19 - Contemporary Period 1970-1981

The official census published in June 1977 gave the Jewish population as only 25,600; despite the fact that according to the statistics given by the Federation of Jewish Communities, which based itself on a registry of those in need of the community's services, the number was approximately 45,000, and its files did not include those Jews who have no connection with the communities. If these Jews are included, it would bring the total Jewish population to approximately 70,000. The Jewish community of Rumania is an aging one; 25.51% of all Jews in Rumania belong to the age category 41–60 and 46.2% to the age category 60–80. The majority of the Jews of Rumania are professionals.

The institutions of the community, both local and central, have continued to function. The Federation of Jewish Communities, on which all the communities throughout Rumania are represented, is recognized by the authorities and headed by Chief Rabbi Dr. Moshe Rosen who was a member of the Rumanian Parliament. Ktav Ha'eth, a bi-weekly publication of the Federation, continued to appear in Rumanian, Hebrew, and Yiddish.

Rumania continued to be the only country within the Soviet sphere of influence whose Jewish community maintains contact with international Jewish organizations and with communities outside Rumania; close ties existed with the World Jewish Congress, the Joint Distribution Committee and others, as well as with Jewish communities throughout the world. Representatives of Rumanian Jewry participated in the conference of the European branch of the World Jewish Congress which took place in Madrid (Dec. 4–6, 1976), and a delegation of the Federation of Communities, headed by Rabbi Rosen, participated in the Synagogue Federation Conference held in Jerusalem in February 1978. The Jewish State Theater in Bucharest, which has no connection with the community, continued to produce plays in Yiddish despite the dwindling of the potential audience. Several books in Yiddish have also been published.

In an earthquake which struck Bucharest on May 4, 1977, the Choral and Malbim synagogues were damaged. During his official visit to Rumania on Aug. 1, 1977, Prime Minister Menahem Begin participated in the Sabbath services in the Choral Synagogue and addressed the large congregation.

RELIGION AND CULTURE
Synagogues throughout the country (about 150) continued to function. In addition to the Chief Rabbi, there were two other rabbis, Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Marilus in Bucharest and Dr. Ernest Neumann in Timisoara. Kosher meat was provided by ritual slaughterers who visit the various communities weekly.

In the latter part of December 1977 the Museum for the History of the Jews in Rumania was opened in Bucharest. In August 1977 the centenary of the founding of the Jewish theater in Rumania was celebrated by a gala performance at which Tevye der Milchiger by Shalom Aleichem, The Dybbuk by An-ski, and Lessing's Nathan the Wise were presented.

In September 1981 Rumania was the site of the convention of the European Rabbinical Conference, marking the first time a major Jewish gathering has been held in an East European country since World War II. The chief rabbis of England, France, Italy, and Holland were among the participants.

The 25th anniversary of the publication of Revista Cultului Mozaic was celebrated in September 1981. The state publishing house has published a bibliographical work on the Jewish press in Rumania, Yiddishe Presse in Roomenie by Wolf Tambor.

STUDIES AND NEW DISCOVERIES ON THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS OF RUMANIA

Research in the history of the Jews of Rumania has been undertaken by a group of Jewish historians. Their activities centered among the Federation of Communities' biweekly and deal especially with the role of the Jews in Rumanian history. They also conduct research in municipal archives and the Jewish archives of the Federation.

Archaeological excavations conducted in Rumania have revealed Jewish inscriptions dating from the Roman occupation of Dacia (275–101 B.C.E.), and 16 inscriptions are in honor of Deus Aeternus, and one in honor of Adonai Aeternus.

More information has been revealed on the communities of Suceava, Sulita, Adjud, and Bivolari. The historian Itic Svart-Kara from Jassy published an article on the rabbis and scholars of Moldavis, and the pinkas of the hatmakers' guild from 1797 was published. A more positive approach to the suffering of the Jews under the pro-Hitler regime is evident. A volume by Maria Arsene appeared in 1972 dealing with the Struma, the "illegal" immigrant boat, which sank or was sunk in the Black Sea in 1942. In contrast to previous policy, which was similar to that of the Soviets, who did not identify the victims as Jews but as "innocent citizens", Rumanian historians also began to study the Holocaust.

In 1970 there was published a book on the Iron Guard by Mihai Fatu and Ion Spalatelu, who quote the anti-Jewish plans of some of the anti-Semitic parties, including the Iron Guard, but they emphasize that these plans were ostensibly only directed against the Jews, whereas in fact they were directed against "democracy" and the"workers". In a book by William Marin and Gheorge Vancea, which deals with the anti-Fascist movement and its struggle in the Barat region, the authors emphasize that the anti-Semitic regime and factions blamed the Jews for all of Rumania's problems. They also enumerate all those who fought racial persecution at the time of Antonescu.

CULTURAL TIES
Most of the cultural ties between the two countries are conducted outside the framework of the Cultural Cooperation Program signed by representatives of the two countries in May 1974. On June 5, 1977 a department of Rumanian history was inaugurated in Tel Aviv University.

Several stories by Ephraim Kishon have been translated into Rumanian and a collection of them was published in December 1977 under the title In Cautarea Pasilor Pierduti ("In Search of Lost Steps").

The number of Israeli students studying in Rumania, mostly medical students, is about 300.

RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL
Political relations between Israel and Rumania were strengthened with statesmen exchanging visits, and particularly visits by Israelis. Rumania has consistently campaigned for a political settlement of the Near East conflict, for the implementation of the November 1967 Security Council resolution, and for a solution that will guarantee the territorial integrity and independence of all states in the region and lead to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied after the Six-Day War. Rumania has also underscored the need to solve the problem of the Palestinian Arabs in conformity with their national interests. The fact that the Rumanian government has adopted a policy quite different from that of the U.S.S.R. and the other East European governments and has not branded Israel as an "aggressor" has permitted Rumania and Israel to maintain normal relations.

In August 1977 Prime Minister Begin paid an official visit to Rumania. He held wide-ranging talks with his counterpart Manea Manescu, with Foreign Minister Macovescu, and held two lengthy political talks with the President of Rumania, Nicolae Caeausescu. The Begin-Caeausescu meeting played an important role in the decision of the president of Egypt to visit Jerusalem in November 1977, and Rumania was the only East European country which expressed open support for the Israeli-Egyptian peace initiative. Two unscheduled meetings were held between the Rumanian President and Moshe Dayan, Israeli foreign minister, in April 1978. Economic and trade agreements and an agreement for technical and agricultural cooperation have been signed by both countries.

The latter agreement, which was renewed in February 1977 during the visit to Israel by Rumania's Vice-Minister of Agriculture Nicolae Glavan, is designed particularly to train experts in various agriculture-related fields or to supplement their knowledge.

In 1980 Israeli exports to Rumania amounted to $35 million, while Israel imported from Rumania goods worth $48.5 million.

Source:
[N.Kr.]
www.heritagefilms.com

Ver detalles de:
* Historia: Rumania