Narrow Results By
Identification certificate
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn59616
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Identification certificate : Paper, cardstock : Print, stamp, handwritten : Ink : Grey, yellow, black ; Ht: 14,5 cm x W: 10 cm
- Date
- February 28, 1951
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Identification certificate : Paper, cardstock : Print, stamp, handwritten : Ink : Grey, yellow, black ; Ht: 14,5 cm x W: 10 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- February 28, 1951
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- Dutch
- Notes
- Light gray booklet, spine closed with two silver grommets, with 'Certificat D'Identite des Refugies Russe' written on cover. Inside, a photo of the booklet's owner is stapled to a page containing a handwritten form. Proceeding pages contain stamps and signatures from various destination authorities. This is the personal refugee visa of Chaim Karasin, a Russian refugee. It documents his journey from Brussels, Belgium, to Halifax, Canada, in 11 April 1951. Narrative: Chaim Karasin is a Russian refugee. He was born 3 December 1913 in Warsaw, Poland, to Abraham Karasin and Beila (Baijla) Fridman (who had both died by 22 June 1942). Chaim was married to Ruchla Hasfield on 22 June 1942 (she was born 18 May 1910). She was the daughter of Joseph and Malis Hindel. Chaim and Ruchla had four children; Beatrix (donor) (4 May 1941), Helene-Mayriane (15 Mai 1946) Ruth (9 July 1947) and Joseph Ruben (4 December 1949). In 1944, Chaim was described as being 175 cm tall, small, with short hair. At this point he was a Polish refugee, arriving in Geneva on 9 Oct 1943. Chaim's parents seem to have been discharged from Westerbork holding camp on 12 January 1943. Chaim immigrated to Canada in April 1951.
- Accession No.
- 1996.27.20
- Name Access
- Barzilai (Karasin), Beatrice
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn48277
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : paper : beige ; Ht: 13,6 cm x W: 21,5 cm
- Date
- October 13, 1947
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : paper : beige ; Ht: 13,6 cm x W: 21,5 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- October 13, 1947
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- Polish
- Notes
- Letter adress to Chana Zilberbogen (Anna, born Wartens) about relevant certificates and birth certificates of her daughters Celinka (Cécile) and Elzbieta (Elizabeth) Zilberbogen. Narrative: The Zilberbogen were a Jewish family originally from Warsaw (Poland). Mother Chana and daughters Elzbieta (born 1933) and Celinka (born 1937) moved to Belgium in 1939. The father, Szygmundt, an engineer, stayed in Poland. During the Second World War, the mother and daughters were first sent to a transit camp in the South of France before being released. Chana was then hospitalized and spent the war hidden in a Sanatorium in Mazamet. Elzbieta and Celinka were hidden in various locations in the South of France, including a farm and different children's homes run by OSE. Szygmundt was killed in Poland. Chana and her daughters went back to live in Belgium after Liberation until immigrating to Canada in 1951.
- Accession No.
- 2012.15.64
- Name Access
- Peltier, Cécile
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn50323
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Pencil : Yellow, Blue ; Ht: 6,8 in. x W: 5,25 in.
- Date
- September 22, 1943
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Pencil : Yellow, Blue ; Ht: 6,8 in. x W: 5,25 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- September 22, 1943
- Physical Condition
- Excellent
- Language
- German
- Notes
- 1 page, written on both sides. Narrative: Letter was written by Margarethe (Gretl) and Otto Bondy during their deportation from Malines (Mecheln) transit camp in Belgium to Holland. The letter is addressed to Margarethe's mother and mentions her son, Walter referring to him as "W". Otto and Margharethe Bondy were later deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau where they were killed.
- Accession No.
