A Holocaust-era mass grave was found in a backyard in Poland, and a groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial was held on Wednesday 18, according to the organization Shem Olam.
The grave was found in the Polish town of Wojsławice, otherwise known as Voislavize to its Yiddish-speaking residents. Voislavize had been the home to thousands of Jews since the early 19th century and had religious, educational and Zionist institutions that were part of the Jewish community.The mass grave was discovered by the organization Shem Olam. a Holocaust research and education institute.
"These days, after so many years have passed, it is unusual to make such a shocking discovery," said Director of the International Shem Olam Rabbi Avraham Krieger. "Until recently, we were completely unaware of the existence of this mass grave. We never imagined that after so many years, we would be able to find traces of the Jewish past of the town and build a memorial to the Jews who died there."
Shem Olam's researchers typically relied on libraries and archives in Poland to uncover information on the Holocaust and its victims, but when COVID-19 broke out, their doors were closed. They had to alter their method of research and instead began to tour local towns where Jews lived to forge relationships with residents and find on-site evidence.
When the Shem Olam emissaries arrived in Voislavize, they were surprised to discover that several people had stories that had been passed down from previous generations about a mass grave that had been discovered in the town. Gradual probing revealed the general location of the grave from the parents of three residents who had seen it with their own eyes. The emissaries soon discovered that the grave was most likely in a resident's back yard and got permission from the owner to investigate.
Advanced scanning technology revealed the exact location of the grave, which turned out to include 60 murdered Jews, 20 of whom were children.
Krieger added that they were able to crosscheck their information and discovered the names of the victims found in the mass grave.
The rabbi traveled to Voislavize with a delegation of Polish guides, and the town's residents were supportive, greeting the Jewish delegation with respect and cooperation.
A groundbreaking memorial was placed on the site on Wednesday in the presence of the mayor and local residents.
When the Second World War broke out, the town became an "open ghetto," meaning that it opened and closed at set times.
In 1942, the Nazis began moving Jews to concentration and labor camps. Towards the end of the war, the remaining Jews in the ghetto were marched to the concentration camps at Belzec and Lawdova and murdered on the banks of the River Bug. Entire family dynasties and the memory of the Jewish community were wiped out. The town has since been known as one that was wiped out by the Holocaust. The discovery and establishment of the memorial come during a period in which Israeli relations with Poland have degraded due to the anti-restitution law controversy.