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