Nazi memorabilia for sale in Kokomo concerns Anti-Defamation League
KOKOMO, Ind. (WISH) — I-Team 8 has unearthed the sale of Nazi memorabilia at the Treasure Mart Antique Mall in Kokomo.
The store is filled with glass cases with a variety of antiques in them.
Next to a case with antique toy tractors, I-Team 8 found a Nazi armband for sale for $150, an eagle pin with a swastika for sale for $75, and a Nazi war medal for sale for $60.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) told I-Team 8 there is a place in society for Nazi memorabilia, but that place should not be in an antique store. “There are appropriate, typically Holocaust museums, where those belong,” said David Goldenberg of the ADL.
The ADL is an organization who focuses on fighting antisemitism.
I-Team 8 asked Goldenberg why he finds the sale of Nazi memorabilia concerning.
“If you’re making money off of Nazi paraphernalia, what you’re doing is your making money off of who the Nazis were. They were horrible antisemites. They were horrible bigots and they ultimately carried out a massive massacre and genocide committed against Jews and others, so if you’re going to make money off of that, what are you saying about what they did? The idea that anyone would profit off of selling Nazi memorabilia is deeply troubling and, frankly, they should be questioning that,” Goldenberg said.
He added, “We understand that some people may say, ‘Oh, they’re war-related paraphernalia that are collectables.’ What they represent is the genocide of more than 6 million Jews and 5 million others based on their identity and who they were.”
The Treasure Mart Antique Mall tells I-Team 8 all of the glass cases in their store are rented out by people to display items for sale. The mall operators declined to to comment specifically about the sale of the Nazi memorabilia, and did not provide I-Team 8 with the name or contact information for the person who rents the case at the mall.