Volume XXXII No. 12 December, 1977 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCUim OF XWBH RBUGBS IH GlEAT BRITAH W. Rosenstock go on, and the Hon. Officers of the AJR have also discussed ways and means of co-opera­ tion and started to raise contributions among their close friends. The meeting was informed UNITY IN DISPERSION that the decision of the transfer was not absolutely final and that, among other things, much depended on the chance of raising Meeting of Council of Jews from Germany money in this country. Yet even if a transfer should prove unavoidable at some time or It has always been one of the distinctive Oflficers of the Council, Mr. Werner M. Behr another, ways and means might be explored qualities of the German Jews that they were (Joint Chairman) and Professor Dr. Rudolf to keep material, especially in the field of endowed with a strong sense of solidarity. Callmann (member of the Presidium). As suc­ Nazism and neo-Fascist movements, accessible Even now, almost 45 years after the begin­ cessor to Mr. Behr, Dr. F. E. Falk, Vice- in this country, be it in the original or by ning of their enforced emigration, the organi­ Chairman of the AJR, was elected Joint Chair­ way of microfilms. sations built up by them in most countries man, and Mr. C. T. Marx, chairman of the In connection with the problems of restitu­ of resettlement are still active, and the same AJR, was co-opted to the Presidium. tion and related subjects reference was made applies to their world-wide representative to the new legislation on German social se­ body, the Council of Jews from Germany. The Continuity of Social Work curity payments. As readers of AJR Informa­ undiminished strength of the Council and its tion know there was at one stage the danger aflfiliated organisations became manifest anew, In his Financial Report, Dr. W. Rosenstock, that new applications from emigrated persons when on October 9, their delegates from Hon. Secretary of the Council, commented who had been in employment outside the Israel, U.S.A., Britain, France, Belgium and on the audited accounts (1975 and 1976) of present territory of the German Federal Re­ the Netherlands met in London. the Council's financial instrument, the Leo public, might be rejected. This danger, as we It would exceed the scope of this report, Baeck Charitable Trust. The assets of this reported in our October issue, could be aver­ if we described in detail the history of Trust have derived mainly from the heirless ted. Yet to achieve this, strenuous efforts the Council. Yet a few salient points have and communal Jewish property in Germany, had to be made by the representative bodies to be mentioned in brief. The Council was recovered by the so-called successor organisa­ concemed, and the Council was in constant founded shortly after the war by the organi­ tions and, in the course of the past years, contact with them when the new law was sations of former German Jews in Israel were distributed among the Council's aflfiliates under discussion. Though there are at present (Irgun Oley Merkaz Europa), U.S.A. (Ameri­ to be used for their charitable work. How­ no signs that the implementation of any other can Federation of Jews from Central Europe) ever, the work of the successor organisations compensation and related laws might be in and Britain (AJR) under the presidency of has now practically come to an end, and with jeopardy, the experience during this year's Dr. Leo Baeck and almost immediately after very few exceptions, no further payments summer months re-aflfirmed the indispensable its inception joined by corresponding organi­ have become available. This creates serious function of the Council as the guardian of sations in other countries. One of the main problems for the Council's aflSliates in the the interests of the Nazi victims. concems during the first post-war years was continuation of their social work, especially the safeguarding of the rights of the victims in view of the steadily rising number of old Concem about German neo-Nazi Trends of Nazi persecution in the field of restitution and frail people in their midst who need and compensation. This work was not restric­ care and attention in special Homes. The dele­ The Meeting also discussed in great detail ted to negotiations with the authorities con­ gates discussed the possibilities of various the recent manifestations of the rising anti­ cemed on general questions of legislation. It attempts at alleviating the position and, whilst semitism and neo-Nazism in Germany. It was soon tumed out that there was also a need so far no solution could be found, the efforts decided to write a letter to the German for an institution which could represent the in this direction will continue. Federal Minister of the