Two hundred prominent Rumanian Jews have offered to become converted to the Greek Orthodox faith to "identify themselves completely with the Rumanian nation," it was reported today by the newspaper Curentul, which is closely connected with the ecclesiastical authorities.
The paper said that in consequence of increasing tendencies among Rumanian Jews to adopt the Greek Orthodox religion, church officials intend to start an intensive campaign for mass conversion of Jews and are ready to appoint special missionaries for this purpose.
According to the account, Charles Spiegler, a Bucharest lawyer, and A. Companitz, industrialist, approached Patriarch Miron Christea and said the 200 Jews, including financiers, industrialists and members of the liberal professions, wished to become baptized.
They were also quoted as having offered to build an imposing Greek Orthodox church for use by converted Jews and as having asked that the Patriarch appoint a baptized Jew as priest. The paper objected to such appointment, urging that the place be occupied by an experienced Greek Orthodox clergyman.
Patriarch Christea expressed satisfaction with the offer of conversion, the report said, but requested that each of the Jews present a petition asking admission to the church.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
