A tale that has been enshrined into the consciousness of Bais Yaakov students worldwide
One of the acclaimed, yet mysterious Holocaust legends is that of the 93 Bais Yaakov martyrs of Krakow. A tale which has been enshrined into the consciousness of Bais Yaakov students worldwide, it has come to encapsulate the suffering, sacrifice, and ultimate martyrdom faced by so many of the six million kedoshim.
Though its origins remain unclear, the heartrending letter seems to have been received via Switzerland by Meir Schenkelowski, secretary of the World Bais Yaakov movement in New York City in January 1943. He passed it on to Rabbi Leo Jung and other Agudath Israel activists. The tragic account of the girls’ heroism was then reported by the New York Times and other important media outlets.
It evoked a great emotional reaction among Jewish communities around the world, who were just beginning to learn of the unspeakable horrors unfolding in Europe. The 26th of Adar, the eighth yahrtzeit of Bais Yaakov founder Sarah Schneirer was designated by the Keren Hatorah of Agudath Israel as a day of mourning and commemoration for the heroic martyrs, while memorial gatherings continued to be held by Jews of all stripes during the ensuing months. The Chicago memorial event, hosted by the Jewish National Fund, was a demonstration of the profound impact stories of this kind had upon world Jewry.
Bais Yaakov during the Holocaust: Bais Yaakov leader Rabbi Yehuda Leib Orlean heroically managed to maintain a semblance of continuity in Nazi-occupied Poland. Following the closing of its flagship school (where he served as principal), he continued to maintain a close connection to Bais Yaakov and Bnos leadership in the region. Even a brutal beating by the Nazis did not hamper his herculean efforts. He established five clandestine Bais Yaakov schools in the Warsaw Ghetto, personally teaching at two of them while serving as a listening ear and guide to all students who sought his counsel. A Paraguayan passport sent by an alumnus residing in Switzerland unfortunately didn’t bring the desired salvation, as he was deported to his death by the Nazis, departing from Bergen-Belsen on Simchas Torah 1943.
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