Approximately 7,000 repatriates, the majority of them Jews, have committed suicide since May, it was reported here today. The impossibility of earning a living is the immediate reason given in almost all cases.
Most of the victims are old people. Upon their return to Prague they learned that their families perished in the Nazi gas chambers. Finding no homes and no jobs, these shattered people preferred to end their lives rather than continue a miserable existence.
As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world — with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.
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.
