Episode 163 - In the Face of Darkness: Hanukkah Celebrations and the Menorahs of WWII

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Join Jennie and Dianne as they unravel a tale of light from darkness in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. From the city's historical significance to the Jüdischer Friedhof,  a small Jewish cemetery containing about 600 victims of the Nazi terror that were killed in one of the nearby concentration camps, discover the poignant journey of Holocaust survivors and how the celebration of Hanukkah took place in secret throughout concentration camps during the darkest days of WWII. After the war Landsberg am Lech became an all Jewish Displaced Person's camp where the creation of a Menorah became a symbol of resilience. Don't miss these Ordinary Extraordinary stories of hope, revival, and the indomitable spirit that rose from the ashes of tragedy.

Resources used to research this episode include:

"Landsberg am Lech ." https://en.m.wikipedia.org. 27 Nov. 2023. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsberg_am_Lech. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

"Landsberg am Lech ." https://www.romanticroadgermany.com. www.romanticroadgermany.com/landsberg/. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Hahne, Katharina. "Erpfting (Stadt Landsberg/Lech, Kreisstadt)  Jüdischer Friedhof (KZ-Friedhof) ." https://www.alemannia-judaica.de. 21 Jan. 2016. www.alemannia-judaica.de/erpfting_friedhof.htm. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "APRIL 29, 1945 Liberation of Dachau ." https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org. encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1942-1945/liberation-of-dachau. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Popowycz, PhD, Jennifer . "“The Last Million:” Eastern European Displaced Persons in Postwar Germany ." https://www.nationalww2museum.org. 4 Apr. 2022. www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/last-million-eastern-european-displaced-persons-postwar-germany. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

, Yad Vashem. "February 1948, Jews in the Landsberg Displaced Persons' Camp, Germany ." https://www.yadvashem.org. www.yadvashem.org/holocaust/this-month/february/1948.html. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

"Organization of survivors of the Nazi persecution (She'erit Hapleita) ." https://portal.ehri-project.eu. portal.ehri-project.eu/units/us-005578-irn616351. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Tikkanen, Amy. "menorah ." https://www.britannica.com. 4 Dec. 2023. www.britannica.com/topic/menorah. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Frost, Natasha. "Amid the Holocaust’s Horrors, Many Jews Found Ways to Mark Hanukkah ." https://www.history.com. 20 Dec. 2019. www.history.com/news/holocaust-hanukkah-concentration-camps-jews. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.