Interior, expressing claims of indigent individual victims. Thus, Another point under discussion was the the Council's grave concern about these trends. the United Restitution Organisation (URO), safeguarding of the future work of the Leo "Terror and demagogy", the letter reads, "as one of the largest legal agencies in history, Baeck Institute. In this matter, too, various well as incidents such as, e.g., unimpeded came into being mainly at the initiative of propositions are under active consideration. rallies of old Nazis, desecration of Jewish the Council and with the financial aid of the A further problem which, though not strictly cemeteries, attempts by various media at glori­ major Jewish relief organisations. Another within the terms of reference of the Council, fying the Hitler period, the symbolical 'burn­ oflfshoot of the Council is the Leo Baeck was discussed at the meeting, concerned the ing of Jews' by students of the Officers' Institute, which was founded in 1955 to pre­ Wiener Library. The Council is oflficially re­ Academy with the knowledge of their super­ serve the spiritual heritage of Central Euro­ presented on the Board of the Wiener Library iors, the daubing of buildings with Nazi sym­ pean Jewry. During the 22 years of its exist­ by Mr. Fred Lessing, Mr. Heinz Gerling and bols are only too reminiscent of the experience ence, the LBI has produced more than 200 Mr Arnold Paucker; furthermore, Mr. C. T. of recent history. Though, so far, the groups publications pertinent to the various aspects Marx was recently co-opted to the Board. responsible for such occurrences are numeric­ of Jewish life on the Continent from the As readers know, it is intended to transfer ally small, we are, in the light of the happen­ emancipation to the decline and ultimate ex­ the Wiener Library to the University of Tel ings of the past, alarmed by the threat to tinction after 1933. Aviv in a few years' time. All delegates democracy which may emanate from dema­ In 1956, the Council lost its first President, agreed that it would be highly desirable to gogy and prejudice". The letter, copies of Dr. Leo Baeck, and Dr. Siegfried Moses be­ have the Library kept in London, because it which were sent to the Federal I*resident and came his successor. After his death in 1974, has become an indispensable source of infor­ the Federal Chancellor, expressed the Council's it was decided that instead of a single new mation for authors, politicians and mass media confident hope that the German Government president, three joint chairmen, resident in in this country and on the Continent. Through­ and Parliament will take adequate measures the coimtries of each of the three founder out the past years, the Council has paid sub­ to prevent the spreading of such incidents organisations, Israel, U.S.A. and Britain, should stantial annual subsidies to the Wiener and do their utmost to ensure that they ulti­ be at the helm of the Council. Library. Yet they alone do not suflfice to mately cease. cover the deficit in the long run. On the other The meeting on October 9 was presided hand, the Jews in this country, usually known Another point on the agenda of the Meet­ over bv the joint chairmen, Mr. Heinz Gerling for their generosity, have not come forward ing concerned the Council's scheme to record (Israel) and Dr. Curt C. Silberman (U.S.A.). and publish a history of the immigration of At the beginning. Dr. Silberman paid tribute with adequate help, despite strenuous eflorts to the memorj' of two deceased leading Hon. in this direction. These eflorts will certainly Continued on page 2, column 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION December 1977 ERHOEHUNG DER DEUTSCHEN JEWISH ASPECTS ON BRITISH TV UNITY IN DISPERSION ENTSCHAEDIGUNGSRENTEN All three Television Channels have Continued from page 1 recently shown a number of programmes of Die Verordnung ueber die Erhoehung der particular interest to Jewish watchers. BBC-2's Entschaedigungsrenten, die zur Zeit der "Long Search", which has been describing the the German Jews into their various countries great faiths of the world for many weeks, had Drucklegung dieser Ausgabe noch nicht vor­ of resettlement. So far, the research has been one evening devoted to the "Chosen People". liegt, wird im Bundesgesetzblatt im November It dealt mainly with Jewish Orthodoxy and concentrated on four countries: Israel, U.S.A., showed Jewish life in Israel through the eyes Britain and France. This does not preclude Oder Dezember dieses Jahres veroeffentlicht of Dr. Pinchas Peli, a descendant of a long the extension of the work to other countries werden. Nach dem uns bekannten Entwurf line of rabbis and a sixth generation inhabi­ at a later stage. It was reported that during werden Entschaedigungsrenten um ca.