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Childsize violin and case of a young Jewish Lithuanian boy killed in the Ponary massacre 2006.88.2_b open

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, United States

Childsize violin and case that belonged to 13 year old Boruch Golden, who was killed in the massacres at Ponary in September 1943. Baruch began playing the violin when he was 6 years old. It was saved by his sister, Niusia (Anna), who survived the war in hiding. Following the invasion of Soviet territory by Germany in spring 1941, the Golden family, the parents, Moshe and Basia, and 4 children: Niusia, Riva, Boruch, and Tevya, were forced into the Swieciany (Svencionys) ghetto in Lithuania. When it was liquidated by the Germans in April 1943, the family was separated. Niusia refused to get in the cattle cars and went into hiding. The rest were deported to the Vilna ghetto. Moshe was sent to Klooga concentration camp; he did not survive. When Vilna was liquidated, Basia and the two boys were taken to Ponary and murdered. Rywa was sent to Kaiserwald, the first of several concentration camps where she would be imprisoned until she was liberated in Laenburg, Germany, by the Soviet Army in 1945. Niusia remained in hiding in Swieciany. After the war ended in May 1945, she learned that her sister was alive. They began corresponding and Niusia told her sister to stay in Germany, since emigration was not possible from Swieciany. In 1948, Rywa emigrated to Canada. In the fall of 1958, she made arrangements for Niusia and her family to come to Canada and the sisters were finally reunited.

Childsize violin and case that belonged to 13 year old Boruch Golden, who was killed in the massacres at Ponary in September 1943. Baruch began playing the violin when he was 6 years old. It was saved by his sister, Niusia (Anna), who survived the war in hiding. Following the invasion of Soviet territory by Germany in spring 1941, the Golden family, the parents, Moshe and Basia, and 4 children: Niusia, Riva, Boruch, and Tevya, were forced into the Swieciany (Svencionys) ghetto in Lithuania. When it was liquidated by the Germans in April 1943, the family was separated. Niusia refused to get in the cattle cars and went into hiding. The rest were deported to the Vilna ghetto. Moshe was sent to Klooga concentration camp; he did not survive. When Vilna was liquidated, Basia and the two boys were taken to Ponary and murdered. Rywa was sent to Kaiserwald, the first of several concentration camps where she would be imprisoned until she was liberated in Laenburg, Germany, by the Soviet Army in 1945. Niusia remained in hiding in Swieciany. After the war ended in May 1945, she learned that her sister was alive. They began corresponding and Niusia told her sister to stay in Germany, since emigration was not possible from Swieciany. In 1948, Rywa emigrated to Canada. In the fall of 1958, she made arrangements for Niusia and her family to come to Canada and the sisters were finally reunited.

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  • Title: Childsize violin and case of a young Jewish Lithuanian boy killed in the Ponary massacre 2006.88.2_b open
  • Provenance: The violin and case were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2006 by Anna Nodel and Regina Gordon., The violin and case were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2006 by Anna Nodel and Regina Gordon.
  • Subject Keywords: Holocaust, Jewish, 1939-1945--Lithuania--Personal narratives. Jewish families--Lithuania. Jews--Persecutions--Lithuania--Biography. World War, 1939-1945--Jews--Rescue--Lithuania--Svencionys--Personal narratives., Holocaust, Jewish, 1939-1945--Lithuania--Personal narratives. Jewish families--Lithuania. Jews--Persecutions--Lithuania--Biography. World War, 1939-1945--Jews--Rescue--Lithuania--Svencionys--Personal narratives.
  • Type: Personal Equipment and Supplies, Personal Equipment and Supplies
  • Rights: Permanent Collection, Permanent Collection
  • External Link: See the full record at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, See the full record at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
  • Medium: a. Childsize light stained wooden violin. The scroll at the top attaches to the peg box; 4 dark stained, wood pegs, with mother of pearl accents, extend through the box. Four strings rest on the end nut, one wrapped around each peg. The nut and fingerboard are stained dark, with a missing rib on the upper left. The bottom of the head has tape remnants. The bridge has an indentation at the top for each string; the hourglass shaped body has decorative cut-outs and an f-shaped sound hole on each side. The strings are attached to the dark stained tailpiece which is attached to the end button by a metal wire. There is tape on the back edges. b. Black leather covered violin case with a wooden frame, a convex lid, 2 metal feet on the bottom, and 1 at the top back. There are 3 silver-colored metal hinges on one side and 2 silver-colored clasps on the other. A brown leather handle is attached to the case by silver-colored brackets on the clasp side. A diamond shaped plate with key hole is nailed to the left side of the handle. There is an elongated oval metal foot nailed to the bottom. Black tape covers the top edge of the lid; floral patterned paper covers the top interior and the upper half of the bottom interior. A small wood compartment, lined with floral paper, at the scroll end of the case, has a cover with a black felt tab to open. There is tape on the interior top of the lid and a green, felt covered, metal clip on the interior bottom. There is a wood support, covered with green felt, and floral paper, with a suede strap, in the bottom of the case to hold the neck of the violin. The bottom half of the case is lined with green felt., a. Childsize light stained wooden violin. The scroll at the top attaches to the peg box; 4 dark stained, wood pegs, with mother of pearl accents, extend through the box. Four strings rest on the end nut, one wrapped around each peg. The nut and fingerboard are stained dark, with a missing rib on the upper left. The bottom of the head has tape remnants. The bridge has an indentation at the top for each string; the hourglass shaped body has decorative cut-outs and an f-shaped sound hole on each side. The strings are attached to the dark stained tailpiece which is attached to the end button by a metal wire. There is tape on the back edges. b. Black leather covered violin case with a wooden frame, a convex lid, 2 metal feet on the bottom, and 1 at the top back. There are 3 silver-colored metal hinges on one side and 2 silver-colored clasps on the other. A brown leather handle is attached to the case by silver-colored brackets on the clasp side. A diamond shaped plate with key hole is nailed to the left side of the handle. There is an elongated oval metal foot nailed to the bottom. Black tape covers the top edge of the lid; floral patterned paper covers the top interior and the upper half of the bottom interior. A small wood compartment, lined with floral paper, at the scroll end of the case, has a cover with a black felt tab to open. There is tape on the interior top of the lid and a green, felt covered, metal clip on the interior bottom. There is a wood support, covered with green felt, and floral paper, with a suede strap, in the bottom of the case to hold the neck of the violin. The bottom half of the case is lined with green felt.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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