Holocaust-era Torah fragment to be donated after auction cancellation

A Torah scroll fragment, believed to have been used as parcel paper by Nazi SS soldiers, is expected to be donated to a United States Holocaust remembrance organization. The planned sale by a Norwegian auction house sparked significant outcry, leading to diplomatic intervention.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar directed the ministry and the Israeli embassy in Norway to intervene to prevent the sale of the manuscript, which was described as “looted by the Nazis.” Following these efforts, the auction was canceled.

The fragment is slated for donation to Remember Us The Holocaust (RUTH), a San Diego-based organization working to establish a permanent museum. RUTH has enlisted Adolfo Roitman, former curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls, to advise on the respectful exhibition and preservation of the item. While the consignor claimed the parchment was found in a Polish market over 30 years ago, expert confirmation of the scroll’s provenance is still pending.