Holocaust Torah Scroll Fragment Saved from Auction by Buyer's Purchase
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
An auction of a Holocaust-looted Torah scroll fragment in Oslo, Norway, was prevented from proceeding when the auction house Valkyrie Historical Auctions purchased the item for $10,625. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs had strongly protested the sale, calling it a "moral abomination." The fragment, looted by Nazis and reportedly used as wrapping paper, will now be donated to a Holocaust remembrance organization in San Diego.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- An auction of a Holocaust-looted Torah scroll fragment in Oslo was canceled after the auction house bought it for $10,625.
- The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the sale as a "moral abomination."
- The fragment was looted by Nazis during WWII and reportedly used as wrapping paper by an SS soldier.
- The auction house stated Israel's intervention came minutes before the sale, forcing their purchase.
- The fragment will be donated to a Holocaust remembrance organization in San Diego, USA.
A planned auction of a Holocaust-looted Torah scroll fragment in Oslo, Norway, was dramatically halted at the last minute following intense diplomatic pressure. The auction house, Valkyrie Historical Auctions, purchased the item itself for $10,625 just ten minutes before the sale was to begin, preventing it from falling into private hands. The ancient parchment, a section from the Book of Deuteronomy written on calfskin, was looted by Nazis during World War II and reportedly used by an SS soldier as wrapping paper for a package sent to Germany. The fragment still bears an ink inscription revealing the sender's field unit and the recipient's address.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs had vehemently condemned the planned sale, calling it a "moral abomination" on social media platform X. The auction house stated that the item had been marketed for six weeks without any response, and Israel's intervention arrived only moments before the auction's start. This left them with no practical way to remove the item, forcing them to make a preemptive purchase to prevent its transfer to collectors. A spokesperson for the company indicated that they are now working with U.S. organizations that preserve artifacts for educational purposes, deeming such an institution a more fitting home for the piece than a private sale.
This incident occurred amidst broader criticism from Jerusalem regarding Norway's decision to cease financial support for Norwegian students' trips to extermination camps. Israeli officials sharply criticized Oslo's priorities, sarcastically noting, "Auctions of Torah scrolls looted by the Nazis, IN. Visits to extermination camps, OUT." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had demanded immediate intervention from the Norwegian government to halt what it termed a "moral low point," which ultimately led to the auction's cancellation.
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