Advanced Search

Learn About The Holocaust

Special Collections

My Saved Research

Login

Register

Help

Skip to main content

Embroidered pink tablecloth with a floral design owned by a Romanian Jewish woman

Object | Accession Number: 2014.490.10

Search this record's additional resources, such as finding aids, documents, or transcripts.

No results match this search term.
Check spelling and try again.

results are loading

0 results found for “keyward

    Embroidered pink tablecloth with a floral design owned by a Romanian Jewish woman
    Loading

    Please select from the following options:

    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    Small tablecloth embroidered by Izi Greif (née Korn) while she was in high school or shortly thereafter. Izi grew up in Piatra Neamț, Romania with her younger brother Hary, and their parents Lisa and Solomon Korn. Izi was in high school when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, starting World War II. Originally, Romania chose to stay neutral in the war. However, in September 1940, a coalition government came to power led by General Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard, a nationalistic party which promoted violent antisemitism. Following this change in government, Romania officially joined the Axis alliance, and restrictions against Jews began to intensify. The new Romanian government quickly passed regulations forbidding Jews from public education, and Izi was kicked out of school. The Iron Guard and local authorities in Piatra Neamt also terrorized Jews by confiscating the Jewish cemetery, torturing people into giving up their wealth and property, and restricting their movement around town. In August 1944, opposition politicians overthrew Antonescu and signed an armistice with the Soviet Union. Romanian troops then started working with the Allies. Following the ousting of the antisemitic Romanian government and the German military, Izi reenrolled in high school. She graduated in 1945, and moved to Bucharest to study textile engineering. While there she met electro-mechanical engineering student Ignacy Greif, and they married in 1948. In 1973, Izi and Ignacy immigrated to the United States with their daughter, and settled in San Francisco.
    Date
    creation:  1938-1948
    Geography
    creation: Piatra Neamt (Romania)
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Claudia Greif and Vladimir Brandwajn
    Contributor
    Subject: Izi Greif
    Biography
    Izi Greif (née Korn, 1923-2008) was born in Romancauti, Romania (now Romankivt︠s︡i, Ukraine), but raised in Piatra Neamț, Romania by her parents, Lisa (née Koifman) and Solomon Korn. Lisa was from Romancauti, while Solomon was from Buzău, Romania. Izi had one younger brother, Hary (1927-2010).

    Izi was in high school when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, starting World War II. Originally, Romania chose to stay neutral in the war, even though Romanian authorities already pursued a policy of harsh, persecutory antisemitism against Jews. In September 1940, a coalition government came to power led by General Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard, a nationalistic party which promoted violent antisemitism. This period of rule is often known as the National Legionary State, and the party members as Legionnaires. Following this change in government, Romania officially joined the Axis alliance, and restrictions against Jews began to intensify. The new Romanian government quickly passed regulations forbidding Jews from public education, and Izi was kicked out of school.

    In Piatra Neamț the Legionnaires, with the assistance of the local authorities, terrorized the Jewish population. They confiscated the Jewish cemetery, and tortured wealthy Jews into giving them large sums of money and property. Jews who did not have money were forced to give away their merchandise and treasured family items. This abuse was similar to what the Legionnaires were inflicting on Jews all across Romania. In summer 1941, Izi and all other Romanian Jews were ordered to start wearing the yellow Star of David badge, and they were prohibited from moving around town outside of a few designated hours each day. The German army also forced Jews throughout the country to donate blankets and winter clothes to German soldiers.

    In August 1944, as Soviet troops were gaining ground in Romania, opposition politicians overthrew Antonescu and signed an armistice with the Soviet Union. Romanian troops then started working with the Allies, fighting alongside Soviet troops through Hungary and into Germany. Izi, her brother, and their parents all survived the Holocaust. Following the ousting of the antisemitic Romanian government and the German military, Izi returned to high school and graduated in 1945. She then moved to Bucharest to study textile engineering. In Bucharest, Izi met Ignacy Greif, a fellow survivor and electro-mechanical engineering student. Izi and Ignacy married in 1948, the same year that Ignacy graduated with his engineering degree. Izi earned her degree in 1952. The couple both worked as engineers in Bucharest, and had one daughter, Claudia. In 1968, the family applied at the Romanian authority to immigrate to the United States, and they received their exit visas in 1973. The three of them settled in San Francisco.

    Physical Details

    Classification
    Furnishings and Furniture
    Category
    Household linens
    Object Type
    Tablecloths (lcsh)
    Physical Description
    Small, pink, lightweight, square tablecloth with a brown border resembling a fence, and a butterfly and floral design. An orange butterfly is embroidered in the center with four sets of blue bell-shaped flowers with green stems around it. Coming out of the brown border are eight sets of simple blue flowers with green stems interspersed with blue, green, orange, purple, and red butterflies. Each butterfly is sewn with a combination of stem and satin stich. The stems, leaves, and petals of the bell-shaped flowers are all satin stitched. The exterior flowers are sewn with a combination of couching, stem, and satin stitch. The border is sewn with variegated brown thread. The edge is lined with short satin stitch with small knots spaced evenly throughout. Above that are thin vertical lines in stem stitch topped with a scalloped border in short satin stitch. There is light staining in several places overall.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 29.000 inches (73.66 cm) | Width: 27.250 inches (69.215 cm)
    Materials
    overall : cloth, thread

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    No restrictions on access
    Conditions on Use
    No restrictions on use

    Keywords & Subjects

    Corporate Name
    Garda de Fier

    Administrative Notes

    Provenance
    The tablecloth was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by Claudia Greif, the granddaughter of Klara Stempler Greif.
    Record last modified:
    2024-10-03 12:50:51
    This page:
    http:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn560513

    Download & Licensing

    In-Person Research

    Contact Us