Western Galicia are homeless and numerous Jewish families of Nowysancz whose livelihood was deprived from fish-breeding are completely ruined.
The poverty-stricken Jewish quarter at Piekla was completely washed away.
Jewish youth organizations have volunteered to act as assistants to the military forces engaged in the hazardous rescue work.
Dreadful devastation was wrought in Western Galicia, where the communities are empty and the roads destroyed. A long time will be required before reconstruction can be accomplished.
Significant for the Jews is the fact that the peasants, who are customers of Jewish tradesmen, are entirely without means. Thus, these tradesmen are deprived of their patrons.
Danger of an epidemic is considered very great, because a heat wave is raging and the wells have been contaminated by heaps of corpses and filth. The authorities have issued orders forbidding the drinking of unboiled water.
A General Relief Committee, with countrywide jurisdiction, has been set up. No committee for Jews exclusively is in existence.
The main Jewish organizations, the Jewish Community, the Rabbis’ Unions and the Zionist organizations, have issued appeals asking that contributions be forwarded to the General Relief Committee.
The Jewish Artists Union has instructed all members to assign part of their income to this body. International aid from the Red Cross is expected, it was announced. Immediate help from American Jews for their stricken co-religionists is urgently needed.
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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.
