Dozens of rare Jewish religious books, some believed to have belonged to the legendary Library of the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva, were recently discovered in the basement of a Jewish-owned building near the Nożyk Synagogue in Warsaw.
The books, found in roughly 40 to 50 sacks weighing a total of up to 1.5 tons, were in severe disrepair—covered in mold and fungi. Experts are now working to preserve them.
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Some of the holy books discovered in a basement in Warsaw
(Photo: Piotr Nazaruk Lublin)
Members of Warsaw’s Jewish community who discovered the trove turned to Piotr Nazaruk, a Polish government curator and historian known for his work preserving Jewish heritage in Poland. Nazaruk enlisted historians Monika Tarajko and Andrzej Trzciński, who have studied the Lublin yeshiva’s collection, to assess the find.
“The books were in terrible condition—many were stuck together or crumbled at the slightest touch,” Nazaruk said. “We tried to save whatever we could, following the instructions of Warsaw’s conservation office.” Books printed before 1800 or those bearing stamps, signatures or unique markings were separated for special treatment.
Archaeologists wearing protective suits removed the sacks from the basement and began sorting and identifying them. In many cases, the damage was irreversible—some books could not be opened or separated without disintegration.
So far, experts have managed to preserve several hundred books, including six complete or partial volumes bearing the original stamps of the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva.
The salvageable books were sent to a restoration company specializing in the disinfection and preservation of historical texts. After a thorough cleaning, they will be returned to use, though Nazaruk warned they currently pose risks to both human health and other collections due to contamination.
Once restored, the books identified as belonging to the Lublin Yeshiva will be transferred to the city of Lublin, while others will be distributed among museums, libraries and inactive synagogues dedicated to preserving Jewish memory.
Among the findings were also fragments of Torah scrolls and wooden columns engraved with donors’ names.
The fate of the original Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva Library remains one of the great mysteries of Holocaust history. The collection—tens of thousands of rare and valuable volumes—vanished almost without trace during World War II. Nazaruk, who has led efforts in recent years to solve the mystery, hopes this discovery may help determine whether parts of the legendary library were destroyed, looted or hidden away—perhaps even among the sacks unearthed in the Warsaw basement.