1942, Jud 1942, CZESTOCHOWA GHETTO, FORMAL RATION COUPON - 1942.

Czestochowa, a city in Poland, south west of Warsaw. The German  army entered  thd city on September 3rd, 1939. The following day, latter called "Bloody Monday," a pogrom was organized in which a few hundred Jews were murdered. On September 16th, a Judenrat was established chaired by  Leon Kopinski. At that time approximately 30,000 Jews lived in the Town. The Jewish councils took on  all the duties of a local government, acting as intermediaries to carry out the German dictates, such as providing forced labor battalions for German war factories. On April 9th, 1941, a ghetto was established and was sesled off on  23rd August. On September 23rd, 1942, a large scale Aktion began. By October 5th, were executed on the spot. The ghetto, by now largely diminished and within new borders, now called  the, "small ghetto"  consisted of about 6,500 people, of whom about 1,000 were "illegal." Everyyone thought life would go on . The last selection took place on 20th July 1943. This item emphasizes the great deception: it is a formal Ration coupon dated November  1942! These coupons were distributed in the SMALL GHETTO, for Flour, Sugar, Marmalade, etc. This piece is complete and unused. On the reverse are neat hand written account listings costs, for firewood, staircase repairs, etc', made by a  Judenrat member.