Today, April 12, 2018 is also the 27th of Nisan 5778 and Yom HaShoah. In honor of the day, I am sharing an artifact brought back by my father, Alfred Kleinfeld, who served in the US Army during WW2. He was in North Africa and then in Europe. His name is inscribed in the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center’s Memorial Hall.
Among the things that we have from him are a Yellow Star of David, with “Juif” on it, and the envelope in which he put it. The envelope bears his writing in pencil. It says: “This is a reminder of how cruel a nation of people can be to another. Let us keep it so we too can remember – when the time comes.” “Show it around.”
Below are photos of the Star and of the envelope. There are two of the envelope, one with the contrast enhanced to enable you to read his thoughts directly. With what he said, I do not need to add any additional comments.
Jack Kleinfeld
A Yellow Jewish Star of David, from Alfred Kleinfeld who served in the US Army in North Africa and Europe in WW2
A yellow star of David that Jews were forced to wear under the Nazi regime.
Envelope that contained a Yellow Jewish Star of David, from Alfred Kleinfeld who served in the US Army in North Africa and Europe in WW2
It says: "This is a reminder of how cruel a nation of people can be to another. Let us keep it so we too can remember - when the time comes." "Show it around."
Envelope that contained a Yellow Jewish Star of David, from Alfred Kleinfeld who served in the US Army in North Africa and Europe in WW2 (enhanced contrast)
It says: "This is a reminder of how cruel a nation of people can be to another. Let us keep it so we too can remember - when the time comes." "Show it around."
Edit / Addition
My son, Andrew, shared with me a post he put on Facebook. It was his request for photos of the artifacts that prompted my post. Here is his:
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah). I wanted to share something I found a little while back while looking through a box of my grandfather Alfred Kleinfeld’s (OBM) keepsakes from when he served with the U.S. Army during World War 2.
Amidst photos and postcards was this envelope. I strained to read my grandfather’s handwritten notes, slowly making out the text. I felt myself being overcome as I gradually realized what would be inside.
The envelope reads: “This is a reminder of how cruel a nation of people can be to another. Let us keep it so we too can remember when the time comes. Show it around.”
I thought about how my maternal grandmother (Helen Braun, OBM) was likely suffering in Auschwitz, across the continent, at the very same time as my paternal grandfather was preserving this marker. We are unfortunately left with more inanimate reminders like this piece of cloth than human reminders like my grandmother and many other survivors. A survey released today found that forty-one percent of Americans don’t know what Auschwitz was. We must remember. Show it around.
