Items Made from Torah Scrolls

The Torah (Jewish law given by God to the Jewish people, written on parchment scrolls) is the most sacred item of the Jewish people.  With the onset of the Nazi occupation, humiliation and abuse of Jews, the Torah, and other religious items began. The Nazis destroyed synagogues and stole Torahs. Nazis used the Torahs for their paper value, selling the scrolls as raw material for making purses, wallets and leather products. One particularly cruel way the Nazis showed their dominance over Jews was by cutting the Torah scrolls to make musical instruments. Similarly, Nazis used Torah parchment for everyday items such as envelopes and shoe liners to mock this sacred text.