Amongst the rare and valuable items in Ganzach Kiddush Hashem’s possession are miniature tefillin that measure one centimeter by one centimeter. These tefillin were donated to Ganzach by a gentleman who received the tefillin from his late grandfather. There is a touching story behind the item: The grandfather found the Tefillin tied to the head and arm of a murdered Jew. The grandfather removed the Tefillin from the victim and kept the tefillin with him at all times until the end of the war, making sure to wear them whenever he could. Amazingly, when inspected by Ganzach Kiddush Hashem, the tefillin were found to still be kosher, despite the hardships it faced.
The rare fate of the tefillin poignantly illustrates the devotion of the Jews in the Holocaust to the fulfillment of mitzvot. Apparently, the Jew who was murdered by the Nazis prepared for the fact that he would not be able to wear tefillin openly. At the beginning of the war, he created the pair of tiny tefillin that he could carry anywhere and keep easily hidden. Many boys of bar mitzvah age who visit Ganzach Kiddush Hashem today are deeply affected by the sight of the tefillin. They gain a new perspective on the mitzvah that they are about to perform and the magnitude of the tradition they are carrying out.
