Hundreds of Jews in Manila, both refugees and long-time residents in the Phillipines, are destitute as a result of Japanese looting of their homes and businesses and the wide-scale destruction committed by the enemy during the last days they held the city, it is revealed in a report reaching the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today.
Although German refugee Jews were not mistreated during the Japanese occupation because of their nationality, about 40 of them were murdered during the pillaging and burning in Manila. Non-refugee Jews were also among those killed. Jews who were American citizens were saved when American troops liberated the Santo Tomas interment camp in which they had been confined during the occupation.
The Jews in Manila urgently require assistance to maintain themselves and to begin rahabilitation of their economic life, the report says. In this connection, it was announced today that the Joint Distribution Committee has made an initial grant of $10,000 to assist the refugee and local Jews and is planning to send additional relief as soon as conditions permit.
Religious services have been resumed in Manila although the synagogue was destroyed, a report received by the JDC says. Rabbi Joseph Schwartz, assisted by Army personnel, is conducting services in an improvised synagogue, and seders were arranged during the Passover holidays.
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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.
