Last Monday was Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) in Israel. At 10:00 a.m. a two-minute siren sounded throughout the land and everyone stood in silent reflection on the horrors of the past. This year's Yom Hashoah was especially relevant given the atrocities of October 7 and the ongoing fighting.
On the evening of Yom Hashoah, I attended a fascinating lecture about currency used at various ghettos and concentration camps.
It turns out that the Germans printed money in several ghettos and camps to better control the inmates and to confiscate their money. When a prisoner arrived at the ghetto, the Germans would inform them that their real money was no good in the ghetto and that they needed to exchange it for ghetto currency.
Naturally, the ghetto currency had no real value. In this way, the Germans were able to steal more of their victims' money.
This was done in Theresienstadt, Buchenwald, and several other well-known camps and ghettos.
One such place was the Lodz Ghetto. Here's a photo of a 1 Mark note used in the ghetto.
As you can see, the note looked official, with a serial number and a signature. It also bore a Star of David, so no one would forget this was Jewish money.
By the way, at the bottom left corner, you can see the name Litzmannstadt, which is what the Germans called Lodz.
As I was listening to the lecture, my mind started pondering how I might incorporate this newfound knowledge into a future Adam Lapid book.
Speaking of Adam Lapid, "In That Sleep of Death", book 8 in the series, is continuing to garner excellent reviews from readers. Some say it's the best Adam Lapid book.
If you haven't gotten a copy yet, you can get it here: In That Sleep of Death.
The audiobook of "In That Sleep of Death" is in the final stages of production. I'll send an update when it is published.
In more Adam Lapid news, I am making slow progress with book 9. I'm currently writing the third chapter. But I like what I've written so far and can't wait to plow ahead.
And finally, in case you've been thinking of getting one of the shirts or mugs I designed, you can get them for 7% off the usual price until May 14, Israel Independence Day. Simply enter this coupon: ISRAEL76 at checkout. You can find all the shirts and mugs and other merch here: Jonathan Dunsky Designs.
Now I'm going back to the writing the next Adam Lapid book.
Jonathan Dunsky