Paper Tombs: Post-Holocaust Memorial Books and Prewar Jewish Life (with Prof. Jennifer Rich)

July 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In 1947, just two years after the war ended, survivors and prewar emigrants from a destroyed Jewish town in Eastern Europe published a book. It was not a dry chronicle of dates and death counts. It opened with the smell of challah baking on a Friday afternoon, the feel of a warm teacup passed from mother to daughter, and the names of neighbors who lived on Jewish Street. That book was a yizkor bukh—a memorial book—and it was the beginning of a genre that would eventually number nearly a thousand volumes. Professor Jennifer Rich, executive director of the Rowan University Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights, spent eight years studying these books after discovering one from her grandmother’s hometown. Her forthcoming book, Paper Tombs: Post-Holocaust Memorial Books and Prewar Jewish Life, argues that these volumes are not marginal curiosities but vital primary sources that have been overlooked precisely because they defy easy categorization.

What a Yizkor Book Actually Is

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What you'll learn

1 (01:02) **Introduction & Guest Background** - Host introduces Prof. Jennifer Rich, executive director of the Rowan University Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights, to discuss her book *Paper Tombs*.
2 (03:29) **The Discovery of the Yizkor Book Genre** - Prof. Rich describes how finding a single memorial book prompted an eight-year research journey into understanding the genre.
3 (04:55) **Defining the Genre: What Are Yizkor Books?** - The conversation defines *Yizkor* (memorial) books, explaining their historical roots and their specific post-Holocaust iteration.
4 (06:47) **When and Who Wrote Them** - Prof. Rich explains the timeline of their creation and the demographic profile of their authors.
5 (09:17) **Physical Appearance & Content of a Typical Book** - A vivid description of what a Yizkor book looks and feels like, and the wide range of material it contains.
6 (11:28) **The Structure: Pre-War Life vs. Holocaust** - Prof. Rich notes the surprising proportion of the book dedicated to life before the war.
7 (13:22) **The Book Committee & Editorial Process** - An explanation of how decisions were made about content, including arguments and the vetting process.

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Show Notes

#503

Paper Tombs: Post-Holocaust Memorial Books and Prewar Jewish Life (with Prof. Jennifer Rich)

> To purchase the book: https://amzn.to/3R5C7ed

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