page no. 02
Eda Grof
Eda Groff, was a young orphaned refugee, who lost her entire family in World War II. She immigrated to Israel as part of the youth immigration group and like thousands of other orphaned refugees, she was taken in by one of its educational institutions. While there, she was overjoyed to reunite with her cousin Bella Groff, who also miraculously survived the inferno. Bella changed his name to Gideon. He was a passionate collector of stamps, postcards and letters. In Eda's possession was a modest bundle containing several postcards sent to her by her father Oskar and mother Lola from the concentration camps where they were imprisoned, and by her aunt Luzi who lived in the port city of Trieste, in Trieste’, Italy. Eda passed the postcards to Gideon so that he could find a way to commemorate them in the future. From that moment she erased the memory of her past. The postcards and other letters, from other concentration camps, from the collection of Gideon Groff, are commemorated here for the first time
Oscar - First postcard: February 13, 1942
Oflag XIII-B wase German World War II prisoner-of-war camp, for officers (Offizierlager). It was on the old Nazi party rally grounds in Langwasser, Nuremberg, in northern Bavaria. An Oflag (from German: Offizierslager) was a type of prisoner of war camp for officers which the German Army established in World War II in accordance with the requirements of the Geneva Convention (1929).
My sweet girl Eda! I found out from a postcard I got from mom, that you are in a safe place. That you are with noble friends who take care of you and give you a home. You must therefore show that you are grateful. Be obedient to everyone and behave well. Thank them every day for their kindness and sacrifice. I also thank them and ask God to forgive. Pray every day, morning and evening prayer, and think of us, your loved ones, who think of you so much. May God bless you, my sweet child and give you first of all health and perseverance until we meet and are reunited. Study diligently all that is shown and dictated to you. Behave properly and modestly. Write a lot to mother and grandmother, as much as you can. I can unfortunately write to you only rarely. Be blessed and kissed. Many kisses to your caregivers - your father.