An ingenious device by which Belgians are aiding Jews in the country, the majority of whom are impoverished as a result of being barred from most trades and professions by the Nazi occupation authorities, was revealed here today in reports received from underground circles in Belgium. Many Jewish children roam the streets of the larger cities selling photographs of Jews wearing yellow stars. Belgian passersby buy the cards, paying large sums for them as a means of giving financial assistance to the needy Jews, the report states.
An equally ingenious device being used by German real estate agents in Holland to defraud Jews of their houses was also reported here today. These agents sell Jewish houses to Aryans without even consulting the owner. The prospective purchaser is taken to a special office established by the Nazis where an eviction order is secured forcing the Jew to sell his house at any price designated by the German agents, When the house is sold, the Jew is forced to place the money obtained in a special blocked account in a German-controlled bank, after first being forced to pay a commission to the agent.
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.
