Anti-Semitic in Bul Manifest 2009 –2010 Garia a Tions 1 Newsletter № - Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in Bulgaria - - Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in Bulgaria
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANTI-SEMITIC MANIFESTATIONS IN BULGARIA 2009 – 2010 1№ TER T NEWSLE - MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN BULGARIA - - MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN BULGARIA - 12. AN EXHIBITION BY THE ARIANA POND STIRS UP CONTENTS INTER-ETHNIC HATE – JUNE, 2010 ..................................................50 page 13. VANDALIST ANTI-SEMITIC ACTS... MORE AND MORE FREQUENT ADDRESS TO THE READERS .....................................................................4 page – PRAGA BLVD., 13 JUNE, 2010 ........................................................52 page FROM THE EDITORS ...................................................................................6 page 14. DESECRATION OF THE JEWISH CEMETERY IN SHOUMEN – AUGUST, 2010 .........................................................54 page І. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS .....................................................................8 page 15. YOUTHS WILLINGLY DEMONSTRATE 1. A FASCIST FLAG AND THREAT OF VIOLENCE THEIR AFFINITY TO THE NAZI IDEOLOGY ROUSED PAZARDZHIK – 20 APRIL, 2009 ..........................................8 page IN PERNIK – 16 SEPTEMBER, 2010 ..................................................56 page 2. SWASTIKAS AND SCRIBBLED MESSAGES 16. VANDALIST MESSAGES COVER THE RED ARMY ON HITLER’S ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTIETH SOLDIER MEMORIAL IN STARA ZAGORA ANNIVERSARY IN BOURGAS, PAZARDZHIK – 28 SEPTEMBER, 2010 ....................................................................57 page AND BYALA SLATINA – 20 APRIL, 2009 ...........................................10 page 17. PROFANATION OF THE KAYLAKA (PLEVEN) MEMORIAL 3. A DECISION TO NAME A STREET TO JEWS WHO PERISHED IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS AFTER BOGDAN FILOV IN SOFIA – 21 MAY, 2009 ..........................11 page – 10 NOVEMBER, 2010 ......................................................................60 page 4. AN ATTEMPT AT PROVOCATION – 6 NOVEMBER, 2009 ................22 page ІІ. SWASTIKAS, ANTI-SEMITIC MESSAGES AND WORDS OF HATE ON MONUMENTS 5. A SMASHED MEMORIAL PLAQUE AND STREETS IN SOFIA ...................................................................61 page IN BLAGOEVGRAD – 24 JUNE, 2009 ................................................24 page ІІІ. LIST OF BOOKS WITH ANTI-SEMITIC 6. MOLOTOV COCKTAILS FLUNG CONTENT IN BULGARIAN BOOKSHOPS ..........................................64 page AT THE SYNAGOGUE IN BOURGAS – 13 JULY, 2009 .....................25 page ІV. THE WEB SPACE AND ITS ANONYMOUS FORUM .........................65 page 7. AN INTERNATIONAL NEO-NAZI RALLY IN ASSENOVGRAD – 12 SEPTEMBER, 2009 ........................28 page V. BULGARIA IN PICTURES ...................................................................73 page 8. SWASTIKAS AND DEATH CALLS ON THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BUILDING IN PLOVDIV – 30 SEPTEMBER, 2009 ...............................................34 page 9. SWASTIKAS ON THE JEWISH SCHOOL WALLS – 21 MARCH, 2010 .............................................................................36 page 10. A SCANDALOUS PARTY celebrating HITLER’S BIRTHDAY IN STARA ZAGORA – 20 APRIL, 2010 ...............................................43 page 11. VIOLATION OF THE SOVIET WARRIORS MEMORIAL IN lOZENETS, SOFIA – MAY, 2010 ....................................................47 page - 2 - - 3 - - MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN BULGARIA - - MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN BULGARIA - Dear Reader, Nowadays, Anti-Semitism is not a state policy in Bulgaria and is not supported We offer you the first issue of the newsletter on Anti-Semitic acts in Bulgaria. by the majority of public forces. It spreads out under the influence of outside The newsletter’s format was chosen to stay clear of emotionally coloured factors; as a result of some lapses in the legislation and as part of the political evaluations and analyses which are not helpful for following, recording and reacting activity of extreme nationalistic, anti-NATO circles. The best thing in this sad to Anti-Semitic phenomena. The newsletter presents concrete and easily available review of Anti-Semitic acts in Bulgaria is that most Bulgarians have never shared information on the “banal”evil – Anti-Semitism in Bulgaria during the last two years. Anti-Semitism as a political belief and have had and still have a negative attitude It was conceived and accomplished as chronology of events. The choice of the to this shameful phenomenon. But doesn’t hate of those who are different have a last two years was determined by the period of existence of an organized Anti- future in our country? Semitic acts monitoring system. Why was it necessary to build up