- 1990.96.142
- Name Access
- Absil, Walter
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn59331
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : PaperPaper : Printed : Ink : Red, beige, black ; Ht: 21 cm x W: 14 cm
- Date
- November 07, 1940
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : PaperPaper : Printed : Ink : Red, beige, black ; Ht: 21 cm x W: 14 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- November 07, 1940
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- German
- Dutch
- Notes
- Beige paper form printed in red, double-sided, two holes punched in left, Belgian Red Cross letterhead. Form used to locate missing family members. While in Internment Camp L, Canada, Herbert Isselbächer tried to find his brother Helmut. Dutch text indicates that Helmut Isselbächer was registered as a foreigner in Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gilli (district of Brussels). Narrative: Isaac Herbert Isselbacher was born 1919-11-20 in Isselbach, Germany. His brother was Helmut Isselbacher, born 1921-12-20. Their father was Jacob Isselbacher, born 1883-08-05. They had an uncle and aunt, David and Betty Loewenstein, who lived in New York City with their two children. Isaac left Germany on 1939-07-29, hoping to join his relatives in NYC. He only had the time to get to London, England before the war broke out and started working in a factory. He was arrested at his workplace as an ‘enemy alien’ and sent to Canada for internment in 1940. Isaac was interned in Camp N in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was drafted into the Works Program Division for woodworking and net-making. In 1940, he received a last letter from his parents which suggested their imminent deportation. After his release, circa November 1942, Isaac worked as a locksmith. He married Fanny Azeff on 1943-12-26 at the Bnai Jacob synagogue in Montreal. Fanny was born on 1921-12-23 in Canada, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Azeff. Isaac was naturalized as a Canadian citizen on 1946-06-08. Fanny was naturalized on 1946-08-30 (she had lost her citizenship by marrying Isaac). Isaac’s brother, Helmut Isselbacher, was deported with Transport XXII A from Dossin casern in Mechelen (Malines), Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland on 1943-09-20. Of the 2,450 people on the transport, 100 men were selected to work –including Helmut- and the remainder prisoners were gassed. Helmut was made to work as a welder, and was soon fitting new pipes for the gas chamber. He suffered a nervous breakdown as a result. As he was a valued welder, he was transferred to a labour camp in Upper Silesia (Poland) where he remained for two years. As the Russian army advanced, the 6,000 prisoners of this camp were evacuated by train. Helmut remembered being forced to march as the other prisoners died from exhaustion. When liberation was announced, the survivors travelled by ship from Luebeck, Germany, to Sweden with the aid of the Red Cross. After recovery, Helmut decided to remain in Sweden as a welder. Upon learning of his brother’s survival, Helmut travelled to New York in April 1946 to meet with him and their Loewenstein relatives. Afterwards, Helmut travelled to Canada bringing with him a washing machine and bras as late wedding presents for his brother and Fanny. By 1946-08-12, their parents were presumed dead and the two sons inquired into their estate. They received a deed for the land and travelled to the estate to discover that the current owner of their house was their old maid and her son had become the town mayor. Various disputes arose with the current ‘owners’ who believed the Isselbacher family dead. Isaac wished to discuss a settlement, but the mayor’s mother –not realizing Fanny understood German- called the neighbours at work to warn them not to come home as the Isselbacher sons had resurfaced. Payment for the land had reportedly been sent to Israel, though no documentation could be provided.
- Accession No.
- 1999.1.130
- Name Access
- Issley, Jason
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn59496
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Handwritten : Ink : Beige, blue ; Ht: 29 cm x W: 20 cm
- Date
- August 1939
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Handwritten : Ink : Beige, blue ; Ht: 29 cm x W: 20 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- August 1939
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- German
- Notes
