Rumanian Govt. Scored in U.S. for Separating Jewish Families

A statement attacking the Rumanian Government for its “savage policy of enforced separation of more than 30,000 Jewish families” was issued here today by Judge Samuel Leibowitz, honorary chairman of the United Rumanian Jews of America.

Judge Leibowitz stated that for the past eight years, mothers, fathers and children, some of whom settled in Israel, have been separated from their kin in Rumania as a result of official government policy which refuses Rumanian Jews the right to emigrate and rejoin their families.

Declaring that “Rumanian Jews in the United States and all men of good will are exercised over this ruthless and inhuman treatment,” Judge Leibowitz said that he was impelled to issue this public statement for two reasons: 1. Because all intervention with Rumanian authorities thus far had failed; and, 2. Because the Rumanian Government has been spreading news abroad giving the impression that Rumanian Jews enjoy full freedom under Communist rule.

“In 1946,” Judge Leibowitz pointed out in his statement, “Rumania adopted a policy permitting Jewish emigration to Palestine. Soon after the establishment of Israel in 1948, this policy ran into considerable red tape, but it was not till 1952 that emigration was completely stopped. This resulted in serious tragedy for some 30,000 “Rumanian Jewish families, some of whose members had proceeded to Israel confident that they would be permitted to bring their kin shortly thereafter. At the same time they left Rumania, they had no inkling that the government would ban all emigration and that their relatives would be stranded in Rumania and not be permitted to join them in Israel. Some 30,000 families have thus been severed.”

Judge Leibowitz disclosed in his statement that in June, 1956, the Rumanian Legation invited a committee of the United Rumanian Jews of America to discuss the reunion of families. A delegation met with Minister Brucan in Washington and was promised that he would intercede with his government. A month later, on a visit to the New York offices of the United Rumanian Jews, Minister Brucan again promised that he would intervene with his superiors in Bucharest. Several months later the United Rumanian Jews were informed that “40 to 50 per month would be permitted to leave Rumania.

“In the past five months, a little over 300 Jews have been permitted to rejoin their families in Israel. Since some 30,000 cases are involved, it means that more than four decades would pass at this rate of emigration before the families could be reunited. The United Rumanian Jews of America explained this to Minister Brucan, but we have had no further word from him since July, 1956,” the statement emphasized.