Many in Boro Park speculate that a clip from the horror days of World War II includes the Previous Bobover Rebbe – Rav Ben Zion Halberstam (1874–1941) HY”D.
The Rebbe, they say, is seen being beaten by The Ukrainians under Nazi occupation, 3 days before being brutally murdered.
The original clip is from Steven Spielberg‘s video archive and contains the following information:
Title: Original German 8mm Film of Atrocities Against Jews
Event Date: 1941
Place: Lvov, Poland
Description: Jews rounded up in Lvov, Poland. Victims tortured, pulled along ground; Jews lined up around building.
This 8 mm German film was used as exhibit in the Nuremberg IMT (German War Crimes Trials PS-3052), screened in the courtroom 13 December 1945. See “Nuremberg and Its Lesson” at NARA.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), 238.7
According to a note on National Archives and Records Administration story card, “This is 8mm footage captured by U.S. Army in SS barracks in Augsburg, Germany.” The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum purchased a copy from the National Archives and Records Administration in June 1991. The footage was obtained as research for the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition.”
Indeed, on July 25 of 1941 Parshas Matos-Masei, on Rosh Chodesh Av, at about 6pm while the Rebbe was removing his Rabbeinu Tam’s Tefillin, the door opened suddenly and a Ukrainian youth entered together with the building’s gentile superintendent. The youth carried a red whip with the insignia of the Symon Petliura bands. The two were conducting a search of the house where the Rebbe was hiding.
The youth took one look at the Rebbe and immediately realized that this was a distinguished personage. He ordered the Rebbe to accompany him. The Rebbe’s youngest son, Moshe Aaron, saw his father being led away, and pleaded to come along to help his father. At first the Ukrainian youth objected, but then he acceded and took along Moshe Aaron.
They were joined on the street corner by other distinguished prisoners from other areas in the city. Soldiers stood guard to prevent escape. When the number of captives reached a hundred, the guards arranged them in a row, three abreast, and ordered them to march.
The Rebbe was too weak to keep up with the rapid pace and moved to the back. The guards beat him with their batons and demanded that he hurry up. Eliyahu Avigdor held one of his hands and his son Moshe Aaron held the other until they reached Gestapo headquarters at Polczinski 4.
An eye-witness writes that “he saw from his window how the Rebbe, dressed in his Sabbath clothing was attacked by the soldiers. The cruel Ukrainians beat him on his head with their rifle-butts and his yarmulke fell to the ground. From time to time the Rebbe bent over and stooped to pick it up, and they beat him even more.”
After three days, on Monday Parshas Devarim, Daled Av (July 28); four weeks after the Germans entered Lemberg; the Jewish captives were shot in the Yanover forest behind the city. 20,000 Jews were shot that day, the Rebbe, his son and his three sons-in-law included. (Source).
No one can positively confirm that this is the Rebbe but those who are officially experts on these matters (deal with pictures etc.) have reportedly said they are confident it is the Rebbe.
WARNING! disturbing images:
he learned in Detroit (ir hakodesh)
wow, that a real tomim! knows about bais harav! wonder which yeshiva you learn in? ashray yoladeto
the frieerdiker rebbe zya tried very hard to rescue him from europe along with reb ahraleh belzer zatsal unfortunatly he wasnt succesfull bedaas tachton regarding the bobover hayad
iVolunteer, If you would like to visit a holocaust survivor or support this wonderful orginization( Chabad institution recognized by Merkos) go to iVolunteerny.com.
Teshuva Tefila Tzedaka maavirim es…
You are correct, we should all be calling and emailing the whitehouse- a big campaign, to protest the president’s words, and to tell him that we support Israel.
we have the responsiblity to teach the world
it can be done with simcha
if we only realized our gifts
search inside, its there – where its been the whole time.
is it my computer or is it impossible to see
so sad!!!!!!
And let’s not forget the President of the United States who today displayed his vicious & Muslim-based anti-semitism & anti-Israel rhetoric in the UN. Don’t think what you see on this video cannot happen here. With Barack Hussein Obama, it can. What I fear is, it will.
yes Torah and Mitzvos-of course but guns also because you have animals as the one in Iran who still denies the Holocaust.T&M didn’t stop the animals during WWII.And think for a moment if families had been armed!Look people,I know how we all believe but H’ never said we should not help ourselves.Read the Torah.We should chas vsholom never be in a position where we cannot defend ourselves.
to all those whose heart is broken — how about some more ahavas yisroel amongst ourselves???? ha??? its all that we got.
This is an important video that should be posted all over. Let the world see the heinous and hideous atrocities the Nazis perpetrated and Not ever forget. Put it on Facebooks, all web-sites…. everywhere!!
its very hard to see the video… very unclear
It cannot be the Bobbover Rebbe for two reasons: 1) The Bobbover Rebbe had lots of HAIR on his head in the known last picture of him (and he was murdered on Daled Ov, so he could not have had a haircut within 2 weeks of this picture). 2) The Bobbover Rebbe’s beard was MUCH whiter in that final picture.
EIther way, this video is a terrible – but necessary – reminder of what La’ag Vokeless Bagoyim means. Oy, Hashem, AD MOSSAI?
Never again we and the world always say, but the only way to make sure it won’t happen again is through Torah and Mitzvos
I’m crying..did you post this because of asheres yemei tesuva? if yes its working…