On 23 April 1942 the Jewish Council appeals to the Central Office for Jewish Emigration for the return of confiscated devotional objects1NIOD, 077/1452. This document has been translated from German.
Letter from the Jewish Council for Amsterdam (I/Vors. – C/dL), signed Prof. Cohen, Amsterdam, Nieuwe Keizersgracht 58, to the Central Office for Jewish Emigration (received on 23 April 1942), Amsterdam, Euterpestraat, dated 23 April 19422The original contains handwritten annotations.
We are taking the liberty of drawing your attention to the fact that objects belonging to the Jewish community and used in religious services were confiscated in several cities during the evacuation of Jews.
This is the case in Vlissingen,3Town in the province of Zeeland. In March 1942 the German authorities forced the Jewish inhabitants of the town (approximately fifty people) to move to Amsterdam. for example, where three scrolls and temple ornaments were confiscated that had been given for safekeeping to the Rotterdamsche Bankvereenigung, Vlissingen branch.
Even if a Jewish community is dissolved, such objects are needed in Amsterdam, because in view of the number of newly arrived people, on holy days special services have to be held at a number of venues, for which the scrolls and temple ornaments are needed.
We would therefore ask you to consider whether these objects that are needed for religious services could be returned.4‘No’ has been written on the text. A handwritten note signed Wörlein (deputy head of the Central Office for Jewish Emigration) and dated 25 April 1942 reads: ‘As I am aware, the Rosenberg Task Force is particularly keen to secure these objects. All synagogue furnishings were inventoried by [name illegible] but not appraised.’