- One page, double-sided, graph paper, notes written vertically and addition made in pencil on back. Letter from Helmut Isselbacher in Brussels to his brother Isaac Isselbacher in England. Helmut requests any type of fabrics be sent to him -old shirts and handkerchiefs. Narrative: Isaac Herbert Isselbacher was born 1919-11-20 in Isselbach, Germany. His brother was Helmut Isselbacher, born 1921-12-20. Their father was Jacob Isselbacher, born 1883-08-05. They had an uncle and aunt, David and Betty Loewenstein, who lived in New York City with their two children. Isaac left Germany on 1939-07-29, hoping to join his relatives in NYC. He only had the time to get to London, England before the war broke out and started working in a factory. He was arrested at his workplace as an ‘enemy alien’ and sent to Canada for internment in 1940. Isaac was interned in Camp N in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was drafted into the Works Program Division for woodworking and net-making. In 1940, he received a last letter from his parents which suggested their imminent deportation. After his release, circa November 1942, Isaac worked as a locksmith. He married Fanny Azeff on 1943-12-26 at the Bnai Jacob synagogue in Montreal. Fanny was born on 1921-12-23 in Canada, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Azeff. Isaac was naturalized as a Canadian citizen on 1946-06-08. Fanny was naturalized on 1946-08-30 (she had lost her citizenship by marrying Isaac). Isaac’s brother, Helmut Isselbacher, was deported with Transport XXII A from Dossin casern in Mechelen (Malines), Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland on 1943-09-20. Of the 2,450 people on the transport, 100 men were selected to work –including Helmut- and the remainder prisoners were gassed. Helmut was made to work as a welder, and was soon fitting new pipes for the gas chamber. He suffered a nervous breakdown as a result. As he was a valued welder, he was transferred to a labour camp in Upper Silesia (Poland) where he remained for two years. As the Russian army advanced, the 6,000 prisoners of this camp were evacuated by train. Helmut remembered being forced to march as the other prisoners died from exhaustion. When liberation was announced, the survivors travelled by ship from Luebeck, Germany, to Sweden with the aid of the Red Cross. After recovery, Helmut decided to remain in Sweden as a welder. Upon learning of his brother’s survival, Helmut travelled to New York in April 1946 to meet with him and their Loewenstein relatives. Afterwards, Helmut travelled to Canada bringing with him a washing machine and bras as late wedding presents for his brother and Fanny. By 1946-08-12, their parents were presumed dead and the two sons inquired into their estate. They received a deed for the land and travelled to the estate to discover that the current owner of their house was their old maid and her son had become the town mayor. Various disputes arose with the current ‘owners’ who believed the Isselbacher family dead. Isaac wished to discuss a settlement, but the mayor’s mother –not realizing Fanny understood German- called the neighbours at work to warn them not to come home as the Isselbacher sons had resurfaced. Payment for the land had reportedly been sent to Israel, though no documentation could be provided.
- Accession No.
- 1999.1.118
- Name Access
- Issley, Jason
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn75128
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed, Handwritten : Colour pencil; Ink; Graphite pencil : White, Black, Blue ; Ht: 10 3/4 in. x W: 8 1/2 in.
- Date
- November 08, 1940
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed, Handwritten : Colour pencil; Ink; Graphite pencil : White, Black, Blue ; Ht: 10 3/4 in. x W: 8 1/2 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- November 08, 1940
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- German
- Dutch
- Notes
- Letter issued by Brussels police informing Otto Bondy that he has been fined 3 RM for a traffic infraction. Details are handwritten in the top left-hand corner, with signature underneath. Some unintelligible writing in blue pencil diagonally above this. Narrative: Otto Bondy was the father of the donor, Walter Absil. He was born in Vienna, Austria on January 1, 1897, and fled to Belgium with his family in 1938. He was deported from the Malines (Melechen) transit camp in Belgium to Auschwitz in September 1943, where he was murdered.
- Accession No.
- 1990.96.05
- Name Access
- Absil, Walter
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn75167
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Typed, Handwritten : Ink; Graphite Pencil : Beige, Black, Purple, Blue ; Ht: 5 3/8 in. x W: 8 3/8 in.
- Date
- November 14, 1944
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Typed, Handwritten : Ink; Graphite Pencil : Beige, Black, Purple, Blue ; Ht: 5 3/8 in. x W: 8 3/8 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- November 14, 1944
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- Notes
- 1 page, double-sided. Certificate certifying that Heinz Rübler was a member of the group “Les Affranchis” M.N.B. before September 3, 1944 and that he is on unlimited leave to finish his studies. The typed name J. Dons, appearing before the signature, has been crossed out in ink and the name C. Tromme ? has been handwritten above it. Circular stamp has a skull and crossbones insignia in centre. On back, a name, address and some numbers have been handwritten in pencil. Narrative: Heinz Rübler was the brother-in-law of the donor, Walter Absil.
- Accession No.
- 2000.02.09
- Name Access
- Absil, Walter
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn76226
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Handwritten : Ink : Beige, Purple ; Ht: 10 3/4 in. x W: 8 3/4 in.
