A Wooden Menorah in the Valley of Tears

On the 7th night of Chanukah, in the year 5744 (1983), in front of an audience of his chassidim and students, the Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe z”l spoke words of praise and thanksgiving to G-d, and in between his words he gave a taste of his experiences there, in the camp, where he suffered, together with his Jewish brethren, the bitter burden of the Nazi oppressor, and drew strength from faith and observance of the commandments, precisely at that time, in the Valley of Tears.

The Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe, also known as the Shefa Chaim, next to the Chanukah candles

Here are some of his words:

Translated from Yiddish to Hebrew by Yaakov Rosenfeld, and from Hebrew to English by Ricki Prince

I remember today

I was in the camp on Chanukah

And a few weeks before Chanukah I barely managed to get the Jewish kapo to put me to work in the carpentry shop

The chief kapo, the gentile, the evil one, came in there and asked me: Are you a carpenter?

I told him, as soon as I received an order, I became a carpenter.

I had a saw and I worked all day

I sat all day and made a menorah

So that I could have a menorah for Chanukah

I made a menorah, with the help of Jewish boys, and even though I had no metal, I made a menorah out of wood

It was Friday, Chanukah, and many Jews came to see how the Chanukah candles were lit

This was G-d’s will and we experienced miracles, we stole olive oil from the SS kitchen

They brought clean and pure olive oil, a small bottle

The kapo who works in the kitchen brought it

And each of us had a part in the mitzvah

And we put the oil in the menorah and lit it

And we rejoiced

Because by the grace of G-d we were able to light the Chanukah candles

And it was a wooden menorah, and it happened, towards evening, the lamp itself began to burn

Immediately, young men came, threw the lamp outside

Threw it into the snow

And so

We went and made a new menorah…

We never gave up, never relaxed

The truth is, even there we didn’t give up and didn’t make any “concessions” for ourselves

Jews, erliche Yidden (dear Jews),

Who held themselves strong in faith

They held themselves strong there too

Fought with all their might to remain Jews

We did not surrender…

But when G-d helps and it is possible to light a silver menorah, with a shamash (the candle used to light the rest of the candles), that will burn all night

Lighting Chanukah candles in the Westerbork camp in Holland

And there is no SS

We must express this, and give praise and thanks to the Creator of all the World

Who performed miracles for our ancestors

In those days and at this time we also saw miracles

There were miracles…

The fact that we lit the little oil in that menorah for one hour was also a miracle

A miracle from G-d that the SS did not enter

Because we were forced to guard and be careful that they did not enter

If they had entered, who knows what would have happened

They stood guard on all sides…

Therefore, we must thank G-d for all the miracles

For every miracle that G-d does for us.

And the truth is, we see miracles

With all the troubles we go through, with all the wickedness in the world,

Nebach (woe)

Surely we are experiencing a very bitter time

There are many troubles in the world, many disasters

Here they are killing, here they are planting bombs

And there are other troubles

Surely the heart bleeds

But on the other hand, troubles must not darken our eyes from seeing the miracles that G‑d performs for us

When G‑d helps and Jews sit together on Chanukah

Gathering together

Lighting Chanukah candles and saying service and praise before G-d

These are also miracles

Forty years ago, few believed that we would still merit this

Few believed that they would still be saved, that they would still live. That they would still light Chanukah candles…

Whoever was there, whoever remembers, whoever knows

We need to thank G-d

I want to say: This is the main thing that we thank G-d

And express praise and acknowledgment before Him

It’s not just about life, or the food we have, or the money

This is nonsense, this is vanity

The main thing is that we give praise and thanks to G-d that we can be Jews

That G-d has not abandoned us

Indeed, I would eat grass there, more than once…

More than once I would crouch on the ground and eat grass, and eat leaves from the trees

But in all of this, G-d helped me

I was there for a whole year and I didn’t eat any treif (not kosher)!

G-d forbid

Chanukah party in the Lodz Ghetto, Poland – Chanukah 5704 (1943)

Not even from their kitchen

For this we should thank G-d

And express praise and gratitude to Him

That they did not fatten us up with forbidden foods

We would see how people, lo aleinu (may it not be upon us), caught a dog, cut it up and ate it,

I’m not saying it wasn’t allowed, G-d forbid

It was truly a matter of life and death

People were bloated, starving to death

If we just became “muselman” (the living dead, with no will to live) our lives would be in danger

But G-d helped me for a whole year

I didn’t eat chametz (leaven) on Passover

G-d forbid

I have not touched any chametz, for nine days

Even on the eve of Passover…

We must thank G-d, we must not forget His grace…