Repatriation

The Chronological Order of Events

November 1942- March 1944

November 12, 1944

The governmental commissioner responsible for handling the Jewish issue, Radu Lecca, held a discussion with the leaders of the Central Jewish Office. Dr. W. Filderman, former President of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities (he had been removed from the Jewish leadership by Antonescu a year previously), also participated. Radu Lecca stated the government's proposal: the emigration of 75,000 Jews would be allowed (those who had survived in Transnistria), if several tens of billions of lei were paid in return; the sum was expected to be raised by foreign Jews. Dr. Filderman asked for the negotiations to be postponed until all the Jews had been allowed home.

January 2, 1943

The government's proposal, that all the Jews would be released on the condition that their freedom was paid for in cash, and that they were to emigrate immediately on arriving home, was not followed by concrete steps, but at least it served to raise the idea of their eventual return. At that time, the case of the approx. 5,000 orphans, whose lives were in [325] danger as a consequence of the miserable conditions in Transnistria, was the most alarming. The Jewish leadership, which operated under cover, sent a petition to the government, in which they asked for the repatriation of the orphans. The issue of Jews born in the Old Kingdom who were either subsequently deported for labour service contraventions; or evacuated from Dorohoi county, or those who had been taken away the previous year, because they had wanted to emigrate to the Soviet Union, was also raised.

January 9, 1944

The Rumanian government linked any homecoming from Transnistria to the condition of immediate emigration, this even included the orphans. According to the government, Jews would be allowed to return home (...) only if the Gestapo permitted them to do so. The secretly working Jewish leadership contacted Dr. A. Tester, a friend of Killinger. Killinger, together with Radu Lecca, undertook the task of paving the way for the repatriation. Naturally, their good intentions cost a royal fortune.

They turned to foreign Jewish organisations in an effort to cover the expenses.

January 19, 1943

In accordance with Directive No. 55347, issued by the Ministry of the Interior, an instruction was given to set up a committee with the task of selecting Jews who had been [326] "unjustly" deported to Transnistria, and interned in the camp in Vapniarca. These were to be given permission to return home.

January 25, 1943

Constantin Bursan, a lawyer, and former minister, was sent to Istanbul by the Jewish leadership, who worked under cover, to inform foreign Jewish organisations.

March 1, 1943

The Jewish Agency for Palestine, through its representatives in Istanbul, assessed the issue of Rumanian Jews, raised by Constantin Bursan. The Jewish leadership was promised political and financial support for the plan aimed at repatriating Jews and assisting their emigration.

March 17, 1943

The selection committee finished its activities in Vapniarca, after establishing that 427 of the 554 internees had been "unjustly" interned. The committee proposed allowing them out of the camp, but keeping them in the ghettos of Transnistria

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April 22, 1943

Ion Antonescu ordered that permission to return to the country was not to be given to one single Jew. General C. Z. Vasiliu, Deputy State Secretary of Police, informed the special inter-ministerial committee, which dealt with formulating regulations concerning Jews, of this decision.

August 1943

When W. Filderman, the real leader of Rumanian Jews, had returned from Transnistria, he sent a petition to the government, and supported it with documents). He emphasised the necessity of allowing the repatriation of all Jews, especially the orphans, and those born in Dorohoi county.

October 12, 1943

Doctor W. Filderman sent the government another petition asking them to allow deported Jews to return home.

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November 10, 1943

The Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior compiled a report, in which he proposed giving permission to a number of deported Jews to return home so that they could be used as workers where the war necessitated it.

December 8, 1943

Permission was given to 6,430 Jews from Dorohoi county to return home from Transnistria, and to another 218, who were interned in the camp of Vapniarca. At this time, permission to return home was also given to the 16 Jewish survivors from of the group of 568 who had been deported in autumn 1942 for applying for Soviet entry visas.

December 20, 1943

The first group of 1,500 Jews deported from Dorohoi county left Transnistria at Moghilau-Atachi. The Aid Committee provided some people with clothing. Everybody was given a train ticket and enough food to see them through a few days. However, they had to suffer until the very last minute. In some places they were harassed by Chiefs of Police and Gendarmes, who declared that the Jews were unable to conclusively prove that they had been born in Dorohoi [328] county. (Only after acquiring a gold watch, did Colonel Gavat give permission to continue to a group of 25 people from Dorohoi).

January 20, 1944

Ion Antonescu prevented the repatriation of Jews with the excuse that there were one million Rumanians in Transnistria, Bessarabia and Bucovina who wanted to enter the country. If the Jews were given refuge - he declared - it would cause massive discontent.

March 6, 1944

Orphans, (1,846 of them) were repatriated, 1,400 crossed the Dniester at Moghilev-Atachi, and 446 at Tiraspol-Tighina. Both groups met in Iasi, where they were distributed among the Jewish Religious Communities of Moldova and Wallachia.

March 14, 1944

Soviet troops arrived at the Bug. The radio stations of the Allies broadcast constant threats against those who had committed crimes against humanity. Ion Antonescu finally [330] made up his mind, and decided to give an order allowing for the repatriation of all Jews deported to Transnistria.

Jewish committees immediately left for Moghilev and Tiraspol to organise the homecoming. But it was too late.

The committee which had set off for Moghilev only managed to reach Atachi, because the Soviet troops reached the Dniester on March 20, and reoccupied the entire northern region of Transnistria.

The committee which was on its way to Tiraspol got as far as Balti, where, in the southern part of the province, 2,518 deported were found, 563 of whom were taken back to the country. Most were allowed to return home, but the 563 who had been interned in Vapniarca, and taken out of the camp in Grusolovo were directed to the camp in Targu Jiu, and escorted by armed troops.

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