After spending several weeks in the United States on behalf of Rumanian Jewry, Dr. Alexander Shafran, Chief Rabbi of Rumania, left today. He said that he was gratified at the results achieved and the promises of increased aid. Dr. Shafran was the guest here of the United Jewish Appeal.
Revealing that he had appealed to the U.S. Government to send urgent relief supplies to non-Jews in the famine area of Rumania, Rabbi Shafran expressed his thanks to President Truman for his decision to send food shipments and medical supplies for distribution among the Rumanian population without distinction as to race and religion.
Dr. Joseph Schwartz, chairman of the executive council of the Joint Distribution Committee, told a press conference here that “in more than a decade of overseas work, I have never seen hunger as widespread as in Rumanian Moldavia which is a scene of terrible famine.” The J.D.C. is making every effort to increase its flow of supplies to Moldavin and will shortly send a shipload of 7,500 tons of corn and wheat to be distributed among Jews and non-Jews, he stated.
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.
