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The Oyneg Shabes archive, led by historian Emanuel Ringeblum, secretly documented daily existence for half a million in the Warsaw Ghetto between 1940-43. Omnibus edition 1-5.

The archives of Oyneg Shabes reveal the daily struggles for life in the Warsaw Ghetto between 1940-43.
Between 1940-43 a group of dedicated writers, led by historian Emanuel Ringeblum, created an underground archive chronicling daily Jewish existence in the Warsaw Ghetto. It would become history as survival. Anton Lesser narrates this 10 part series revealing the lives, stories & destruction of the Ghetto. Omnibus Edition episodes 1-5.

With Elliot Levey as Emanuel Ringeblum.

In the middle of Europe, in the middle of the 20th Century, a half million Jewish men, women & children were herded into a prison city within a city. Walled off & surrounded by the German occupiers & their collaborators. How do you tell the world about your life and fate? Historian and activist Emanuel Ringelblum devised and directed a clandestine archive- codename Oyneg Shabes (Joy of the Sabbath) to chronicle every aspect of their existence. He recruited over 60 'zamlers' or gatherers to write, collect & compile thousands of pages-diaries, essays, poems, photographs, statistical studies, art, ephemera -a historical treasure that was buried even as the Ghetto was being extinguished so that the world might read and understand. Listen to their stories

Narration by Anton Lesser with the voices of Lily Fair, Elliot Levey, Leah Marks, Alfred Molina, Andy Nyman, Carl Prekopp & Tracy-Ann Oberman . Yiddish voice group Helen Beer & Mame Loshn. Polish voice group Krystena Bell & the Syrena Youth Theatre, Historical adviser Samuel Kassow. Series written & produced by Mark Burman.

For more information on the Oyneg Shabes/Ringeblum archive go to the website of the Jewish Historical Institute https://cbj.jhi.pl/

Available now

57 minutes

Broadcast

  • Fri 28 Apr 2023 21:00