Imposed endorsement of the communist regime signed by the Admor of Skulen Bucharest, Romania. 1954
The lives and circumstances of Jews in post-Holocaust Communist Romania were dire, yet the great Rabbanim and Chassidic Rebbes dwelling in the country continued upholding Torah and practicing their religion with indescribable faith and self-sacrifice.
The local Communist regime presented a false front of democracy and freedom of religion to the international community. One of their methods was to ‘urge ‘ Jewish leaders to create public support for the government as this present document. despite the fact that it in no way reflected the true state of affairs in their country nor the constant threat and fear that Romanian Jews faced on a daily basis.
The first signature on this document is that of the Romanian Chief Rabbi Dovid Moshe Rosen. Its followed by the signature of the Admor of Skulen, Harav Eliezer Zusia Portugal and twenty other Rabbanim. His signature on this letter was another means of the communist regime of presenting a façade of equality and democracy to Western society.
The Skulener Rebbe – Harav Eliezer Zusia Portugal (1898-1982) was a distinguished Torah luminary, well-versed in Shas and halachah. He was closely affiliated with the Ruzhiner Rebbes and served as Rav in Skulen. He founded his Beis Medrash in Chernowitz and endeavored greatly on behalf of Romanian Jewry under the watching eyes of Communist regime. His poor home was open to all, and he took from his own mouth to feed destitute children , raised them as is own and married them off to good families.
In 1959, Harav Eliezer Zusia was arrested and accused by Romania’s communist government of spying for Israel and the United States. He was subsequently imprisoned and brutally treated .
In 1960, he emigrated from Romania to the United States where he founded the legendary Chesed L’Avraham Institutions, which were dedicated to the rescue of Jewish refugee children from Romania, Transylvania, Bukovina, and Marmarush.
During that fateful conference when Romanian Rabbanim were forced to sign this document, they were also ordered to speak publicly on behalf of the regime. The Admor of Skulen adamantly refused to participate in the farce and instead, composed and sang his famous melody Yivada Bagoyim, hinting the grave condition of the Romanian Jewry .
Bucharest, 1954. 3 typewritten leaves with original autograph of Skulener Rebbe and other Romanian Rabbanim.
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