- Date
- June 10, 1946
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Handwritten : Ink : Beige, Purple ; Ht: 10 3/4 in. x W: 8 3/4 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- June 10, 1946
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- Notes
- 1 page, double-sided. Letter to Tobias and Chana Berkowicz from J. Leumartin ? in Bernac-Dessus, France. The sender sends good wishes, mentions having received family photos and seeing that the children had grown since they left Bernac. The letter discusses continued rationing of bread, meat and wine, but adds that things always get worked out in the country. The weather and village life (mutual friends, births and marriages) are also discussed. Narrative: Tuwja (Tuwyas, Tuwia, Tuvia, Tobias) Bercowicz (Berkowicz) was the father of the donor, Jack (Jacques) Berkowicz. Born in Vilna, Tuwyas immigrated to Belgium in 1933 and when Belgium fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, he fled to France, hoping to reach Morocco by boat from Marseilles. The donor's mother, Chana (Chane, Annie) (Trompeter) Berkowicz, born in Mielec, Poland, was living in Vienna, Austria with her parents and two sisters. In 1938, after the German annexation of Austria, the family fled, driving to France via Belgium. Tuwyas and Chana met in Lyon, France in 1941 and married. Their daughter Dorothée was born in 1942. The family attempted to flee France by boat in Marseilles, but were stopped by Vichy police. They fled Marseilles and went south, into the Pyrenees region, living in various small vilages. Their son Jack was born in Bernac-Dessus in 1944. The family survived the war and returned to Brussels from 1945-1948, and then immigrated to Canada with the help of the American Joint Distribution Committee. They were sponsored by Tuwyas' sister Luba, who was already living in Halifax. The Berkowicz family settled in Montreal.
- Accession No.
- 2005.01.07
- Name Access
- Berkowicz, Jack
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn76244
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Handwritten : Ink : Beige, Blue, Black ; Ht: 11 1/4 in. x W: 8 7/8 in.
- Date
- April 13, 1948
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Handwritten : Ink : Beige, Blue, Black ; Ht: 11 1/4 in. x W: 8 7/8 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- April 13, 1948
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- Yiddish
- French
- Notes
- 1 page, single-sided. Folded once horizontally and once vertically. Document issued by the Secretary of the Association of Vilnians in Belgium, describing the work done by Tuwja Bercovicz on various committees. Narrative: Tuwja (Tuwyas, Tuwia, Tuvia, Tobias) Bercowicz (Berkowicz) was the father of the donor, Jack (Jacques) Berkowicz. Born in Vilna, Tuwyas immigrated to Belgium in 1933 and when Belgium fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, he fled to France, hoping to reach Morocco by boat from Marseilles. The donor's mother, Chana (Chane, Annie) (Trompeter) Berkowicz, born in Mielec, Poland, was living in Vienna, Austria with her parents and two sisters. In 1938, after the German annexation of Austria, the family fled, driving to France via Belgium. Tuwyas and Chana met in Lyon, France in 1941 and married. Their daughter Dorothée was born in 1942. The family attempted to flee France by boat in Marseilles, but were stopped by Vichy police. They fled Marseilles and went south, into the Pyrenees region, living in various small vilages. Their son Jack was born in Bernac-Dessus in 1944. The family survived the war and returned to Brussels from 1945-1948, and then immigrated to Canada with the help of the American Joint Distribution Committee. They were sponsored by Tuwyas' sister Luba, who was already living in Halifax. The Berkowicz family settled in Montreal.
- Accession No.
- 2005.01.26
- Name Access
- Berkowicz, Jack
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn76252
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed : Ink : Beige, Black, Blue ; Ht: 8 7/8 in. x W: 6 in.
