Beaded bib necklace made by a young Polish Jewish refugee in Russia

Identifier
irn524366
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2007.491.1
Dates
1 Jan 1941 - 31 Dec 1941
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 6.750 inches (17.145 cm) | Width: 10.250 inches (26.035 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Nechama (Chuma) Ejnes was born in Wojslawice, Poland (now Voislavychi, Ukraine), on March 5, 1927, to an Orthodox Jewish family. Her father, Moishe Shmuel (1896-6/3/1975), was from Grabovitz and her mother, Chana Devorah Gross (1896-9/6/1991), was from Krasniczyn. Nechama had three younger siblings: a sister, Miriam, and two brothers, Shraga and Zvi. In September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland and the Ejnes family fled east to the Soviet Union. It was a spontaneous decision made by her mother. Russian men driving by in a military truck offered a ride across the border which they accepted. Everything was left behind because there was no time to pack. The men did not ask for any payment, but Nechama gave them the watch she was wearing as a gift of thanks. After being dropped off in Russia, the family wandered from town to town until they arrived in Kostroma, a poor, bitterly cold town. The government assigned the family a single room with a separate kitchen that they shared with several other families for the next seven years. Moishe, who was a hatmaker, got work at the local hat factory; he also did piecework at home. Nechama and other members of the family sold hats in the bazaar. They also would get white socks, dye them different colors, and resell them. But life was difficult; they were always hungry and even potato peels were a luxury to eat. The war ended in Europe on May 8, 1945. The family was able to get to the Rochelle displaced persons camp near Hessisch-Lichtenau, Germany, in 1946. While there, Nechama met Bunim Friedman, who was in a displaced persons camp in Eschwege. Bunim was born circa April 10, 1918, in Kobryn, Poland. He had survived the war by hiding his Jewish identity and joining the Soviet Army. Most of his family perished during the Holocaust. Nechama and Bunim were married on January 13, 1948. In 1949, they immigrated to the United States with their infant daughter. Nechama’s parents and her three siblings immigrated to Israel. Nechama and Bunim changed their names to Helen and Bernard, settled in Brooklyn, and had two more children. Bunim's father had been a bookbinder and Bunim eventually started a business creating hand bound wedding albums. Nechama (Helen) passed away, age 73, on June 3, 2000. Bunim (Bernard), age 89, died on November 1, 2007.

Archival History

The necklace was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007 by Linda Friedman Schmidt, Rita Friedman, and Dr. Jay Lawrence Friedman, the children of Helen (Nechama) Ejnes Friedman.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Linda Friedman Schmidt, Rita Friedman, and Dr. Jay Lawrence Friedman

Scope and Content

Colored glass bead bib necklace designed and made by 14 year old Nechama Ejnes from beads she bought at the bazaar while living in Kostroma in the Soviet Union. She also made a matching belt which did not withstand the hardships of life as a refugee. She fled Poland with her family, parents Moishe and Chana, and three younger siblings, Miriam, Shraga, and Zvi in September 1939 following the German invasion. They wandered from town to town until settling in Kostroma. They were assigned a single room with a communal kitchen that they shared with several other families for nearly seven years until after the war ended in Europe in May 1945. By 1946, they had relocated to the Rochelle displaced persons camp in Germany. While living in the DP camp, Nechama married Bunim Friedman, a survivor also from Poland. They had a daughter and, in 1949, while Nechama was pregnant with their second daughter, emigrated to the United States.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Multicolored necklace made of drawn glass seed beads woven into a diamond pattern. A blue/green ribbon is threaded through the top row to fasten it around the neck.

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.