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Romania: The Plight of Romanian Jews

(1994-1995)

A series of State Department cables describe the deteriorating condition of the Romanian Jewish community as well as efforts to gain restitution for Jews' whose properties were seized during World War II. The Jewish community, which numbered approximately 800,000 before the war declined by the mid-90s to 15,000. One cable summarized the situation:

Romania’s Jews once a large and prosperous minority have dwindled to a few thousand and seem to have no hope, or intention of reestablishing a major Jewish presence. Virtually everyone who wanted to has already emigrated, mostly to Israel, and the few who remain are cared for in large part with assistance from the U.S. and Israel. A rich heritage seems sure to become a part of history, with strangely few regrets from anyone involved.

Click here to read the cables.


Source: U.S. State Department