- Date
- May 1, 1940
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed : Ink : Beige, Black, Blue ; Ht: 8 7/8 in. x W: 6 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- May 1, 1940
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- Notes
- 1 page, single-sided. Folded once horizontally. Printed on letterhead of Ernest Oury, in Brussels. Document is a letter to Tuwja Bercovicz (spelled Bercovitch here), regarding his naturalization. Mr. Oury asks that they meet so that he can examine Mr. Berkowicz's file. Narrative: Tuwja (Tuwyas, Tuwia, Tuvia, Tobias) Bercowicz (Berkowicz) was the father of the donor, Jack (Jacques) Berkowicz. Born in Vilna, Tuwyas immigrated to Belgium in 1933 and when Belgium fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, he fled to France, hoping to reach Morocco by boat from Marseilles. The donor's mother, Chana (Chane, Annie) (Trompeter) Berkowicz, born in Mielec, Poland, was living in Vienna, Austria with her parents and two sisters. In 1938, after the German annexation of Austria, the family fled, driving to France via Belgium. Tuwyas and Chana met in Lyon, France in 1941 and married. Their daughter Dorothée was born in 1942. The family attempted to flee France by boat in Marseilles, but were stopped by Vichy police. They fled Marseilles and went south, into the Pyrenees region, living in various small vilages. Their son Jack was born in Bernac-Dessus in 1944. The family survived the war and returned to Brussels from 1945-1948, and then immigrated to Canada with the help of the American Joint Distribution Committee. They were sponsored by Tuwyas' sister Luba, who was already living in Halifax. The Berkowicz family settled in Montreal.
- Accession No.
- 2005.01.35
- Name Access
- Berkowicz, Jack
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Letter
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn76254
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed : Ink : Beige, Black ; Ht: 12 3/4 in. x W: 8 in.
- Date
- April 2, 1948
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed : Ink : Beige, Black ; Ht: 12 3/4 in. x W: 8 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- April 2, 1948
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- English
- Notes
- 1 page, single-spaced. Folded once vertically and three times horizontally. Document is a letter authorizing the emigration of the Berkowicz famiy, sent from the Emigration Service of the American Joint Distribution Committee from their Brussels office to the New York and Montreal offices. Letter states that Tuwia, Chana, Dorothée and Jacques will depart from Antwerp, Belgium, pass through New York, stay with Mrs. J. Allen in Halifax upon arrival in Canada, and then proceed to Montreal. Narrative: Tuwja (Tuwyas, Tuwia, Tuvia, Tobias) Bercowicz (Berkowicz) was the father of the donor, Jack (Jacques) Berkowicz. Born in Vilna, Tuwyas immigrated to Belgium in 1933 and when Belgium fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, he fled to France, hoping to reach Morocco by boat from Marseilles. The donor's mother, Chana (Chane, Annie) (Trompeter) Berkowicz, born in Mielec, Poland, was living in Vienna, Austria with her parents and two sisters. In 1938, after the German annexation of Austria, the family fled, driving to France via Belgium. Tuwyas and Chana met in Lyon, France in 1941 and married. Their daughter Dorothée was born in 1942. The family attempted to flee France by boat in Marseilles, but were stopped by Vichy police. They fled Marseilles and went south, into the Pyrenees region, living in various small vilages. Their son Jack was born in Bernac-Dessus in 1944. The family survived the war and returned to Brussels from 1945-1948, and then immigrated to Canada with the help of the American Joint Distribution Committee. They were sponsored by Tuwyas' sister Luba, who was already living in Halifax. The Berkowicz family settled in Montreal.
- Accession No.
- 2005.01.37
- Name Access
- Berkowicz, Jack
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Maurice Shenkier with cousin Marcel Braitstein and grandmother Nicha Eckstein
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn45680
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- Photograph : Paper ; Ht: 8,9 cm x W: 11,8 cm
- Date
- 1948
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- Photograph : Paper ; Ht: 8,9 cm x W: 11,8 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- 1948
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Notes
- B&w photograph with a white border. An outdoor portrait of two young boys and an elderly woman, standing outside a house. From left to right, Marcel Braitstein, Nicha Eckstein and cousin Edgar are shown.
- Accession No.
