Unclaimed Jewish property now stored in Rumanian customs warehouses will be turned over to the Federation of Jewish Communities, it was announced today by a spokesman for the Justice Ministry.
The property consists of furs, furniture and other personal and household items illegally seized by the anti-Semitic regimes from Jews who fled the country during the war years. The property will be sold and the proceeds will be used by the Federation for its relief and rehabilitation program.
The position of Rumanian Jews who returned from Soviet territory is still precarious, although the Ministry of the Interior has instructed local authorities to exempt them from registration as aliens and to treat them as citizens in all respects. Pending a final settlement of their citizenship status, these Jews are technically stateless.
The instructions issued by the Interior Ministry do not have the force of law behind them and are open to abuse by local officials, some of whom are anti-Semitic. In many cases, the instructions have been completely ignored on the lower levels. Jewish organizations and Jewish members of Parliament are concentrating on bringing the projected citizenship law, which would and such abused by giving the repatriates legal status, before Parliament for speedy action.
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.
