Seventy-one years after a 16th century Rabbinic Bible was looted in a Nazi raid, it was finally returned to its rightful home in Vienna’s Jewish community. Published during 1516-1517, the Bible contains landmark treatises by leading rabbinical figures of the medieval period, such as 11th century French scholar Rashi and 13th century Spanish scholar Nachmanides. The two-volume Bomberg/Pratensis Rabbinic Bible was part of the rare book collection in the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien (IKG) library seized in Austria on Nov. 9, 1938, during the infamous Kristallnacht (Crystal Night). Over the next four years, large portions of the IKG library were parceled out to Nazi outposts in Poland, Lower Silesia and North Bohemia (Czech Republic). The Bible didn’t resurface again until June 25, 2009, when the New York-based auction house Kestenbaum & Company listed the item in its catalog. An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed that the ancient volumes were the rightful property of the IKG library, and had been imported into the U.S. illegally on March 19, 2009. When the investigating agents submitted proof of the Bible’s true ownership to Kestenbaum, the auction house promptly removed the item from auction and agreed to return it to the rightful owners.

The Bible was returned to representatives of Vienna’s Jewish community on November 9, 2009, at New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. In an ICE press release, James T. Hayes, Jr., special agent in charge of the ICE Office of stated: “The Bible returned today is a priceless inheritance of the people of Vienna. ICE and the U.S. Attorney’s office are grateful for the cooperation of Kestenbaum and Company auction house in the recovery of the Bible, and hope that Kestenbaum’s leadership will encourage their peers in the industry to take a good look at their own works.” It’s heartening to know that a concerted effort is still being made to right the horrific wrongs of the Holocaust.

Read ICE press release