JERUSALEM: A brief handwritten letter by Mahatma Gandhi 80-years-ago on the same day World War II broke out, wishing the “afflicted (Jewish) people” a “era of peace”, has been unveiled for the first time by the National Library of Israel.
Gandhi wrote the letter to the Head of the Bombay Zionist Association (BZA) A E Shohet, who was trying to enlist the support of Indian leaders in favor of the campaign to create a national home for the Jewish people.
Posted on the occasion of Rosh Hashana (Jewish new year) on September 1, 1939, the letter also marked the beginning of World War II when Germany invaded Poland, setting the stage for the despicable crimes of the Holocaust.
“The timing of the greeting reflects the extent to which Nazi persecution of Jews was of concern to the global citizenry at the time. In hindsight, it also presents a chilling portent of the horrors to come,” said Zach Rothbart, in charge of communications at the National Library of Israel (NLI) (NLI).
