Three Generations Reunite With Miniature Bible Written in Lodz Ghetto During Holocaust

At Yad Vashem, three generations of the Knobel family recently reunited to view a miniature Bible written by their ancestor, Shlomo Knobel, in the Lodz Ghetto during the Holocaust. The tiny Bible, about the size of a matchbox, was meticulously handwritten in micrography over three years and is now one of Yad Vashem's unique preserved artifacts. Knobel, who lived in the ghetto with his wife Shefra and their young son Chaim Alter, worked in a military shoe factory and dedicated his free time to writing the Bible using special ink purchased with the family’s bread ration. In 1943, he completed the 85-page book, which included micrographic illustrations such as a portrait of the Lodz Ghetto Judenrat leader Chaim Rumkowski made entirely from tiny biblical verses. Knobel gifted the Bible to Rumkowski.

Tragically, Knobel’s son was murdered during the Holocaust, but he and his wife survived and had another son after the war. The family immigrated to Israel in 1972, believing the Bible had been lost forever. However, Holocaust survivor Bella Bialik discovered the miniature Bible alongside a tiny folding menorah in the ruins of the Lodz Ghetto and donated both items to Yad Vashem in 1983, initially without knowing the creator’s identity. In 1984, following a survivor conference and media coverage, Yad Vashem received a call identifying Knobel as the author, allowing him to reclaim his work 41 years after its creation.

Recently, ahead of the youngest family member’s bar mitzvah, the Knobel family visited Yad Vashem to see the Bible again. Avi Knobel, Shlomo’s son, described the visit as a "closing of the circle," noting how the younger generation was deeply moved by seeing the artifact and connecting with their family history.