How tefillin were smuggled into Auschwitz

I remember once reading that a survivor, I think it was Elie Wiesel, talked about how there were tefillin in Auschwitz, and Jews risked their lives to put them on. He didn’t know how the tefiliin got there.

A few days ago, I saw a fascinating video, which describes how the tefillin came to Auschwitz.

I am linking the video below.

Tefillin are put on in the daytime, not at night. But in Auschwitz, it was impossible to put them on during the daytime, because if the guards would have caught them with the tefillin, they would have been shot. So they put them on at night, while the guards slept.

Even in Auschwitz, Jews put on tefillin, risking their lives.

Their faith in G-d was so strong, even in Auschwitz.

Nissen Mangel, who brought the tefillin, relates in another video, that in Auschwitz and the other camps where he was, he never once doubted the existence of G-d. He had questions, why G-d allowed it to happen. But he never once doubted His existence.

He was only 11 years old. But he was raised with tremendous faith, so that even in seven camps and in a death march, he firmly believed in G-d’s existence.

Later, in America, he studied, became a rabbi, and translated part of Tanya, and also the Chabad siddur (prayer book) and machzor (High Holidays prayer book).

Two years ago, he travelled with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to Auschwitz. He engraved there: Mengele (the infamous Nazi doctor who selected who would live and who would die) you are dead. And I am alive.

Hundreds of Jews chose to put on tefillin, risking their lives. Their faith lives on.

And the Jewish nation lives on.

https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/6159310/jewish/Survivor-Celebrates-90th-Birthday-in-Auschwitz-With-100-Descendants.htm

https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/video_cdo/aid/5013308/jewish/The-Tefillin-of-Auschwitz.htm