite this collective custom, possessing a copy of the megillah was the norm for every Jewish household, and consequently, artisans put considerable effort into illustrating the scroll's text and producing elaborate, ornate cases of wood or silver.
Interestingly, Megillah Esther is the only biblical book that does not mention God's name even once. It tells the story of the Jews' salvation from Haman, who sought their extermination throughout Persia. This story is commemorated by the joyful holiday of Purim , celebrated on Adar 14 and 15, which fall at the beginning of this week. The Megillah will be read twice: on Monday after sunset and on Tuesday morning. Other traditions accompanying this holiday include carnival costumes, occasional baked goods called hamantasch , Purim shpil (themed performances), and the adloyada – a Purim parade during which large quantities of alcohol are traditionally consumed.
Last March, the Warsaw Ghetto Museum purchased a unique artifact at an international auction: the megillah of Abraham Hendel, head of the so-called rabbinical workshop in the Warsaw Ghetto. It was given to him by factory workers in the winter of 1942, shortly before the great liquidation.
Abraham Hendel (1894–1973) was born in Sokołów Podlaski and was a follower of the local tzaddik. From his youth, he became renowned as a brilliant Torah scholar. A few years after his marriage, he moved to Warsaw, where he quickly gained a reputation as an equally gifted businessman. Before the war, he was a well-known leather wholesaler, even dubbed the "king of the leather business." He owned a leather tanning plant and a shoemaker's workshop. After the outbreak of war and the beginning of the German occupation, Jewish property was confiscated, and his enterprise was taken over by a German industrialist from Gdańsk, Fritz Schultz. However, for practical reasons, he retained Hendel as manager of his former factory.
Hendel took advantage of the circumstances and his position to save Polish rabbinical authorities from destruction, or at least postpone it. He employed several dozen religious leaders and Torah scholars in his workshop, who, due to their specific education and experience, were unable to find the employment necessary to survive in the ghetto. These included rabbi Arie Tzvi Frumer, former rector of the yeshiva Chachmei Lublin; Tzaddik of Piaseczno, rabbi Kalonimus Szapiro; Abraham Shlomo Rabinowicz, son of Tzaddik Niestadler; rabbi Moshe Bezalel Age and his nephew Gaon Meir Alter, son of the tzaddik from Góra Kalwaria called Imrei Eres; rabbi Yitzhak Menachem Mendel Danciger from Aleksandrów, author Akeidas Yitzchok; Blumenfeld, movement activist Mizrachi; rabbis: Menachem Ziemba from Warsaw's Praga district, Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowicz from Radomsko, Benjamin Paltiel Morgenstern from Kock and David Halberstam from Sosnowiec, or a rabbi Alexander Zusia Friedman, party secretary Agudas Yisroel and author of the still popular compilation of commentaries on the weekly Torah portions, Ma'ajana shel Torah.
Thanks to their employment at the Hendel factory, they were able to continue their Torah studies and religious rituals, as Hillel Seidman attests in his memoirs. Furthermore, their manager obtained special permission to employ workers over the age of 50, a practice that was prohibited in most workplaces in the ghetto. As an expression of gratitude, the working rabbis presented their manager with the Scroll of Esther for his dedication to helping religious Jews.
The silver case is the work of Polish-Jewish goldsmith Israel Shekman , a renowned Warsaw manufacturer of Judaica and other silver objects. The engraved inscription reads: " To the speaker of peace and his staff, Mr. Abraham Hendel. A gift from the employees of the A. Hendel factory, Shevat 5702 [January/February 1942]. The term "speaker of peace" (Hebrew: Dower shalom ) is a reference to Mordechai, one of the main characters in the gifted Book of Esther, who prevented the extermination of thousands of Jews in ancient Persia.
Most of the plant's workers perished in 1943 in the Trawniki concentration camp. Hendel himself managed to survive, hidden in the ghetto until its final extermination, then escaped to the so-called Aryan side of Warsaw. He participated in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and, disguised as a priest, was sent to the German concentration camp in Dachau. After the war, he returned to Łódź and then emigrated to Palestine. He spent the rest of his life in Tel Aviv.
The Warsaw Ghetto Museum is constantly seeking artifacts related to Jewish history, everyday life, religion, and culture, particularly from the interwar and war years. Those interested in donating memorabilia for the permanent exhibition are asked to visit the Warsaw Ghetto Museum's temporary location at 39 Zielna Street. Please contact us in advance by email: bibliotek@1943.pl or by phone: +48 22 419 92 50 (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
