A great rally of Jewish ex-service men took place at Plowdiw when the foundation stone of a monument to the Jewish soldiers of Bulgaria who fell in the War was laid in the presence of representatives of the Government, the Bulgarian War Veterans Association, the municipal authorities, and all the Jewish bodies in Bulgaria. Among those participating in the march were the “Maccabi”, the “Ashomer Azair”, the “Brith Trumpeldor” and the War Veterans Association. The religious ceremony was conducted by Rabbi ben Benjamin.
The Jewish population of Plowdiw was represented by more than 600 soldiers in the War, 103 of whom gave their lives on the field of battle. The Association of Jewish War Veterans in Plowdiw numbers over 350 members.
After the laying of the foundation stone, General Wateff, representing the Bulgarian Minister of War, inaugurated the colors of the Jewish War Veterans Association, which were dedicated by the rabbi and presented by the president of the Association, Colonel Muschonoff, while the bands played the Bulgarian national anthem and “Hatikva.”
In the course of the speeches, tributes were paid to the loyalty of the Jewish war veterans, and both General Wateff and General Bogdanoff, president of the Bulgarian War Veterans Association, declared that they would do their utmost to combat those false patriots who were trying to excite the Bulgarian population against the Jews.
The whole Bulgarian press, in reporting the ceremony, praises the excellent discipline of the Jewish war veterans and the loyalty and patriotism of the whole Jewish population of Bulgaria.
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.