- 2000.84.54
- Name Access
- Shenkier, Maurice
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Medal
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn77928
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- object
- Physical Description
- Medal : bronze, beige, red, yellow, black ; Ht: 7,9 cm x W: 3,8 cm
- Date
- [Later than 1945]
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- object
- Physical Description
- Medal : bronze, beige, red, yellow, black ; Ht: 7,9 cm x W: 3,8 cm
- Other Title Information
- Personal Symbol
- Date
- [Later than 1945]
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Notes
- Medal with raised rims and an attached grosgrain ribbon. On obverse is an embossed image of a man in right profile, wearing a beret; on his right shoulder is a rifle butt. A name is engraved on the lower edge. The reverse has an embossed shield with a rampant lion flanked by an acronym. There is an acronym engraved above the shield with dates on the left and right. A suspension ring is attached to the top to a horizontal bar through which the ribbon is threaded. The white ribbon has 3 central narrow stripes of black, yellow and red, the colours of the Belgian flag. Narrative: Donor is the son of Icek Rabinowicz and Mindla Rabinowicz (born Elgarten). Mindla was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1923 and immigrated to Brussels with her family in 1926. Icek was born in 1919 in Ciechanow, Poland and immigrated to Belgium with his family at the age of 10. The two met through a Jewish youth group. They survived the war in Belgium by concealing their Jewish Identity and carrying false identification papers. They were also both members of the Belgian Resistance movement where they distributed false identification papers to other Jews in Belgium. They married in Brussels in 1946 and had two children, Daniel and Élise Rabinowicz. They immigrated to Canada in 1951, settling in Montréal, where Icek found work in his profession as a pursemaker. Mindla later went to University and obtained a degree as a translator. Mindla had two younger siblings and only her brother survived by hiding at a clergy house. Her sister was arrested by Germans and sent to a concentration camp where she was presumably killed.
- Accession No.
- 2014.06.01
- Name Access
- Rabinowicz, Daniel
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Medal
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn77929
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- object
- Physical Description
- Medal : bronze
- Date
- [Later than 1945]
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- object
- Physical Description
- Medal : bronze
- Other Title Information
- Personal Symbol
- Date
- [Later than 1945]
- Physical Condition
- Excellent
- Language
- French
- Notes
- On obverse is an embossed image of a bird flying over fields or dunes. A name is engraved on the lower edge. The reverse is engraved with a message in French. Narrative: Donor is the son of Icek Rabinowicz and Mindla Rabinowicz (born Elgarten). Mindla was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1923 and immigrated to Brussels with her family in 1926. Icek was born in 1919 in Ciechanow, Poland and immigrated to Belgium with his family at the age of 10. The two met through a Jewish youth group. They survived the war in Belgium by concealing their Jewish Identity and carrying false identification papers. They were also both members of the Belgian Resistance movement where they distributed false identification papers to other Jews in Belgium. They married in Brussels in 1946 and had two children, Daniel and Élise Rabinowicz. They immigrated to Canada in 1951, settling in Montréal, where Icek found work in his profession as a pursemaker. Mindla later went to University and obtained a degree as a translator. Mindla had two younger siblings and only her brother survived by hiding at a clergy house. Her sister was arrested by Germans and sent to a concentration camp where she was presumably killed.
- Accession No.
- 2014.06.02
- Name Access
- Rabinowicz, Daniel
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Medical certificate
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn75124
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Medical certificate : Paper : Printed, Typed, Handwritten : Ink : Beige, Black, Green, Red ; Ht: 8,75 in. x W: 5,5 in.
- Date
- May 31, 1939
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Medical certificate : Paper : Printed, Typed, Handwritten : Ink : Beige, Black, Green, Red ; Ht: 8,75 in. x W: 5,5 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- May 31, 1939
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- English
- French
- Notes
- 1 page, folded three times horizontally. Letterhead of the Medical Service of the Committee for Aid to Jewish Refugees. Two green fiscal stamps affixed vertically to lower left corner of page. Form was printed to issue prescriptions but is being used to provide an attestation of physical and mental health for Walter Bondy. Narrative: Walter Bondy is the birth name of the donor, Walter Absil. He was born in Vienna, Austria on November 26, 1924. He fled to Belgium with his family in 1938 and survived the war in hiding.
- Accession No.
- 1990.96.16
- Name Access
- Absil, Walter
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Membership card
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn50317
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Membership card : Paper : Ink : Black, Biege, Purple ; Ht: 12,1 cm x W: 7,1 cm
- Date
- 1939-1940
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Membership card : Paper : Ink : Black, Biege, Purple ; Ht: 12,1 cm x W: 7,1 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- 1939-1940
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- Yiddish
- Notes
- 1 vertical fold. The inside, and the back have a chart with twelve boxes, one for each month of the year, there are three stamps on the chart on the inside. There is also an additional rectangular stamp on the inside. Membership card issued to Otto Bondy from the agricultural cooperative/society for immigration to Canada. Card was valid from 1939 and 1940. It was paid up until August, 1939. Narrative: the card belonged to donor's father. Donor believes that his father tried to get visas in different countries, including Canada. Otto Bondy was born in Wien, Austria in 1897. He was a leather manufacturer and married to Margarethe nee Fischer. the Bondy family left Austria the day after the annexion by the German Reich and found refuge in Belgium. During the war, Otto and Margarethe were sent to Malines transit camp and deported with Transport XXII A to Auschwitz Birkenau, Extermination Camp, Poland on 1943-09-20. They were both killed in Auschwitz. thei two children survived in hiding.
