Page Twelve
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
Friday, April 12, 1946
Returned JDC Worker Portrays Miserable Situation of
Berlin Jews in Grim Struggle for Survival Against Suffering
ship rather than be forced to re- also extremely valuable in provid-
turn to Poland."
ing assistance."
Today there are less than 2,500
Amid the complexity of civilian
Polish Jews in all of Berlin, he agencies and military government
said. "The 9,000 others who passed detachments of four nations —
through the city have gone to France, Great Britain, Russia and
Bavaria and thence to the dis- the United States — all of which
placed persons centers in that are stationed in Berlin, the JDC
area. The majority of those with has been able to establish several
whom I spoke hope eventually to essential services for German Jews
emigrate to Palestine," Mr. Skor- in the city, Mr. Skorneck said.
neck added.
A JDC post office, establishing
"Most of the German Jews now the first means of communication
living in Berlin are housed in in- between Jews in Berlin and the
adequate private dwellings in the outside world, has transmitted
community," the JDC representa- more than 10,000 letters, he said.
tive reported. ''Many of them -- "Every day Jewish persons would
beaten and starved and broken by show me their letters — notes
the Nazis — are unable to work. from daughters or husbands or
They live on a government dole of fathers who had found refuge in
35 marks per person each week other lands or who had escaped
Praising the energy of the re-
or 60 marks ($6.00) per couple."
death in Nazi concentration camps.
constituted Jewish relief commit-
The
JDC mail service, coordinated
Because
it
is
almost
impossible
tee of the city, with which the
JDC cooperates closely, Mr. Skor- to live on this small amount, es- with our tracing bureau, has re-
neck disclosed that "while the pecially in view of the sky-rocket- united thousands of Jewish fami-
fires were still burning in the ing inflation in Berlin, the JDC lies. In the tracing bureau, search-
streets of the liberated city, the provides a grant of 100 marks per es have been instituted and thou-
Jewish committee was re-organiz- person each month to several thou- sands of Jews have been found."
The JDC is currently compiling
ing to attack the problems of re- sand German Jews.
lists of all the Jewish survivors in
lief — of food, clothing, housing
"Small loans designed to assist Germany, he said.
and medical supplies."
Jewish professional and business
Mr. Skorneck added that JDC
He urged widespread support of men in resuming their livelihoods
services in the emigration field
the 1946 $100,000,000 campaign of have also been granted under the
have been extensive. Noting that
the United Jewish Appeal from JDC rehabilitation program that is
44 Jewish children had been evac-
which the Joint Distribution Com- carried on with funds raised
uated -from Berlin by the JDC
mittee as well as the United Pal- through the United Jewish Ap-
and sent to Palestine via France,
estine Appeal and the National peal," he said.
he added that other groups of
Refugee Service derive their
Disclosing
that
Jews
in
Berlin
children
and orphans are being
funds.
are entitled to food ration cards sent by the Committee to health
"Food was the most serious one category higher than other and rest centers in Bavaria.
problem facing the Jewish surviv- Germans in the same labor status,
"Transportation was arranged
ors when I entered Berlin early Mr. Skorneck stated that the av- for a number of persons holding
In October," Mr. Skorneck said. erage ration or Eerlin Jews re- Swedish and Swiss visas," he said,
"The first JDC shipment of butter, mains less than 2,000 calories per adding that JDC emigration ac-
eggs, milk and other foods from day. "Supplementary JDC rations, tivities will assume greater impor-
Scandinavia was joyously received distributed to approximately 7,000 tance next month, when American
by the Jewish population. In all, Jews per month provide additional
the JDC has sent more than 200 calories and form a vital part of
tts
tons of food into Berlin and con- the diet of German Jews in Ber-
PASSOVER
tinues to supplement regular food lin," he said.
GREETINGS!
rations with a special allowance,"
The
JDC
worker
praised
the
ac-
he said.
tivities of Allied troops stationed
The 36-year-old welfare worker, in the city. "Especially active
noted that shortly after his ar- were American boys who organiz-
rival in Berlin, a more pressing ed package - programs from the
relief problem arose with the in- United States," he said. "In two
flux of thousands of Jews fleeing months these programs netted
anti-Semitic terror in Poland.
more than 5,000 clothing and food
"The JDC supported transit parcels which the JDC distributed
homes, the seven apartment hous- among the city's Jews. Twelve
603 WOODWARD AVE.
es we had secured from French thousand Red Cross packages were
authorities, the extra dormitories
we had requisitioned — all were
crowded to double and triple ca-
pacity with the thousands of Jew-
ish persons streaming into the
City," he said.
"Some were sleeping on the
floor or on whatever bedding they
had brought. They were cold and
miserable and homeless. Yet they
were willing to endure any hard-
NEW YORK -- Within the ruins
of Berlin today, 7,000 German Jews
are coming to life out of hiding
and concentration camps for the
first time in more than thirteen
years, Philip Skorneck, Joint Dis-
tribution Committee representative
in the German capital, reported.
At a press conference held un-
der the auspices of the United
Jewish Appeal for Refugees, Over-
seas Needs and Palestine, Mr.
Skorneck, who returned to the
United States after carrying out
the JDC's relief and rehabilita-
tion activities in Berlin for six
months, said that "Berlin's Jews
are engaged in a grim struggle for
existence in a cold roofless, infla-
tion-ridden city."
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The JDC has been active in op-
ening classes and supplying educa-
tion equipment for schools in two
transient camps in Berlin and has
also helped in the establishment
of synagogues In the camps, he
said.
Reviewing the activities of the
Committee during the six months
he spent in Berlin, Mr. Skorneck
asserted that "the JDC has con-
cerned itself with every aspect of
Jewish life in Berlin.
"We made provision for dozens
of weddings and provided food
and sacramental wine at other re-
ligious ceremonies. At different
times we adopted orphans and
gave them shelter and food on our
premises. The JDC house was
never without a guest.
"In the beginning, when no or-
ganized shelter was available for
the Polish Jews entering Berlin,
many of these emigres came di-
rectly to the JDC office after
weary journeys. There, in the kit-
chen of the JDC office, they
their first hot meal in days.
were given packages of foo
take with them when they w UU t
sent to a place of shelter. Up to
50 people a day were fed there.
No one went away hungry.
"Additionally," -air.
Skorneck
said, "we helped establish people
in business and professions. We
interceded with government auth-
orities when Jewish persons got
into difficulties. We arranged for
better quarters and helped them
obtain adequate furniture. We se-
cured medical and dental services
for them, and transportation. We
arranged for the baking of bread
and matzos. We assisted in edu-
cational and cultural activities."
,
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