Jewish New Year Card, September 1943

This Jewish New Year card was made by my mother, Zahava, and given to her parents in September 1943. She had access to a few colouring pencils and made the card on the back of a piece of discarded card. Despite their circumstances, the family quietly marked one of the most sacred dates in the Jewish calendar.

The message, written in Dutch with some Hebrew, reads:

'Dear parents. I hope that next year we will be in better circumstances. In the meantime, Shana Tova.

Happy New Year and may you be inscribed in the Book of Life’.

The card is a reminder not only of hope, but of the determination to preserve family traditions and faith even in the darkest of times.