- Accession No.
- 1990.96.15
- Name Access
- Absil, Walter
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Military permit
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn78289
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Military permit : Paper : printed, handwritten : Ink : beige, black, yellow, blue, red ; Ht: 12,7 cm x W: 10,1 cm
- Date
- November 14, 1946
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Military permit : Paper : printed, handwritten : Ink : beige, black, yellow, blue, red ; Ht: 12,7 cm x W: 10,1 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- November 14, 1946
- Physical Condition
- Excellent
- Language
- English
- French
- German
- Notes
- 1 page. Two-sided permit foldable in three pages. On the cover are three colored flags of the United States of America, France and the United Kingdom. Inside are all information related to Sura Szenkier. On all pages, is printed a watermark of the inscription "MILITARY ENTRY PERMIT" in yellow letters. It was issued for a transit to Denmark in order to look for family members who may have survived the Holocaust. Narrative: Donor Maurice Shenkier was born on 1930-12-27 in Antwerp, Belgium. The German army started bombing Antwerp in 1940-05 and Maurice and his parents immediately fled to France. In Nice, Maurice was forced to be part of a fascist youth group. In 1942-07, the family had to flee again and they crossed the Spanish border illegally. They were then arrested by the Spanish police. Instead of sending them back to France, the officers helped Maurice’s family find a place to live. Maurice and his parents moved to Portugal where they stayed until 1944-04. They embarked on the Serpa Pinto ship to Philadelphia. Upon arrival, they took a train to Montreal.
- Accession No.
- 2000.84.01
- Name Access
- Shenkier, Maurice
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Passport
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn59617
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Passport : Cardstock, paper : Print, stamp, handwritten : Ink : Faded poppy red, yellow, blue ; Ht: 15 cm x W: 10 cm
- Date
- July 02, 1951
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Passport : Cardstock, paper : Print, stamp, handwritten : Ink : Faded poppy red, yellow, blue ; Ht: 15 cm x W: 10 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- July 02, 1951
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- French
- Dutch
- Notes
- Small booklet, spine closed with two grommets, two additional holes punched in opposite side of cover. Cover reads 'Titre de Voyage pour Etrangers.' First pages contain personal information and a portrait photo of Ruchla Karasin. Following pages contain stamps from destination authorities in Brussels, London (Canada), Rotterdam, and Halifax. An immigration form is stapled to the last page. Narrative: Ruchla Hasfield was born 18 May 1910, and married Chaim Karasin on 22 June 1942. She was the daughter of Joseph and Malis Hindel. Chaim and Ruchla had four children; Beatrix (donor) (4 May 1941), Helene-Mayriane (15 Mai 1946) Ruth (9 July 1947) and Joseph Ruben (4 December 1949). Ruchla's parents had been deported to Sobibor on 6 July 1943 shortly before half of the camp was killed in an uprising. Ruchla's brother Jacob died in Sobibor 21 May 1943. Ruchla died 3 May 2005.
- Accession No.
- 1996.27.21
- Name Access
- Barzilai (Karasin), Beatrice
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Passport
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn76240
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Passport : Printed, Bound, Handwritten : Beige, Black, Red, Blue, ; Ht: 5 1/2 in. x W: 3 7/8 in.
- Date
- October 31, 1947
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Passport : Printed, Bound, Handwritten : Beige, Black, Red, Blue, ; Ht: 5 1/2 in. x W: 3 7/8 in.
