Fr4day, September 7, 4945
THE JEWISH NEWS
Page Forty-Three
Canadian Congress Agent
Reports on Yugoslav Jews
Only 10,000 Remain in Country Where 80,000 Resided
Before the Wart Belgrade Leader Relates Heroism,
Hopes of Community
MONTREAL—The Canadian Jewish Congress has just
received a detailed report on the Jewish community of Yugo-
slavia from its correspondent in eastern Europe. The num-
ber of Jews in the country has been reduced from 80,000 to
10,000 and the survivors are suffering from the anti-Semitism
which had been implanted by the Nazis during their years
of occupation. •
Says the report which reached and Eli Fintzi, co-editor of the
the Congress through Moscow:
"I just returned from Belgrade newspaper Borba. Col. Ilya
Engel, who was chief of the gen-
where, among other things, I had eral staff of the Croatian de-
a tong discussion with David tachments was killed in battle.
Alcalay, president of the Belgrade
Many Jews joined partisanS de-
Jewish community and of the
tachments and on the island of
JDC delegation, and • his aide
Rab alone there numbered more
Milan Medina. Before the war, than .350 of whom 100 were
Alcalay told me there were two killed. .
Jewish communities in Belgrade
Albanians Best To Jews
--Sephardic and Ashkenazi.
"It is interesting that of all
1,500 Lefs In Belgrade
the Balkan peoples the Albanians
This distinction was maintain- behaved best towards the Jews.
ed throughout the country; about They hid them from the Gestapo;
three-fifths were Ashkenazi Jewish women who escaped to
Jews and two-fifths Sephardic. Albania were dressed as Albanian
The total number of Jews in women and were given refuge.
Yugoslavia was about 75,000.
"Since Yugoslavia was invad-
There were about 12,000 Jews in
Belgrade. Today this has been ed by several of the axis armies,
it was • interesting to observe
reduced to 10,000. In Belgrade
there are 1,500 of whom only their different treatment of the
500 are originally from the city. Jews.. The Germans were the
"Mr. Alcalay said that in old worst; the Italians were not so
Yugoslavia there was practical- bad and generally didn't kill
ly no anti-semitism. The Jews Jews. The Hungarians carried
felt they were accorded full through a pogrom in 1942 and
equality and were satisfied. How- then the Jews alone until 1944
ever, with the outbreak of war when the Salasci Goverrunient
in 1939 the situation changed carried out wholesale murders
rapidly for the worse. German and deportations.
"At ,present there are'40 Jew-
agents, aided by groups inside
Yugoslavia, began to hound the ish communities • in Yugoslavia,
among the most important being
Jews.
gr- 6 b, Novi-Sad, Solbotica,
In 1940 anti-Jewish laws were
passed. But the Jews still felt Skppljo, Bitolj, Split, Sarajovo,
that this would pass. Many had Osioc, Sonta, . Petrograd
the opportunity to escape but re- and Senj. In Slovenia practically
fused to avail themselves of it. all the Jews were massacred
When Yugoslavia was attacked and there are none there now.
Want to Remain There
the Jews demanded to be taken
"In discussing emigration, Mr.
into the army. Although this
was officially done, they were not Alcolay said that Jews generally
assigned to duties and many were not thinking of emigrating
capable Jewish officers were kept except for those who have rela-
tives abroad. On the whole; he
waiting until it was too late.
said, they want to remain and
Refuse to Escape
"After the German invasion a rebuild the country. Anti-semit-
group of young Jews in Belgrade ism is weak except among some
were exec.uted for burning a Catholics in Croatia.
"The government helps and
German truck. Still the Jews did
not flee and they refused to do has given 500,000 dinars for
so even after thousands of Yugo- Jewish community work. 'All we
slays were put in concentration really ask,' Mr. Alcalay said;
camps. Late in 1941, 600 young `is that the Jews of the world-
Jews were killed in Panchevo, interest themselves more in our
near Belgrade. Ten_thousand Jews problems and help us econom-
were brought into the Saramish- ically.' After seeing the Jewish
to exhibition grounds, across the situation in other Eastern Euro-
Danube, and driven away. Noth- pean countries I must say that
ing was heard from any of them the Jews in - Yugoslavia—though
since, - .
few. survive—probably will re-
On March 21, V43, 7,000 Jews cover soon.
were driven frok south Serbia
"We would not be surprised if
to Poland. Some were last heard Yugoslavia offered_ a field of ac-
of near Baranowice; there were tivity for energetic Jewish en-
supposed to have been 5,000 gineers and scientists who seek
there, all of them were killed. a place of refuge."
At J_asenovic, Jakovo, and Grad-
ska Camps 15,000 were killed, -Tony Weitzel to Address
only two or three surviving.
East Side Lodge Monday
"So much for the past. Deal-
East Side Lodge 145 and its
ing with the present, Mr. Alcalay Women's Auxiliary will hold a
told me that Jews are being joint open meeting at 9 p. m.
treated very fairly by the Tito Monday at Pillar Temple, 14529
Government. Many Jews hold Kercheval.
important positions, among them
Tony, Weitzel, noted columnist
Mosos Piado, vice-president of and radio commentator, • will be
the present Parli;ment; Col. guest speaker. Members and
Doctor Kraus, head of the Sani- friends are invited. Refresh-
tary Inspection at Headquarters, ments will be served.
1
Greetings to the Jewish Co munity
of Detroit on the New Year 5706
The Jewish National Fund Council of Detroit takes this
means of expressing ifs sincerest thanks to all Detroit
Jews for the cooperation they have given during 5705
in the movement for the redemption of the soil - of
Israel as the property 'of the entire People of Israel.
We urge you to continue to give us the fullest co-
operation in the support of all traditional Jewish'
National Fund project—
The Golden Book
The Planting of Trees
The Blue and White Boxes
Redemption of Dunanis of Land
Kefubahs—Marriage Certificates
Sefer HaYeled—the Children's Golden Book
You can perpetuate your name in The annals of our
people by remembering the Jewish National Fund
.when writing your will.
In memorializing the dead and in honoring the
-
New Year's Greetings..
remembgr the Jewish National Fund,
We also call upon the women of Detroit to support the
activities of the Detroit Ladies' Auxiliary of the Jewish
National Fund in its effort, through the annual donor
evenk, to establish a Detroit settlement—a Nachlath
Jewish National Fund of Detroit.
- New Year to Alt—and mai/ the
A Hap-f y
year 5706 witness the complete realization
of our hopes for the redemption of Pales-
To The
tine as Eretz
Jewish People
of IsAitWig an
Jewis National Fund Council of Detroit
William Hordes, President
Joan R. Dethmers
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Ladies' Auxiliary of Jewish National Fund
Mrs. Irving SI:tevin, President