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Holocaust in Romania - Corvinus Library - Hungarian History

Holocaust in Romania - Corvinus Library - Hungarian History

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disease, and follow<strong>in</strong>g the spread of fatal epidemics, which could not beconta<strong>in</strong>ed due to lack of medic<strong>in</strong>e, soap, paraff<strong>in</strong>, cloth<strong>in</strong>g, fuel, food, etc.,the Presidium of the Council of M<strong>in</strong>isters decided to permit the Union ofJewish Religious Communities to send money and medic<strong>in</strong>e to Jewsdeported to Transnistria .This permission was the f<strong>in</strong>al manifestation of a connection between theAntonescu Government and the traditional Jewish organization. Six dayslater, it was disbanded, and replaced with a Jewish organization whosestructure was based on German police patterns. The leadership of this neworgan took over the task of assist<strong>in</strong>g Jews who had been deported loTransnistria , however, because of its reluctance to act and its servilemanner, the organization could not be counted on.Dr. N. Gh<strong>in</strong>gold spokes per son and gen eral sec re tary of the <strong>Romania</strong>nCen tral Jew ish Of fice expressed his personal view that ac tion aimed at aid -<strong>in</strong>g de port ees should be stopped, because it is con trary to government pol -icy, and s<strong>in</strong>ce all deportees must be con sid ered en e mies of the home land,and Jews are to con sid ered <strong>in</strong> the same way. He con t<strong>in</strong> ued by say <strong>in</strong>g thatthose who <strong>in</strong>sisted on car ry <strong>in</strong>g out acts of hu man i tar ian aid, by do <strong>in</strong>g sowould un der take se ri ous personal ob li ga tions and risks. He claimed thathis au thor ity spread as far as the river Prut , but he could not <strong>in</strong> ter fere <strong>in</strong> is -sues be yond the Prut .The Aid Committee, which had been established alongside the Union ofJewish Religious Communities <strong>in</strong> January 1941, immediately follow<strong>in</strong>gthe Iron Guard revolt, could not accept this stand. They dismissed thefears of the leader of the Central Jewish Office, and decided to undertakeboth the task itself and the responsibility. Mak<strong>in</strong>g use of the fact that oneof the most enthusiastic <strong>in</strong>itiators of deportee-aid, Dr. M. Zimmer , alawyer, was trusted by Mihai Antonescu , the committee attempted to f<strong>in</strong>dout the latter’s op<strong>in</strong>ion concern<strong>in</strong>g the issue. Through the proposal of theDeputy Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister, supported by the written acceptance of the realleaders of the Jews, Dr. Zimmer agreed to jo<strong>in</strong> the Central Jewish Office,and direct—along with A. Schwefelberg , lawyer, and Fred Saraga —actionsaimed at assist<strong>in</strong>g deportees. /.../212

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