THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, Sept. 8, 1950
Behind the Iron Curtain
54
Romanian Jewish Community Is
Disintegrating Under CornmunLm
Rosette in. Denver
By YOCHANAN RANIATI
TEL AVIV — "Thousands of
Jews are today imprisoned in
Romania," says Chaim Festing-
er, as he stands in the queue of
new arrivals at Sha'a.r Aliya
Camp. "Yes," says C h a i m.
"thousands are in prison. Some
because they are Zionists; some
because . they had factories or
shops, or public houses, and so
they are Jewish bourgeois and
must be locked up; some simply
because they are Jews.
"I lived in Lug o s Z," says
Chaim. "I had a shop there—
grocery and the like. The Com-
munists came and took it. They
made me sell it to one of their
state-owned undertakings f o r
less than they pay to a common
laborer for a month's work. I
asked them, 'What am I to do
when this money is finished?
How am I to live?' This they
did to all the Jews and to many
others besides. Only some, whose
shops were very small and who
were members of the Co ► -
munist party, they left alone.
There are still more than 280,-
000 Jews in Romania and al-
most all want to get out.
Even the Shede, Jewish Com-
munists, those that have been
making propaganda against fel-
low-Jews and Israel would go if
they could. T h e r e are two
schools of thought about the
Shede: One, that their conduct
is inexcusable. The other, that
they are poor people who found
that the only way they can
make a living is to shout Com-
munism from the housetops.
The truth is probably some-
"where between the two.
`Shede' Small Minority
Whether ex-`Shede' members
should be allowed into Israel
when they decide to change
their minds is topic that leads
to heated exchanges. It is signi-
ficant that in spite of all the
advantages to be gained from
membership, the `Shede' consti-
tute less than 5% of Romanian
Jewry.
From disjointed stories of new
arrivals and reports of local
conditions received from the Is-
rael Legation in Bucharest as
well as the `shlichirn.' • w h o
worked or are working in Ro-
mania, it is possible to complete
a depressing picture of Jewish
life in a country that has for
centuries past, been one of Eu-
ropean Jewry's main centers.
There are still 280,000 Jews in
Romania — more than in any
country in the world except Is-
rael, Russia and the United
States. It was their tragedy
that in 1947, when the Ro-
manian Government was ready
to permit them to emigrate
freely and take their belongings
with them, the British authori-
ties in Palestine kept the gates
of their promised land closed
to them.
In December 1947, the last
ship left Constanza to run the
British blockade. The C o m-
munist authorities clamped
clown tightly on Zionism. The
Zionist movement was declared
illegal, and 'shlichim' from Is-
rael asked to leave. They did not
leave. Instead, the Romanians
jailed them.
, Zionists Move Underground •
In spite of persecution at
times amounting to terror, the
Zionist movement continued its
a c t i v i tie s underground. The
Government's call to all Jews to
join the Communist party and
to forsake their "bourgeois, re-
actionary, anti-Socialist Zionist
movement" was not heeded, in
spite of the support it received
from the Communist J e wish
- press.
T h e economic situation of
Romanian Jewry became des-
perate. Most Jews belonged to
the middle class or were small
traders. both groups earmarked
for extinction. Communist Ro-
mania did not admit the right
of a man to keep a store, or
to maintain some petty liveli-
•Iaciod derived f r o m peddling
;wares.
1 The procedure followed with
!Jewish shopkeepers and busi-
nessmen is perhaps best alias-
*rated by an actual eamples Of
the 2500 drug stores in Ro-
—
mania, 80% were owned by
Jews.
Government officials would
enter the pharmacy and give
the owner 24-hours' notice to
hand it over to the state. The
order to clear out applied usu-
ally not only to the pharmacy
itself but also to the owners'
living quarters, often in the
same building. What the victim
did afterwards was, in the words
of security police officers, "none
of our concern."
Sold Own Possessions
A few shops escaped this fate,
but instead were subjected to
periodic searches during which
money found on the premises
was confiscated as "belonging
to the state." The sale of their
possessions became the s o 1 e
means of livelihood for more
than 95% of the Jewish popu-
lation.
Theoretically, the object was
to force the Jewish population
into "productive work." But in
practice it did not work out this
way: Nobody who is a known
Zionist can get work. Few Jews
were skilled artisans. Hence
they could only be used as un-
skilled labor, slave labor.
With regard to the younger
generation, the situation is dif-
ferent. Through strict indoc-
trination, propaganda, and per-
suasion sometimes not entirely
gentle, Romanian authorities
have done their best to convert
Jewish youth to Communism.
The effort met with greater re-
sistance than might have been
expected under t h e circum-
stances.
