Chief Rabbi Moses Rosen of Romania denied Sunday that he plans to resign and immigrate to Israel now.
A report that his aliyah was imminent appeared last week in the Jewish Chronicle of London, a British Jewish weekly.
Rosen stressed in a telephone interview with Israel Radio that for now, his presence is needed in Romania, where the 30,000-member Jewish community is uncertain of the future.
The popular movement that overthrew the 24-year regime of President Nicolae Ceausescu promises democratic rule in Romania. But Jews are fearful of an upsurge of anti-Semitism if economic troubles encourage a search for scapegoats.
Replying to reports that he had been “close to Ceausescu,” Rosen explained that his efforts to save Jewish lives and maintain Jewish institutions in Romania depended on his working with the ousted dictator.
He said he had been preparing eventually to go to Israel and received official permission to leave years ago.
Rosen said he has bought an apartment in Tel Aviv and holds a professorship at the religiously oriented Bar-Ilan University.
Israel Radio also interviewed Romania’s new premier, Petre Roman, whose father was Jewish.
Roman denied widespread reports in Romania that Palestinians and other Arab mercenaries fought in organized units with forces loyal to Ceausescu. But he conceded that some Arab students in Romania might have joined the Securitate, his hated secret police.
Roman is not known to have taken any interest in Jewish matters.
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