20903 Hamoar cover - Federation Of Synagogues

HISTORY
Recha and Isaac Sternbuch
by Robyn Deutsch
developed a vast array of contacts
throughout Europe.
In 1938, Jewish refugees from
Germany and Austria poured over
the Swiss border and the
Sternbuchs provided food, clothing
and lodgings for them.
Recha glared at the Gestapo officer’s bloated face, cold
eyes, row of medals on his chest and a rottweiler at his
side. ‘I am Swiss. These Jews came on my initiative. I
am responsible for them. I would ask you to turn them
over to me. I am taking them into Switzerland’. The
officer’s face reddened with fury at the impudence of
this woman who wanted the release of a dozen Jews
at the Swiss border. He rose, stood threateningly in
front of her and hissed in her face: ‘How dare you! I’ll
send you away with these dirty Jews! I’ll rip up your
Swiss passport if you don’t disappear from here this
minute!’ The dog sniffed menacingly at her waiting
for an order to attack. Recha stood her ground, her
heart quaking, and replied quietly, ‘I’ll voluntarily join
them if you don’t turn them over to me. I am
responsible for them’. To her surprise, the Gestapo
officer released them, probably knowing he would have
no peace if he didn’t.
This is typical of Recha Sternbuch’s tenacity and desire
to save as many Jews as possible – thousands in fact.
Recha & Isaac Sternbuch’s names should be mentioned
in the same breath as Oscar Shindler and Raoul
Wallenberg but they sought no praise and refused
publicity.
They were both born in 1905. Recha was a daughter
of the Chief Rabbi of Belgium, Rabbi Mordecai
Rottenberg, and Isaac was a son of a Russian Chasidic
rabbi who moved to Romania and then Switzerland.
They were renowned for their hospitality and the
steady stream of distinguished visitors to their door
proved invaluable in their future work having
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One would assume that many of the Swiss Jewish
families would have done likewise, but sadly this
wasn’t the case. Recha and Isaac were exceptional and
met with considerable opposition from their
community. Unfortunately, The Federation of Swiss
Jewish Communities, concerned over increased antisemitism
as a result of this influx, had no compunction
in denying assistance to refugees caught at the border.
In 1939, Recha was arrested for aiding and harbouring
refugees. She was imprisoned for a short time and
faced three years of legal proceedings before being
acquitted at a trial. Despite this, she continued her
rescue operations throughout.
HIJEFS (‘Hilfsverein fur Judische Fluchtlinge in
Shanghai’) was founded by the Sternbuchs to aid the
yeshiva and Torah scholars who had escaped to
Shanghai. The organisation, which was run with the
assistance of five skilled and influential individuals,
operated between 1941 and 1951 and its sustained
effort and accomplishments are beyond compare.
HIJEFS expanded its horizons as the need arose and
enlisted the aid of the Va’ad Hatzala, the rescue
committee of the American Union of Orthodox Rabbis
and became its Swiss representative. It was also greatly
assisted by the Polish Ambassador in Berne, Alexander
Lados and his aide Dr Julius Kuhl who permitted HIJEFS
to use Embassy facilities to send hundreds of
encrypted cables. The Papal Emissary, Monsignor
Philippe Bernadini granted Persona Grata status to
Recha to enable safe travel and helped them obtain
South American visas.
This article gives a small taste of the Sternbuch’s
achievements.
Hamaor / September 2009