Though access to Zionist lit-
erature is a dangerous thing to
attempt, some still manage to
obtain it and read it. Attach-
ment to Jewish cultural values
has also proved an obstacle to
the Romanians. However, after
two years of pressure, the bat-
tle is being inevitably lost.
- Emigration Expensive
The exact motives that have
inspired Romania's r e c e n t
change of front in the question
of Jewish emigration. are dif-
ficult to fathom. Shortage of
hard currency might well have
been a major factor. The Ro-
manians are at present- insisting
that all Jews leaving for Israel
have to travel in Romanian
ships. They receive fifty U.S.
dollars per head for transport.
An immigration of 100,000 Ro-
manian Jews will cost Israel
$5,000,000, and the total cost of
absorbing the Romanian immi-
gration alone, at the lowest pos-
sible standard of living, is esti-
mated at more than $40,000,000.
The need is desperate—delay
is dangerous. In dealing with a
country which has one of the
worst anti - Semitic records in
human history, no improvement
on the present situation can be
expected. If they cannot leave,
they will be left to die of hun-
ger. The plight of the younger
generation, hardly less tragic,
can likewise only be ended by
immediate emigration. The ac-
cent must be on speed. The
gate - is open today. Tomorrow
it may be shut.
Fascists Hospitalized,
Two Jews Hurt in Clash
BUENOS AIRES, (JTA)—Two
Jews were arrested and two
fascists were hospitalized as a
result of a clash which devel-
oped here when a gang of fas-
cists who were selling "Alianza,"
organ of the anti-Semitic and
ultra-nationalist Alianza Liber-
tadora Nacionalista, insulted a
number of Jews. During the
melee the police arrived and ar-
rested one of the fascists who
was hurt, because he was found
in possession of a knife.
Three factions of the Alianza
have been reunited in a single
organization. The announce-
ment of the merger, in an Ali-
anza publication, included a
statement of the policy by the
organization which placed it in
opposition to both the govern-
ment and the other opposition
parties.
MOSHE ROSETTE
Moshe Rosette, secretary-gen-
eral of the Knesset, is shown
with a young Israeli patient at
the Denver sanatorium of the
Jewish Consumptives' Relief So-
ciety.
Rosette is touring the United
States as a guest of the U.S.
Government to study Congress
and state legislatures. The sec-
retary of the Israel Parliament
reported being received by U.S.
officials with great respect,
showing the high regard in
which Israel is held.
He. praised J.C.R.S. as "repre-
senting a most meritorious en-
deavor by the Jewish people of
America," and said Israel faces
a serious problem in the large
number of tuberculars entering
the country.
Monument
Unveilings
(Unveiling announcements may be in-
serted by mail or by calling The Jewish
News office, WO. 5-1156. Written an-
nouncements must be accompanied by the
name and address of the person making
the insertion. There is a standard charge
of $1 for unveiling notices.)
The family of the late Fannie
Neuman announces the unveil-
ing of a monument in her mem-
ory at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 10
at Northwest Cemetery on Mich-
igan Ave. Rabbi Leizer Levin
w ill officiate. Relatives and
friends are invited to attend.
* * *
The family of the late Joseph
Brightman announces the un-
veiling of a monument in his
memory at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept.
10, at the Chesed Shel Emes
Cemetery. Rabbi Leo Goldman
will officiate. Relatives and
friends are invited.
* * *
The family of the late Mrs.
Grace Foreman announces the
unveiling of a monument in her
memory at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept.
24, at Eagle Pointe Cemetery,
Rossford, 0. (suburb of Toledo).
Friends and relatives are invit-
ed to attend the service.
* * *
The family of the late Joseph
Green announces the unveiling
of a monument in his memory
at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at
Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Rab-
bi Morris Adler and Cantor J.
Sonenklar will officiate. Friends
and relatives are invited to at-
tend the service.
* * *
The family of the late Nathan
Better announces the unveiling
of a monument in his memory
at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10 at
Chesed shel Emmes Cemetery.
Rabbi Leizer Levin will officiate.
Relatives and friends are in-
vited.
* *
The family of the late Murray
Genden announces the unveil-
ing of 'a monument in his mem-
ory at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17,
at Machpelah Cemetery. Rela-
tives and friends are invited.
* * *
The family of the late Morris
Leider announces the unveiling
of a monument in his .memory
at 1 p.m, Sunday, Sept. 10, at
Chesed shel Emes Cemetery.
Rabbi M. J. Wohlgelernter will
officiate. Relatives and friends
are invited to attend the service.
More than 3,500 native and
refugee children benefit from
activities sponsored in Israel by
the Mizrachi Women's Organi-
zation of America,
Obituaries
RACHAEL KAGAN PEARL-
MAN, 2342 Blaine, died Aug. 28.
Services were at Kaufman Chap-
el, Rabbi Levin officiating. She
leaves her son, Jerome; two
grandsons a n d three great-
grandchildren. Interment, Brith
Sholem Cemetery.
