A rise in anti-Semitism in Germany was reported today to Acting Secretary of the Amy Tracy S. Voorhies by Rabbi Simon G. Kramer, representative to the American Military Government in Germany of the SynagogueCouncil of America, who recently completed a year’s appointment for religious liaison between A.M.G. and German Jewish communities.
Rabbi Kramer told Voorhies that the fundamental bias of the Germans has not been removed and that they still believe the Jews are to blame for the loss of the war and the failure of the Hazi regime. He emphasized that the processes of democratization will have to be watched carefully by the occupying powers.
He reported that the future of Jewish individuals and communities in Germany will depend on the degree of democracy attained in the next few years by the German people and the opportunity offered Jews “for making a living and continuing their lives as Jews in dignity and in freedom.”
Between 20,000-30,000 Jews will remain in Germany when the DP camps are emptied, Rabbi Kremer said, stipulating that “these figures are maximal.” The total include a few thousand German” Jews who were able to survive and East European Jews who have been able to integrate themselves in settled communities.
Rabbi Kramer recommended to the Army that “in order to safeguard the possibilities of the normal development of the Jewish community in Germany,” the following points must be taken under careful consideration.
1. The law for restitution of Jewish property must be implemented in such a way as to enable not only individual Jews but Jewish communities to receive their properties and be given a chance to rebuild then. This restitution law should be extended to cover the British and French zones.
2. The Hitler laws of discrimination must be officially abrogated; safeguards must be provided in the new constitution of western Germany for the free development of all elements in the community, including the Jews; any evidence of anti-Semitism should be completely stamped out.
3. A greater emphasis should be placed on influencing the educational system of Germany, especially the grade and high schools, for democracy and freedom.
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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.
