During the Holocaust, Jewish prisoners in the Westerbork Transit Camp in the Netherlands observed Hanukkah under harrowing circumstances. Despite the dire conditions, they sought to maintain their cultural and religious traditions as an act of resistance and hope.
In Westerbork, Hanukkah celebrations were modest and often conducted in secret. Prisoners used makeshift menorahs crafted from available materials, such as scraps of metal or potatoes with wicks made of threads soaked in oil. Lighting the candles symbolized resilience and faith amidst the darkness of persecution.
The holiday was also a time for community solidarity. Prisoners recited prayers, sang traditional songs, and shared stories, reinforcing their shared identity and hope for liberation. Hanukkah’s themes of survival against oppression resonated deeply with their experiences, offering a source of spiritual strength and unity in the face of unimaginable adversity.
This poem seeks to honor the resilience and hope of those who clung to tradition and faith in the most trying of times.
In the shadow of the iron gates,
Beneath the watchtower’s somber face,
A flicker stirred in the cold night air,
A prayer, a flame, a moment rare.
Amid the bleak and stifling gloom,
A spark of hope defied the doom.
In hearts weighed down by fear and strife,
The candles whispered: “Hold to life.”
No polished menorah, no gilded stand,
Just trembling hands in a trembling land.
A threadbare shawl, a tattered thread,
Yet faith survived where others bled.
Each wick lit soft, a tear-streaked glow,
A memory of miracles long ago.
Though oil was scarce, and the nights were long,
Their voices rose in a fragile song.
“Eight nights of light, eight nights of grace,
In every darkness, God makes a place.
Though walls may close, and stars may fall,
The flame endures; it conquers all.”
The children watched with weary eyes,
And saw the sparks like distant skies.
For a moment brief, the world was whole,
A warmth, a story, a shared soul.
Hanukkah in Westerbork—a defiant art,
The light of candles, the light of heart.
Through ashes, through sorrow, a legacy grew:
To remember, to endure, to renew.
Sources
https://collecties.kampwesterbork.nl/zoeken?term=Chanoeka
History of Sorts 
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