Holocaust postcards

Optometrist Dr. Justin R. Gordon spoke to a Jewish youth group last week in Chicago about “The Holocaust Journey.” While not a Holocaust survivor, he is a postal historian.

According to The DePaulia, his talk focused on the postal history of the Holocaust and included a slideshow of postcards some of which were written by concentration camp victims, while others were written by Jews outside the camps.

"Gordon highlighted one postcard that was written from a sub camp in Auschwitz, called Theresienstadt, which was set up as a ghetto for six months and called the “family camp.” The community was set up as a showcase for the International Red Cross. "

"In September of 1943, the prisoners were told to make a mock city with schools and a government. The one condition was that they were required to have a post office from which they were to write periodically to family and friends and tell them that life was good. Six months after the creation of the family camp, the prisoners were ordered to write 10-12 postcards. The following day, every person at the camp was taken to the gas chamber."

To read the entire article, click here.