Surviving Greek Jews Impoverished; Little Prospect of Property Returned

The few thousand Jews remaining in Greece are so impoverished that former wealthy bankers, lawyers and doctors wander the streets barefoot, begging for a few drachmas to purchase Red Cross rations, whose cost just covers the expenses of distribution, officials of the Greek Government Information Office here disclosed.

The difficulties faced by the Greek Jews are complicated by the fact that many of them destroyed all evidence of their identity and assumed non-Jewish names in order to avoid seizure by the Germans. One of the most urgent tasks of the Jewish councils set up in Salonika and Athens is to re-establish the identity of these fugitives and get them documents which will, at least, entitle them to ration cards.

Although, officially, Jews are supposed to have their confiscated property restored, in practice it will be impossible to do much for them, except in the case of real estate. Liquid assets are gone for good and even many apartments in which Jews formerly dwelt have been requisitioned for refugees.

By chance the apartment of the president of the Athens Jewish Community has been left intact, but his is the only one that was spared. When the Germans invaded the Greek capital the Wehrmacht requisitioned the apartment and left the key with the doorman. Although, for some reason, members of the Wehrmacht never occupied the apartment, it was saved from the Gestapo.

As soon as Greece was liberated relief for the Jews was organized here. A Greek-Jewish philanthropist who resided in Alexandria, Nellos Levy, went to Greece with ten-thousand pounds to assist needy Jews. The South African War Appeal also sent ten-thousand pounds, while the Joint Distribution Committee furnished additional assistance. All relief was channelled through the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, the Greek Government Information Office spokesman stated.