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Jewish Leaders in Greece. Including Chief Rabbi, Sent to Nazi Concentration Camp

February 5, 1942
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A reliable report reaching here today from Nazi-occupied Greece informs that Chief Rabbi Zvi-Hirsch Koretz of Athens, who was arrested by the occupational authorities, was recently transferred to a concentration camp near Vienna. Other prominent Jewish community leaders in Athens and Salonica were sent to the same camp.

The report describes the terrible conditions under which the Jews in occupied Greece live. The official bread allowance for Jews is one ounce a day, but even this meager ration is difficult to get because bread distribution in Athens and Salonica is very irregular. As a result, the report says, one can very often see Jews collapse on the street, dying of hunger. Some of the passers-by throw coins to the dying man or woman, and thousands of drachmas could be collected within a few hours, but money is of no use since one cannot buy any food for it. The few supplies available are sent to the Axis countries or are acquired by racketeers.

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