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Date
- October 31, 1947
- Physical Condition
- Good
- Language
- Polish
- French
- Notes
- 40 pages, bound with two staples. Polish passport issued to Tuwja Berkowicz by the Polish Consulate in Brussels, Belgium. Occupation and physical description on page 2. Small b&w photograph of subject affixed on page 3 with 4 staples. Issued October 31, 1947. Valid for 1 year, only in Canada. Other information and visa stamps throughout passport relate to subject's emigration to Canada. in April 1948. Narrative: Tuwja (Tuwyas, Tuwia, Tuvia, Tobias) Bercowicz (Berkowicz) was the father of the donor, Jack (Jacques) Berkowicz. Born in Vilna, Tuwyas immigrated to Belgium in 1933 and when Belgium fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, he fled to France, hoping to reach Morocco by boat from Marseilles. The donor's mother, Chana (Chane, Annie) (Trompeter) Berkowicz, born in Mielec, Poland, was living in Vienna, Austria with her parents and two sisters. In 1938, after the German annexation of Austria, the family fled, driving to France via Belgium. Tuwyas and Chana met in Lyon, France in 1941 and married. Their daughter Dorothée was born in 1942. The family attempted to flee France by boat in Marseilles, but were stopped by Vichy police. They fled Marseilles and went south, into the Pyrenees region, living in various small vilages. Their son Jack was born in Bernac-Dessus in 1944. The family survived the war and returned to Brussels from 1945-1948, and then immigrated to Canada with the help of the American Joint Distribution Committee. They were sponsored by Tuwyas' sister Luba, who was already living in Halifax. The Berkowicz family settled in Montreal.
- Accession No.
- 2005.01.21
- Name Access
- Berkowicz, Jack
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
Postcard
https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn50529
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Postcard : Paper : Beige ; Ht: 14 cm x W: 9,1 cm
- Collection
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Description Level
- Item
- Material Type
- textual record
- Physical Description
- Postcard : Paper : Beige ; Ht: 14 cm x W: 9,1 cm
- Other Title Information
- Documentary Artifact
- Notes
- b&w photograph of Japanese tower in Brussels on recto. Handwritten message in blue ink on verso. Narrative: In the 1920’s Serge and Sophie Philipson (nee Orbach) left Berlin for Paris due to rising antisemitism. On July 15, 1930 their daughter Rachel was born. Serge, Sophie and Rachel were Polish citizen, they never got either the German or the French citizenship. In Paris, Serge worked for Les Modes Modernes, the hat factory of his brother-in-law, Henri. When an opportunity to expand the business in Ireland arose, Serge moved to Galway. The new factory opened in July 1938. In August 1939, Sophie, Rachel, and 4 other family members (Rachel’s cousin Stéphane, his maternal grandmother Néné, Serge’s sister Esther and Serge’s sister-in-law Choura) left for Cabourg, in Normandy. After the winter 1939-1940 it became difficult to communicate with Ireland but Rachel and Sophie could still send and receive letter from Serge. At the end of winter 1940, the group moved to Néris and in July 1940, after the occupation of France by Germany, they settled in the zone libre in the village of Cauterets, on the border with Spain. They were reunited with Robert, Serge’s brother. In August 1942, 4 family members (Sophie’s sister Ella and her husband Ernest, their daughter Ruth, Serge’s siblings Robert and Esther) were arrested by local police and deported. They were not seen again. At the beginning of 1943, Sophie, her mother Augusta and Rachel moved to Maubourguet. In April 1943, they moved to Cannes in Hotel Victoria with Henri, Stéphane and Néné. Henri, Sophie and Augusta went into hiding together while cousins Stéphane and Rachel were taken care of by Néné and returned to Maubourguet. In January 1944, Henri, Sophie and Augusta were denounced and arrested. They were transferred to Marseille before being sent by train to Drancy transit camp from where they were deported. It is believed they were killed in a Polish killing centre. In 1944, Rachel moved from one place to another – under a non-Jewish identity - and continued to correspond with her father. In June 1945, she reunited with her father Ireland. They had not seen each other for 6 years. In 1951, Rachel got married. In 1954, she immigrated to Montreal.
- Accession No.
- 2002.08.374
- Name Access
- Levy, Rachel
- Places
- Brussels, Belgium, Europe
- Archival / Genealogical
- Archival Descriptions
- Repository
- Montreal Holocaust Museum
Images
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