Three Jewish employes of the Jewish-owned Barasch Department Store who were arrested last December on charges of “race defilement” were under sentence today to serve prison terms of four years, one year and five months respectively.
The court’s verdict stated that although the offence consisted merely of kissing the girls with their consent and although it had been done before the Nuremberg laws were enacted, the act was to be regarded as an insult to the families of the girls.
The one-year sentence of one of the defendants was attributed to the fact that he is a war veteran.
The three Jewish employee of the store were arrested last December on charges brought by “Aryan” salesgirls employed in the same store. Their arrests precipitated anti-Semitic demonstrations that forced the closing of the store for several days. When the establishment was reopened it was placed under the management of an “Aryan,” although it is still regarded as a Jewish enterprise.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.