* * *
JACOB SCHWARTZ, 988 Bruce
Street, Windsor, Ont., died Aug.
29. Services were at Kaufman
Chapel, Rabbi Samuel Stollman
and Cantor H. Adler officiating.
He leaves his wife Eva; sons,
Harry of Detroit and Herman of
Windsor; sister, Mrs. N. Croll of
Windsor, and brother, David,
also of Windsor. Interment,
Machpelah Cemetery.
* *
MAX PERL, 1990 Pingree, died
Aug. 30. Services were at Kauf-
man Chapel, Rabbi Levin offici-
ating. He leaves two daughters,
Helen and Tessie. Interment,
Machpelah Cemetery.
* * *
LOUIS JONES, 695 Brainard,
died Aug. 31. Services were at
Kaufman Chapel, Rabbi Rosen-
wasser officiating. He leaves
his wife, Erna; sister, Mrs. Dora
Schenwether of Fla. Interment,
Machpelah Cemetery.
* * *
LENA LEWIS, 82, of 1785 Sew-
ard, a Detroit resident 75 years,
died Sept. 4. Services were at
Lewis Bros., Rabbi Fram offici-
ating. Interment, Clover Hill
Park. Survived by her son, Ben;
sisters, Mrs. Ann Erenstein, Es-
ther Rapenport; brothers, Meyer,
Isaac and Louis Rapenport.
* * *
MINNIE LEVINSON, 69, of
1923 W. Euclid, a Detroit resi-
dent 42 years, died Sept. 4. Serv-
ices were at Lewis Bros., Rabbi
Fram officiating. Interment,
Northwest He b r e w Memorial
Park. Survived by her daugh-
ters, Mrs. Sidney Tauber, Mrs.
Louis Alter; sons, Sidney and
Morton Lewis ; brother, Nathan
Lowenthal, of Calif.
* * *
LENA HALPER, 64, of 2986
Monterey, died Aug. 27. Funeral
services were at. Hebrew Benev-
olent Society. Rabbi L. Levine
officiated. Survived by her hus-
band, William; daughter, Mrs.
Ida Treisman; son, Mack; two
grandchildren; brother, Samuel
Brooks.
* C. *
SAM GROTSTEIN, 58, of 19472
San J u a n, died Aug. 29. Fu-
neral services were at the He-
brew Benevolent Society. Rabbi
Gruskin officiated. Survived by
his wife, Margaret; daughter,
Mrs. Yetta Rose Laxer; brother,
Louis; sisters, Mrs. Ben Abrams,
Mrs. George Greene, and two
grandchildren.
* * *
HARRY ALTMAN, 47, died
Aug. 29. Funeral services were •
at the Hebrew Benevolent Soci-
ety. Survived by two sisters and
his mother of Winnipeg, Canada.
* * *
MEYER M. COHEN, 65, of 13325
LaSalle, died Tuesday. Funeral
services were held Wednesday at
Kaufman Chapel. Burial, Clover
Hill. Surviving are his wife,
Fannie, and a son, Zeldon S.
In Memoriam
In memory of our beloved
husband, father, son and broth-
er, Milton Altman, who passed
away Sept. 14, 1942, three days
in Tishri. Sadly missed by his
wife, Mrs. Celia Altman, and
daughters, Janie and Beatrice,
mother, Mrs. Anna Altman, and
brother, Harry.
* * *
"To remember — is to keep
alive."
The eighth of September
(fourth clay in Elul) marks the
second sad Yahrzeit of our dear-
ly beloved son and brother,
David Levine, who so tragically
last his beautiful life in the
Habonim truck accident. Sadly
missed by his m o t he r. dad,
brother and sister-in-law.
South African Praises
Contribution By Jews
JOHANNESBURG, South Afri-
ca, (JTA)—The Administrator of
Natal, D. G. Shephstone, praised
the contribution of the Jews to
the upbuilding of South Africa
at a ceremony marking the lay-
ing of a cornerstone for a Jew-
ish communal building in Dur-
ban.
Mr. Shepstone also paid trib-
ute to the "sanity _ and wisdom
of the Jewish approach" to the
pr o b l e m s besetting mankind.
The Mayor of Durban, Ken
Clarke, lauded the contribution
of the Jews to the welfare of the
city. Other major speakers at
the ceremony were Rabbi M. C.
Weiler, head of the Reform
movement in South Africa, and
J. Friedman, president of the
Natal Council of Jewry.
A meeting of the Board of
Deputies of South African Jews
here witnessed a heated debate
over the Board's attitude toward
the Reform movement. Some of
the deputies ;pointing out that
the majority of the South Afri-
can community is Orthodox, in-
sisted that the Board speak only
for the Orthodox community.
I
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