Sara Zayer papers

Document | Accession Number: 1995.A.0286.1

The Sara Zayer papers contain the correspondence of Sara Zayer, a Polish woman who immigrated to the United States in 1939 to live with her brother. Her husband was transported from Warsaw to the Łódź ghetto, and later was killed at Auschwitz. Contained in the letters are primarily Russian and Polish correspondence with her husband, family members, and friends.

The bulk of the Sara Zayer papers contain correspondence between Sara and various family members and friends. The letters are primarily in Russian and Polish, and contain a variety of topics but mainly discuss the status of family members. Aside from the individuals mentioned in the biographical note, relations could not be established between the correspondent and Sara Zayer. Other items in the collection include the boarding pass for the M.S. Batory, as well as two photograph books and papers from La Colonie Scolaire.

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Date: inclusive: 1933-1949
Language: Russian
Polish
Yiddish
Hebrew
English
French
Genre/Form: Correspondence.
Passes (Transportation)
Extent: 1 box

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Document Creator: Sara Zayer
Biography: Sara Mstibowski Zayer (1898-1982) was born in the city of Bialystok, Poland. She would grow up to marry Mojzesja Zazujer, and live together in Warsaw, Poland. In 1939, she received a travel visa to the United States to live with her brother, Jacob Mast, in New York City. In August of 1939, Sara arrived in New York aboard the M.S. Batory sailing out of Gdynia, Poland, and changed her last name to Zayer. While living in New York, she kept in contact with her husband, who was later transported to the Łódź ghetto, and eventually taken to Auschwitz, where he was killed. Sara (addressed as Sonia in her correspondence) also kept in touch with other family members and friends, including: her brothers Solomon and Isaac Mstibowski; her uncle and aunt Solomon and Dora Gottleib; and their daughter Fira Kozlowski. Samuel Klembocki was another major correspondent, who married Fira’s sister Rose. Some letters come from friends from Sara’s town of Bialystok, such as Genja Shiliner, while others relations are unknown. Sara gained citizenship and continued living in the United States until her death in 1982.
System of Arrangement: The Sara Zayer papers are arranged into two series:
•Series 1: Correspondence, 1937-1949
•Series 2: Passenger tickets and other items, 1933-1945
Topical Term: Jewish ghettos--Poland--Łódź.
Jews--Poland--History.
Holocaust victims' families.
Jewish refugees--United States--Correspondence.
Jewish families--Poland--Warsaw.
Geographic Name: Łódź (Poland)
Warsaw (Poland)
Białystok (Poland)
United States--Emigration and immigration--Government policy--20th century.
Personal Name: Zayer, Sara Mstibowski.
Zazujer, Mojzesja.
Mast, Jacob.
Gottleib, Dora.
Gottleib, Solomon.
Mstibowski, Solomon.
Mstibowski, Isaac.
Mstibowski, Maria.
Kozlowski, Fira.
Klembocki, Samuel.
Klembocki, Rose.
Shiliner, Genja.
Bayer, Wolf.
Borowicz, Menucha.
Frenkiel, Isaac.
Glembockaite, Reisa.
Lurie, Bronia.
Corporate Name: Auschwitz (Concentration camp)
Legal Status: Permanent Collection
Provenance: The Sara Zayer papers were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1994 by her nephew Stanley Mast and his wife Amy.
Funding Note: The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Conditions on Access: No restrictions on access
Conditions on Use: No restrictions on use
: Record last modified: 2021-05-04 15:41:57
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn601925