The Last Bris in the Hague under Nazi Rule

In the middle of April 1912 I attended a so called “Bris”,(circumcision) of a child of a dear friend of mine, Mr. Max Finkel. He originally came from Poland, then when Hitler got into power, moved to the Netherlands, to Arnhem. When it was feared that the Germans would also invade the Netherlands he moved behind the “waterline” (water defense) to the Hague.

He played an active part in the activities of the Jewish Community, especially in connection with the teenage boys and girls. Mr. Max Finkel had many children. This is what he put on paper and presented to me:

Bedomayich-chayi

Springtime of the year 1942 was a sad and troubled period for the Jews of Holland. The German armies cruelly occupied this peaceful land. Food was in short supply and strictly rationed. The reign of terror imposed by the German oppressors was felt everywhere.

The Jews, more than anyone else, awaited with fear and trembling the new decrees that each day brought. The wearing of the yellow star, the 8.00 P.M. curfew for Jews, restricted hours for shopping, prohibition of public transportation for Jews, Jewish business firms taken over by German “Verwalter”s, Jewish hostages shot in cold blood, all these were merely preliminary steps that culminated in the announcement that all Jews were to be deported to an unknown destination in Poland.

It was during these ominous spring days that a Simcha was celebrated in The Hague, a beautiful city, with a flourishing Jewish community. This Simcha was to be the last happy occasion at which the leaders of the Bezuidenhout community were gathered for it was feared that most of the men seated around that festive table were condemned to…. and within a few short weeks or month they………..

The Simcha which took place at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Max Finkel, was the B’rith Milah of their seventh child Gabriel, born on April 13th 1942. Among the guests were Rabbijn van Gelder, the Rav of the Community, the two Gabbaim Mr. de Bruin and Mr. Hamme, Mr. M. Frankenhuis, Mr. I.G. Lange, Mr. Naftali Abrahams, Mr. Aaron Salomons from Arnhem, Cantor Mossel, Mr. van Leeuwen and many other friends. The Mohel was Mr. Mahram Levy, the Sandek Moshe Finkel, the grandfather of the child. For them too, this proved to be the last B ‘rith at which they officiated.

The mood was a joyous one, in spite of the dark clouds of impending doom, for all saw in this B ‘rith a happy and reassuring omen, that our people would live on and would endure all hardship our inhuman enemies would thrust upon us. When the Seudah began with Birkas Hamotzi over the large challah, to the surprise of everyone, the challah was pure white on the inside. Since the beginning of the occupation white flour was impossible to be had, since all flour was mixed with potato starch and a tulip bulb meal.

Seeing the white challah, Rabbijn van Gelder, with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes, remarked: “Sh’choroh ani v’ novo, I am black, but beautiful.” (Shir Hashirim 1: 5), a reference to the obvious origin of the white flour.

Many words were spoken that morning in the spring. Words of hope, encouragement. The words themselves were soon to pass from memory. What lives on is the memory of a gallant group of men, proud sons of Father Abraham, who gathered on that bright morning in the spring, to celebrate their last joyful hour by bringing a newborn child into the age-old covenant of Abraham and to hear the Mohel say the words of the Prophet Yecheskel (16:6) Bedomayich chayi – In thy blood – live.

May their memory be blessed.

Excerpt from Frankenhuis Collection, Memoirs Volume 24 -The Last Bris in the Hague under Nazi Rule