By Lonnie Kleinman
They say those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. What they don’t say – but should – is that those who remember history and learn from it can create a better, stronger world.
Last November, I traveled to Bulgaria with co-workers from around the world for an annual staff retreat. In partnership with JDC Entwine, Moishe House staff met in Sophia for five days of learning, growth, and exploration. Preparing for the trip, I expected to join my co-workers for five days of fun and bonding. What I didn’t expect was to learn a new story of resistance and solidarity – one that saved the lives of thousands of Jews.
The story of the Jewish community of Bulgaria is one that dates back as far as the second century CE. Jews continued to settle in Bulgaria over the years and in 1920, there were approximately 16,000 Jews living in the country. By 1934, the Jewish community grew to 49,000 people, with more than half living in Sophia. While this community was relatively small compared to that of other European countries during the same time, the Jews of Bulgaria had a distinct culture and presence in wider society.
This was apparent walking into the main synagogue in Sophia where I was immediately in awe of the glorious structure and decor. The halls of the shul filled with laughter and noise as Moishe House staff members settled in to hear the story of Bulgaria’s Jews.
The story of Bulgarian Jews begins similar to that of most Eastern European Jews during WWII, but has a vastly different ending. Beginning in July 1940, Bulgarian authorities instituted anti-Jewish legislation that excluded Jews from public service, restricted their choice of places of residence, and limited their participation in many occupations. In 1941, Bulgaria fell to German demands and entered into a military alliance with the Axis Powers. In 1942, Germany demanded that Bulgaria release all the Jews living in Bulgarian territory into German custody. Bulgaria agreed and began preparing for the deportation of Jews. Simultaneously, a law was passed that prohibited Jews from voting, running for office, working in government positions, serving in the army, using Bulgarian names or owning rural land. Radios and telephones owned by Jews were confiscated, and Jews were forced to pay a one-time tax of 20 percent of their net worth. The law also set quotas that limited the number of Bulgarian Jews allowed in Universities. The law was protested by Jewish leaders, as well as some professional organizations, a group of outspoken writers and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which was a tremendously influence organization in Bulgarian society.
Events across Europe continued to escalate and in March of 1943, the majority of non-Bulgarian Jews living in the German-occupied and Bulgarian-administered territories of Greek Thrace and Macedonia (13,341 people in total) were remanded into German custody and deported to Treblinka. News of these deportations soon incited mass protest in Bulgaria among members of political opposition, politicians, clergy and intellectuals. When deportations within the borders of Bulgaria were initially set to continue, the deputy speaker of parliament persuaded Tsar Boris, the head of the Bulgarian monarchy, to delay. The speaker was soon pushed to resign and further protests erupted. Citizens too to the street. Public protest, combined with the intervention of the Metropolitan of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, caused Tsar Boris to cancel the deportations once again in May 1943.
Bulgaria’s nearly 50,000 Jews were saved the fate that befell millions of others. Their neighbors and elected officials refused to stay silent, even under German occupation. Leaders spoke out against hateful legislation and refused to allow the physical removal of citizens.
As I sat in the shul in Sophia, listening to this story, I wondered what our world would look like today if more countries cried out in protest as the Jewish citizens were physically deported from their neighborhoods. Furthermore, what do we, as Americans, do today when we see something injustice, both on a small and large scale in our communities?
What if we were to look to our history as a way of relating to oppressed people, not a way of holding onto our separateness and uniqueness? Our vast history of persecution does not mean we are unique or better than in our suffering, but that we have a moral imperative to stand in solidarity with others who are oppressed. After all, those moments I am showing up and working in solidarity with others are the moments I feel most connected to the divine. I’ll leave you with the word of Charles Mantinband, a Rabbi in Hattiesburg, MS during the 1950s and 60s and an outspoken opponent of segregation. He wrote in an article in 1962 that was published by the Anti-defamation League of B’nai B’rith that,
“In order to remain in the South and be worthy of my Jewish heritage, I had two decisions to make. The first was that there could be no distinction between any of God’s children – the pigmentation of skin could be no more important than the color of eyes. The second was that I would never sit in the presence of bigotry and by my silence seem to give assent. I do not look for trouble, but when hate is evident, I must protest.”
Let us strive to never sit in the presence of bigotry and remain silent.
Lonnie Kleinman is Moishe House’s Southern Regional Director. Lonnie will be starting her journey to the Rabbinate in the fall at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
Yehudah says
February 28, 2017 at 7:12 pmI hope the author’s scholarly skills improve when she gets to rabbinical school. Much of this article is unabashedly plagiarized from “Wikipedia.” And what it includes is remarkably selective and deceptive, especially regarding the ultimate outcome of the Bulgarian Jewish “community” after WWII. I imagine 90% of the Jews left Bulgaria after the war because they felt so welcomed and protected by their neighbors, right?
Martin says
February 28, 2017 at 11:12 pmBeautifully said, Lonnie. Cheers to speaking out on behalf of a more just and compassionate world.
Shula says
March 1, 2017 at 4:54 amI agree with Yehudah. In addition to plagiarizing from the internet, the story is misrepresented. The only reason why the tzar delayed the vote to deport the Jews from Sophia was because he disliked totalitarian rule from Germany and Hitler more than he disliked the Jews, as stated in an interview by the tsar’s brother. The end result was a fortunate circumstance for the Jews of Sofia, but there wasn’t a change of heart to save a nation.
David BENJOSEPH says
March 1, 2017 at 6:56 amIt is nice to spread the story of Bulgarian Jews and the survival during the WWII.
Unfortunately, the facts are quite messed and sometimes wrong. I do not know if the false facts came from the Bulgarian speakers or were incorrectly remembered. Whoever wants to learn the story could do it at the site of The US National Holocaust Museum and watching the documentary “Empty Box Cars”.
What is wrong in this article?
1. Bulgaria was not occupied by Germany as it is mentioned in the seventh paragraph. (“Their neighbors and elected officials refused to stay silent, even under German occupation.”) Just the opposite: Bulgaria was an ally of Germany and ruled by the tsar, government, and a parliament.
2. Bulgarian tsar Boris III and his government led by prof. Bogdan Filov were passionate anti-Semites. They demanded Germany to give priority in cleaning the country from the Jews. So the text “In 1942, Germany demanded that Bulgaria release all the Jews living in Bulgarian territory into German custody.” is completely wrong.
3. Macedonia and part of Northern Greece (north of Thessaloniki) were occupied and actually annexed by Bulgaria. The deportation of more than 11000 Jews was organized and executed by the Bulgarian army and police, not the Germans. The deported were given to Germans after leaving the borders of Bulgaria. The Jewish property was stolen by the Bulgarian administration.
4. The Bulgarian authorities continued to prosecute the Jews who were not deported banning their businesses, forcedly moving the Jews out of Sofia and the big cities, confiscating their property, sending the men to slave labor camps. These policies were in place to the time of the Soviet occupation and changing the government in September 1944.
The truth is that the resistance of the society, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church led to the postponement the deportation of the Jews from the so-called “old borders of Bulgaria” and it never happened. In this way, about 50000 Jews survived. (The “old borders of Bulgaria” have to be distinguished from the “new territories” which stand for the occupied and annexed territories of Macedonia and Northern Greece.)
Unfortunately, in the last years, the Holocaust revisionism is popular among Bulgarian historians and adopted by the majority of the politicians. The leaders of the biggest Jewish organization in Bulgaria Shalom often repeat the incorrect versions of the politicians instead of fighting the Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism.