Arthur Fishzohn, Joint Distribution Committee director in Bulgaria and the first American relief worker permitted to carry out assistance activities there since the war, reported today that the Jewish community of Bulgaria is the only one in Nazi-occupied Europe to have survived intact and that the most important need for Bulgaria’s 47,000 Jews is tools and raw materials to repair their shattered economy.
In an interview at the offices here of the J.D.C., Mr. Fishzohn declared that although poverty and distress among Jews in Bulgaria is widespread, the present government has granted the Jews greater civil and political liberties then they enjoyed before the war. It has also made every effort, he pointed out, to restore homes, funds and realty stolen from Jews during the Nazis’ two-year domination of the country, although the personal property of the Jews is irretrievably scattered. He said that he received complete cooperation from Bulgarian authorities and was permitted to travel freely throughout the country.
Mr. Fichzohn spent over a year in Athens and Istanbul, from which he directed the J.D.C supplies program in the Balkans, before receiving permission to enter Bulgaria.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
