A Family Reunion: A Sobibor Pendant's Legacy
A pendant discovered last year at Sobibor sparked a genealogical journey, connecting 34 family members who met for the first time.
- נעמה גרין
- פורסם כ"ה חשון התשע"ח
(Photo: Yoram Haimi, Israel Antiquities Authority) #VALUE!
A year ago, in October 2016, chilling artifacts were uncovered at the Sobibor extermination camp. During an archaeological excavation, jewelry and hairpins fell beneath the floorboards into the building's foundations, remaining in the camp's soil for decades.
One piece of jewelry captured the researchers' interest. It was a triangular pendant inscribed with identifying details: on one side, the words "Mazel Tov" in Hebrew, the date 3.7.1929, and the city name "Frankfurt am Main" in German. On the other side, there was the letter "H" and three Stars of David.
Researchers hypothesized the triangular pendant belonged to a girl named Karolina Cohn. With the help of researchers from Yad Vashem, it was discovered she was born in Frankfurt on the date noted on the pendant. Her name was found in lists of Jews deported from Frankfurt to Minsk on November 11, 1941.
It was revealed that Karolina was among 2,000 Jews sent to the Sobibor extermination camp in 1943 during the liquidation of the ghetto. If not for the excavations at Sobibor and the international search operation, the memory of Karolina and her family would have been lost.
The discovery of the pendant led to a genealogical inquiry into surviving relatives of Karolina, who were unaware of her existence. Thirty-four distant relatives of Karolina's family gathered in Frankfurt from across the globe, from Hiroshima in Japan to Texas, for their first family reunion.
During the emotional gathering, a "Stolpersteine" ceremony was held in memory of the Cohen family, may their memorial be blessed. The event took place at the site of the family home, held 76 years after the deportation.
"Stolpersteine" is a memorial project for the victims of the Nazis in Germany and across Europe, initiated by Berlin-born artist Gunther Demnig. The names, birth and death dates, and circumstances of the murder of thousands of Nazi regime victims are engraved on brass plaques set into sidewalks in front of the homes where they lived.
The video that united the family: (Courtesy: Israel Antiquities Authority)
