Rabbi Yitzhak Herzog and the Hidden Jewish Children of the Holocaust

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, countless Jewish children remained hidden in monasteries across Europe, stripped of their true identities. The wall of silence and outright refusal by monastery leaders made it painfully difficult to rescue these children and return them to the Jewish people.

Amid this harsh reality, Rabbi Yitzhak Herzog, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, stood out for his tireless efforts. He devoted his strength and his very soul to saving Jewish children who had been forgotten and lost within monastery walls. With unwavering faith and rare wisdom, Rabbi Herzog demonstrated that childhood memories and Jewish identity run deep in the soul, even in times of darkness.

A Story of Memory and Identity

Rabbi Chaim Sabato recounts one of the most remarkable stories, a lesson about education and identity from the very youngest age:

After the Holocaust, it became known that more than 3,000 Jewish children were hidden in monasteries, unaware they were Jewish. A wall of silence surrounded the monasteries. Rabbi Herzog went personally to the Pope, to the Vatican. “Each child is for us like a thousand children,” he pleaded in tears.

Rabbi Herzog then went from monastery to monastery. “There are no Jewish children here!” the head nun declared firmly, her face stern. Rabbi Herzog asked to see the children with his own eyes.

Rows of boys and girls in gray school aprons were brought before him. He spoke to their hearts: “Who here is Jewish?” he asked.

The children stood still, showing no sign, their faces blank. Silence. Complete silence. Rabbi Herzog’s companions were filled with disappointment, preparing themselves to move on to the next monastery. What would become of this mission?

Then, just as they were about to leave, Rabbi Herzog suddenly turned back to the children and cried out with all his strength:
“Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad!”

At that moment, the right hands of seven small children rose instinctively to cover their eyes. “These are Jews!” Rabbi Herzog exclaimed with deep emotion. “This is how their mothers taught them, as they put them to sleep in their cradles, in the days before the darkness.”

The Power of Heritage and Memory

When Rabbi Herzog cried out Shema Yisrael and the children instinctively covered their eyes, was a moment of miracle, a revelation of Jewish identity buried deep within their hearts.

This act was not merely a rescue story, but also living testimony to the enduring power of heritage and the Jewish soul, which cannot be forgotten, even under the harshest conditions.

The story continues to inspire generations, teaching us about the strength of education, identity, and faith — anchors that hold a person steady, even through the darkest of times.