Shocked by the utter ruin with which the new Nazi campaign confronts them, representatives of German Jewry, including leaders of the Berlin Jewish community have addressed to President von Hindenburg and Chancellor Hitler pathetic appeals pointing out that they are faced with irreparable catastrophe.
The letter to Hindenburg declares that, “Owing to the mistakes of a few for whom we are not responsible, we German Jews, who are bound up with every fibre of our hearts to the German Fatherland, are doomed to economic destruction.” Concluding with an appeal for the President’s intervention, the letter recalls that the Jews of Germany have sacrificed themselves unstintingly for the Fatherland, and during the World War lost no less than 12,000 of their best sons.
The appeal to Hitler assures the Chancellor that the Jews of Germany have done all in their power to combat defamation abroad and expresses the belief that their efforts have proved successful. They express the hope that the possibilities of livelihood in Germany will not be taken from the Jews, and conclude with expressions of loyalty and assurances of cooperation with the Government in the execution of its plans.
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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.