such a system now, is another subject but what you have here is the result of its operation. This newsletter mirrors the Bulgarian Jewish community’s concern not only and not that much for its own fate but mostly for “the health” of the Bulgarian We would not rush to a hasty assessment of what is happening as it might society which has never encouraged fanatics and extremists. We are hopeful that be wrong but we should strike an alarm bell. Because, in the conditions of an the society has a vigilant civil conscience as it had at the time of the rescue of economic and spiritual crisis when some circles in “old” Europe” are beginning Bulgarian Jews back in 1940-1944. The millions of people conscience and ethics to export xenophobia and Anti-Semitism, and the world is becoming increasingly are the key to the survival of our world. intolerant to those who are different in terms of religion, ethnicity and even way of life, there is a danger for our country to mar and even lose its reputation of an Our thanks go to those who accomplished this newsletter and are the driving ethnically and religiously tolerant country. force of the Anti-Semitic acts in Bulgaria monitoring system – Victor Melamed, Annie Avtova and Pepa Ilieva. I would also like to express appreciation of the help A lot has been written about the traditional friendship between Bulgarians and provided by our partner, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC), Jews and that is true. A lot has been said about the remarkable rescue of Bulgarian the Anti-Defamation League (ADL, New York), American Jewish Committee Jews from death during the Holocaust. The stories of those events reveal the deep (AJC) and the Coordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, Israel which we gratitude of Jews for those Bulgarians who stretched a helping hand, often at the consulted in establishing the Anti-Semitism in Bulgaria monitoring system and risk of their own wellbeing, to save their Jewish compatriots. We thank G-d that preparing this publication. those Bulgarians were the majority of the Bulgarian people. Very little was written about Anti-Semitism in Bulgaria during the last 130 years. Maxim Benvenisti Anti-Semitism in Bulgarian lands in more recent times had, blessedly, a modest President of the Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria history. It recorded the pogroms against Jewish shops in Karlovo at the close of the SHALOM 19th century; the attempts of individual lumpen elements to instigate persecution of Jews on accusations that they used Christian blood for preparation of matsot for PESACH; the active publishing activities of the “patriotic” organizations of “Ratnik”, “Bulgarian National Legions”, “Father Paisiy” etc. in disseminating Anti- Semitic literature in Bulgaria. Anti-Semitism in Bulgaria reached its apogee with the anti-Jewish legislation, passed and enacted in the country in 1940-1944 which resulted in looting and humiliating 50 000 Bulgarian Jews and dispatching 11 343 Jews from Thrace, Macedonia and Pirot to Nazi death-camps in 1943. With the political changes after 9th September, 1944, Anti-Semitism decreased temporarily but reappeared in new forms during the “struggle against cosmopolitism” and the “doctors’ plot” in the Soviet Union in 1949-1953. Later on, some sporadic Anti- Semitic acts and activities took place under the guise of “struggle against Zionism” which disturbed the normal life of those 5000 Jews who remained in Bulgaria. - 4 - - 5 - - MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN BULGARIA - - MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN BULGARIA - ANTI-SEMITISM IN BULGARIA The newsletter’s content reveals two distinct groups of more important manifestations of Anti-Semitism. The first group is concerned with acts of vandalism and violation of buildings, monuments, religious sites etc; the second 2009-2010 one – with events organized by and for groups of people, object or subject of different Anti-Semitic and xenophobic propaganda. The other manifestations and cases have their own strictly individual characteristics and should be treated separately. In our view, special attention deserves the second group – organized FROM THE EDITORS mass events unequivocally demonstrating that the followers of such an “ideology” possess a well-built system of communication and coordination. Obviously, such Hi, acts are supported with funds earmarked for financial back-up and lobbying which raises another, even more important question – what and which organizations and We did not hesitate to accept the invitation to participate in the Anti-Semitic structures are behind the curtain. acts in Bulgaria monitoring project. And it could not be otherwise. Each member of our community is perfectly aware of the gravity of the problem and its boundless When examining the nature of various events and trying to categorize them in bounds. Each one of us has been faced with it in one form or another. Needless groups, to establish certain objective regularities and trends,