The number of Jews arriving in West Berlin from the Soviet Zone of Germany and from East Berlin this week is greater than it has been for the past months. The increase is attributed not to discriminatory anti-Semitism, which has not been conspicuous since the death of Stalin, but to the harsh economic measures recently imposed by the Communist regime.
The cancellation of ration cards for the self-employed has been a particularly heavy blow, since in proportion to its size the Jewish population is most heavily affected by the drive against wholesale and retail trade, against lawyers, tax consultants, apartment house owners and hotelkeepers.
The number of Jews who sought refuge in West Berlin was 80 in March and 23 in the first half of April. To view these figures in proper perspective, it must be borne in mind that less than 2,000 Jews are left in East Berlin and Eastern Germany. A monthly average of 80 escapees is therefore the equivalent of a 50 percent rate of attrition per annum.
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.
