Terezín

Jacob Edelstein first served in the Jewish self-government set up by the Nazis as a deputy head of the Prague Jewish community, later he became the first "Jewish Elder" of the Terezín ghetto.

The leaders of the self-government were essentially hostages, but Edelstein was more courageous than one might have thought. While the Nazis expected the ghetto to exist without any signs of civilization, thanks in part to Edelstein's organizational talent and dedication, an entirely new system was created in the overcrowded fortress city for ten times its original population, providing heating, water, food, medical care, youth education, electricity, a functioning sewage system, and somewhat better accommodations than straw spread on concrete floors. This success was one of the reasons why Terezín was eventually used so powerfully by Nazi propaganda.