Submitted by: Pia Brous
Photo:: Judaica artifacts found in Lodz; curtesy Lodz municipality
I had a huge family in Poland, as I had three Polish grandparents. My father’s family were incarcerated in the Lodz ghetto, and sadly, all died. My father, who was lucky to be working in North Africa, survived. All I have of my family who were incarcerated in the Lodz ghetto are photos of their names on the lists on the walls of the old Lodz station. The Nazis recorded the names of those they sent to the concentration camps.
However in January 2023, I learnt from the Australian news that 400 Jewish silver artifacts were unexpectedly dug up adjacent to the Lodz ghetto at a building site. It is thought that Jewish families buried these, so that they could reclaim them after the war. Of course, no one came back. – but could items from my dead family silver be in this collection? Maybe the family name is engraved on some of these. Will the Polish authorities seek for the descendants of these people?
It will be a miracle for me to have something from my lost family. If found, I would like to donate it to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to honour them.