Letter from Molly Picon to her Mother, August 23, 1946

Click to See & Read Historical Background Discussion Questions Level: Middle School and above Learn About Letters: Teacher Notes Student Activity Sheet

More of this TYPE: Letter More of this TIME PERIOD: 1900-1949 More on these TOPICS: Anti-Semitism, Arts & Recreation, Jewish Values & Practice

The close of World War II brought an end to Hitler’s regime, but it did not fully eliminate the chaos and danger European Jews faced. The war had created upheaval everywhere, and Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe in 1945 prolonged the dislocation wrought by the earlier fighting and German occupation. Politically and economically devastated areas remained breeding grounds for anti-Semitism. As they had done under the Nazi regime, many Europeans still held Jews accountable for their problems.

Many Jews, unable to return to their homes, were put in camps for displaced persons, to which American relief agencies sent money, health care, and volunteers. In this letter to her mother, Yiddish film and stage star Molly Picon describes her experiences performing at some of these camps in postwar Poland. The refugees lived in horrid conditions, and Picon took pride in the relief her entertainment provided. She drew on her Jewish heritage and the principle of tikkun olam, repairing the world, in her efforts.

For more on Picon’s experiences in Europe, go to JWA’s Women of Valor exhibit.

How to Cite This Page
Jewish Women's Archive. "JWA - Letters - Correspondence About Postwar Conditions in Europe." <http://jwa.org/primarysources/letters_04.html>.