After 24 October 1940, Łódź ghetto, [Mordkhe Schwartzbard]. ־ ”מעניני
דיומא“ [Pressing events]. The Łódź ghetto: tax collection system, provisions,
activities of official agencies.
[1] Litzmannstadt, 24 October [19]40
My dears,
First of all, if you have something to sell, do it before the circle closes.
Later, it will be worthless. You should buy wood, coal, cooking fat and foodstuffs.
Here we have policemen, post [service], house administrators. We also
have electricity and gas. This doesn’t mean that the institutions are in the
ghetto, simply that they have offices here to run their businesses. There are
also schools, hospitals, etc. We also have a currency with a Jewish emblem.⁶⁰⁸
All the institutions are run by the Eldest of the Jews. In our town there is also
a financial department which collects taxes from shops and rent from everyone,
but only shop owners have paid. The kehillah is entitled to move those
who fail to pay their rent to poorer flats, but up to now this has not happened.
The kehillah also has the right to sell luxury garments, fur coats and other
valuables belonging to such residents, but that doesn’t help much; they still
do not pay up, only private shop owners pay. The kehillah has a provisions
department that supplies everyone with foodstuffs such as cornmeal, honey,
salt, sugar (a little), soda, groats, oil (black), onions, oatmeal, and coffee blend.
Children up to 3 years old have a special card, and every day they receive
250 grams, and once a week 30 grams, of butter. Doctors issue the sick with
a special voucher for milk, butter (60 grams), wheat-flour strudel, 1 egg and
1 lemon, and so on. We don’t have any cards yet. They are supposed to be
issued soon.⁶⁰⁹ The distribution procedure is as follows: the kehillah announces
which products will be distributed, and people have to pay the price by a specified
deadline. The house committee informs the residents. Those who pay
have their names entered in a special book issued by the kehillah and receive
their provisions later from a designated shop. Those who don’t pay get nothing.
608 See Doc. 31.
609 For more on food ration cards, see Introduction.
