A tale that has been enshrined into the consciousness of Bais Yaakov students worldwide

Title: A Memorial for the 93 Bais Yaakov Martyrs

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Document: The Sentinel

Time: April 1943

One of the acclaimed, yet mysterious Holocaust legends is that of the 93 Bais Yaakov martyrs of Krakow. A tale which has been enshrined into the consciousness of Bais Yaakov students worldwide, it has come to encapsulate the suffering, sacrifice, and ultimate martyrdom faced by so many of the six million kedoshim.

Though its origins remain unclear, the heartrending letter seems to have been received via Switzerland by Meir Schenkelowski, secretary of the World Bais Yaakov movement in New York City in January 1943. He passed it on to Rabbi Leo Jung and other Agudath Israel activists. The tragic account of the girls’ heroism was then reported by the New York Times and other important media outlets.

It evoked a great emotional reaction among Jewish communities around the world, who were just beginning to learn of the unspeakable horrors unfolding in Europe. The 26th of Adar, the eighth yahrtzeit of Bais Yaakov founder Sarah Schneirer was designated by the Keren Hatorah of Agudath Israel as a day of mourning and commemoration for the heroic martyrs, while memorial gatherings continued to be held by Jews of all stripes during the ensuing months. The Chicago memorial event, hosted by the Jewish National Fund, was a demonstration of the profound impact stories of this kind had upon world Jewry.

Bais Yaakov during the Holocaust: Bais Yaakov leader Rabbi Yehuda Leib Orlean heroically managed to maintain a semblance of continuity in Nazi-occupied Poland. Following the closing of its flagship school (where he served as principal), he continued to maintain a close connection to Bais Yaakov and Bnos leadership in the region. Even a brutal beating by the Nazis did not hamper his herculean efforts. He established five clandestine Bais Yaakov schools in the Warsaw Ghetto, personally teaching at two of them while serving as a listening ear and guide to all students who sought his counsel. A Paraguayan passport sent by an alumnus residing in Switzerland unfortunately didn’t bring the desired salvation, as he was deported to his death by the Nazis, departing from Bergen-Belsen on Simchas Torah 1943.

Did You Know: The keynote memorial address at the Chicago event was delivered by Rabbi Menachem Benzion Sacks. Rabbi Sacks was born in Yerushalayim and was a talmid of Rav Kook. Settling in the United States after the first World War, he figured prominently in the development of the Chicago Torah community, assisting in the establishment of day schools as well as important activities on behalf of the local Merkaz Harabonim, the Mizrachi, and the Vaad Hatzalah. His wife Chana Rivka was the daughter of Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, and was his partner in all his holy endeavors. The Hannah Sacks Bais Yaakov in Chicago carries her illustrious name.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 829)