History of Sorts

Of all the incredible stories to emerge from World War II, this is one of my favorites—a tale of defiance, resilience, and an unmistakable “up yours” to tyranny. While the service itself undoubtedly maintained its deep religious significance, I can’t help but imagine a few knowing smiles afterward.

The photograph above captures a Jewish service held in Schloss Rheydt, the former home of Joseph Göbbels, the Nazi propaganda minister. I would have given anything to see his face upon learning that a service honoring Jewish soldiers had taken place in his very own dining room.

In the image, PFC Abraham Mirmelstein of Newport News, Virginia, holds the Holy Scroll as Capt. Manuel M. Poliakoff and Cpl Martin Willen of Baltimore, Maryland, led the service. This historic moment unfolded on March 18, 1945, in Münchengladbach, Germany, marking the first Jewish service held east of the Rur River. The ceremony was a tribute to the fallen Jewish soldiers of the U.S. 29th Division, 9th Army.

The first Jewish service at Schloss Rheydt took place for Purim on March 8, 1945, just a week after the holiday itself. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), the frontline troops attended the service who had been too involved in a battle to observe Purim on its actual date.

An article in Yank: The Army Weekly (April 12, 1945) describes the powerful symbolism of the service. Chaplain Manuel Poliakoff and his men draped a Jewish Welfare Board flag, adorned with the Star of David, over a table. A Jewish chaplain’s insignia hung in the window, while below it, the G.I.s left a German flag with a large swastika in the center—plain for all to see. However, they placed the ark and Torah directly on top of the swastika, sending an unmistakable message: what was once home to Nazi ideology had now become a place of Jewish worship, resilience, and triumph.

Cpl. Howard Katzander wrote in Yank that Chaplain Poliakoff, assisted by PFC Arnold Reich and Cpl Martin Willen led the soldiers in an ancient Hebrew hymn of jubilation traditionally sung at Purim. The song, celebrating the Jews’ deliverance from Haman—the biblical villain often compared to Hitler—added a deep historical and emotional weight to the moment.

Among those attending was Captain Frederic E. Pamp Jr., a non-Jewish officer, who later reflected on the significance of the event:

“It was as satisfying an experience as I have ever had in my life to hear the Hebrew service sung in the Great Hall of Göbbels’ chateau. Whatever else this war may have been fought for, you men of Jewish ancestry in our army can know that you are the symbols of American power on the side of justice, mercy, and equality.”

The service at Schloss Rheydt was more than just a religious gathering—it was a defiant declaration of survival, a stark contrast between the Nazi regime’s hatred and the enduring spirit of those it sought to destroy.

Interestingly, I came across a newsletter describing a similar service, though with different officiants and a date ten days later. It suggests there may have been at least a second service—making this act of poetic justice all the more satisfying.

Sources

https://www.deviantart.com/anamnesisss/art/Jewish-service-in-Goebbels-s-house-1945-599266816

https://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=25197

Purim and Passover in Goebbels’ Castle

Please support us so we can continue our important work.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/remembrance-preserving-holocaust-history-for-the-future

https://www.gofundme.com/static/js/embed.js