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." • The Richmond td Backus Co. A VERY JOYOUS PASSOVER TO ALL TASTY BAR•B•Q 3600 WOODWARD Passover Greetings! • 8548 GRAND RIVER TE rrace 2-9577 TYler 4-9 89 8 — We Never Close — and British consulates are expect- ed to open in Berlin. 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." , PASSOVER GREETINGS Custom Upholstering 8 Furniture Co. Season's Greetings GROSS, INC. Cleaners and DRAPERIES SLIP COVERS REFINISHING Dyers 1 0 2 I 9 WOODWARD t' 8775 GRAND RIVER AVE. TOwnsend 8-7600 TYler 6-9679 A Very Joyous Passover to All • HUCK'S REDFORD INN 25241 GRAND RIVER AVE. REDFORD 1370 BUY VICTORY BONDS WALTER'S Washington Blvd. at Clifford Join in Extending PASSOVER GREETINGS TO THEIR MANY FRIENDS AND PATRONS Phone PLaza 7790 Or at Your Deafen Passover Greetings WE JOIN OUR JEWISH AGENTS • ABSTRACT 8 TITLE INSURANCE GINGER ALE CO. ESCROW 8 TAX SERVICE • JULIUS M. SINGER, Prop. 3601 E. 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