Bulgarian WWI officer's uniform hat, jacket, and pants worn during service in a forced labor brigade

Nissim Farhi was born in Shumen, Bulgaria. He attended a military academy in Sofia, Bulgaria and served as an officer in World War I on the Macedonian front. He married Carolina, also from Shuman, and they settled in Sofia and had 3 sons: David, born in 1924, Albert, born on May 15, 1929, and Moise (Mike). After the First World War ended in 1918, Nissim established a successful business as a private banker in Sofia. In addition, he was a skilled violinist and a founding member of the Sofia Jewish Symphony Orchestra. His sons attended a private Jewish elementary school, and the eldest went on to attend the American College near Sofia. In July 1940, the Bulgarian Legislature introduced anti-Jewish legislation that prohibited Jews from owning businesses or intermarrying. Jews had to obey strict curfews and wear the Jewish star, and they were forced into ghettos. Although Nissim lost his business, he was able to keep his home, and the Farhi family did not relocate to the ghetto. In 1941, all Bulgarian Jewish men between the ages of 20 and 40 were conscripted for forced labor. Unlike other countries, Jewish officers retained their status and could socialize with non-Jewish officers. Nissim wore his officer's uniform and worked in the canteen, supplying food for the soldiers. Later in 1941, the Nazi party pressured the Bulgarian government to prohibit Jews from serving as officers. By then, Nissim was too old to be conscripted for forced labor and was released from service and allowed to return home. Soon after this, Jewish citizens were required to register their belongings with the government; the Farhi family was able to entrust some of their valuable possessions to non-Jews for safekeeping. In May 1943, the Bulgarian government ordered the deportation of Jews from the capital, Sofia. They were given three days to prepare. Each person was allowed 25 kilos, about 55 pounds, of luggage for their journey. Carolina was able to entrust some items to several non-Jewish friends. She gave her husband's military uniform to her neighbor. Mrs. Durvov; the family piano was entrusted to a Christian relative of another Jewish neighbor. Albert went to the American College to bring his brother home. He and the other Jewish students were not aware of the deportation order. From Sofia, the family was deported by train to Pleven. They arrived in the middle of the night and were greeted by the president of the Jewish Congregation, Mr. Pinchas, who allowed the deportees to live in his home. While in Pleven, the brothers performed manual labor and David collected money on behalf of local partisan groups. After a few months, the family moved to Shumen to stay with extended family. There, Albert attended a Bulgarian High School, and the family participated in Jewish communal activities. They remained in Shumen until the end of the war. After the Red Army entered Bulgaria on September 9, 1944, Nissim returned to Sofia to examine their apartment, which had been damaged during the aerial bombardments, as well as to search for their belongings. Some items, such as the piano and uniform, were promptly returned. But Nissim managed to recover a list of their items that had been sold at auction. Using this list, Nissim was able to contact the buyers and recover many items. In February 1949, Albert moved to Israel and joined the Hagana. Shortly afterwards, his parents and younger brother joined him there. His older brother David went to Paris after the war to study at the Sorbonne and then later moved to Israel

The uniform was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007 by Albert Farhi, the son of Nissim Farhi.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Albert Farhi