Tefillin (phylacteries) that Meir Muhlbaum received in the Westerbork camp on the occasion of his barmitzvah, from a prisoner who was to be deported to an extermination camp

After the Nazis came to power, Shlomo and Mina Muhlbaum left their home in Berlin, Germany and moved to the Netherlands. Shlomo was deported to the Westerbork camp and subsequently his family was also sent there.

Their son Meir was due to celebrate his barmitzvah in Westerbork. His father was determined to mark the occasion in spite of the circumstances. In one of the camp barracks several prisoners had established a provisional synagogue where Meir was called up to the Torah to read his Bible portion: "Lech Lecha", (Genesis: 3).

The next day, a fellow prisoner, who was to be sent on a transport to an extermination camp - a man whom Meir did not know - gave Meir his tefillin (phylacteries), saying that he would no longer be needing them. From that moment on Meir felt that he had to look after the anonymous Jew's tefillin. He kept them for many years but never dared to use them.

Yad Vashem Artifacts Collection
Courtesy of Meir Muhlbaum, Herzliya, Israel