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French Government’s Failure to Restore Jewish Property Scored at Paris Meeting

January 23, 1945
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The French Government’s failure to implement its promises to undertake the restoration to Jews of property confiscated under the Vichy laws was scored in a report presented today to the regional conference of the Federation of Jewish Societies of France.

The report, which was made by Joseph Lubetaki, a lawyer, pointed out that while the Government has restored civil and legal rights to Jews, has abolished discriminations between different categories of French citizens, and restored citizenships cancelled by Vichy, it has been extremely slow in restoring Jewish property and a definitive law covering the subject has not yet appeared. The Government is presently considering a draft of the project, Dr. Lubetzki said.

Today’s conference was originally planned as the first national meeting of the federation since the liberation, but because of travel difficulties it was transformed into an informational meeting of the Paris region. Mare Jarblum, president of the federation, who presided, stressed the difficult period that French Jews are passing through, and pleaded for unity and intensified activity. Dr. Eugene Minkowsky, president of the French Ose and Dr. Aaron Halperin, head of the French ORT, also spoke.

The report of the federation’s activities disclosed that the missing person bureau has 1,500 cases registered, the federation has received 600 requests for professional placements and has made 328 demarches to the government for foreign workers. The report described the federation’s plan to rehabilitate 1,000 artisan families through small loans. About 150 such loans have already been made totaling 1,800,000 francs.

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