21 - The Mid-1990s

The death of Rabbi Moses Rosen in May 1994 significantly affected the remaining Jews of Romania. The passing at age 83 of the man who for over 40 years had served as chief rabbi and head of the federation of Romanian Jewish communities signified the end of an era which included the collapse of the Communist regime in the country.

NEW CHIEF RABBI
The feeling of stagnation which followed the death of the Rabbi Rosen prompted the representatives in Romania of the AJDC, which essentially administers to Jewish life there, to find a new chief rabbi quickly. Among the five candidates, all from Israel, they chose in May 1995 the Romanian-born professor Yehezkel Marek, a lecturer in literature at Bar-Ilan University who had never served in the rabbinate, by a vote of 52 votes by members of the Jewish Federation to 4 votes given to others. Rabbi Dr. Marek, whose rabbinic education was gained at the Harry Fischel Institute in Jerusalem, energetically assumed the role of chief rabbi and as the High Holidays approached in his first year in office visited the Jewish communities of Moldova and Transylvania, lecturing daily in two different communities and calling for closer connections with the synagogue and closing his speech with the blowing of the shofar. Rabbi Marek also turned to the Israel Ministry of Religious Affairs asking for individuals to assist with Jewish education—which is non-existent—and also train adults to function as gabbaim, to conduct prayer services, chant the weekly Torah portion, and so on.

COMMUNITY LIFE
Rabbi Rosen’s death also put an end to the concentrated centrality of the Federation of communities and allowed for greater freedom to the individual communities. The Federation was no longer headed by the rabbi but by Prof. Nicolae Cajal; Theodor Blumenfeld was the secretary general, and Julian Sorin, the vice secretary general and prime mover who together with the Joint representative, Dr. Tsvi Feiner, are trying to fill the gap left by the rabbi’s demise. The head of the Bucharest community, the largest in Romania, was Osias Lazar, and the Israel Alex Mivan was in charge of economic affairs (estates) for the Federation.

One of the most difficult issues is the number of Jews remaining in Romania. In 1995 it became known in Israel that the Jewish Agency had been asked—and refused—to bring 3,000 elderly Romanian Jews, those living in Jewish old age homes, to Israel. At the same time it was noted that besides those older people, there were still some 4,000 Jews in the country. A census taken after the fall of Ceasescu indicated that 9,000 remained, while the Federation and Joint speak of 14,000. It seems that 7,000–9,000 Jews live in Bucharest and that the countrywide total is about 12,000, most of them members of mixed marriages. A few dozen requests for conversion are received every year, but Rabbi Marek's reply has been that he“does not do conversions as yet.” Even though the total number of Jews is small, emigration to Israel continues.

ANTI-SEMITISM AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
Despite the declining number of Jews the communities run smoothly and without assistance from the Federation, whose central place has been taken under the prevailing circumstances by the Joint. In addition to the Bucharest community, there are organized communities in the Transylvania region in— Cluj, Oradea, Arad, Timisoara—and in eastern Romania in Piatre-Neamt, Botosani, Jassy, Braila, Galati, Constanta, Ploesti, Brasov, Sighet, Satu-Mare, and a number of small communities. Ten kasher canteens are still operated by the communities and kasher meat is provided by three ritual slaughterers.

The community biweekly was recently revamped and changed its names to Jewish Existence. Yiddish is no longer used, and the papers now appears in Romanian, English, and one page in Hebrew, for a total of 12 pages presenting information on the Jewish world with emphasis on Jewish culture and many quotations from Israel newspapers translated into Romanian. The editor is Doral Dorian, while the veteran editor, Hayyim Riemer, who emigrated to Israel some years ago and then returned to Romania as an emissary of the Joint, was appointed “Honorary Director” and writes the Hebrew page.

In recent years anti-Semitism in Romania has been on a back burner, mainly in intellectual circles and is not accompanied by violent acts. Its most prominent spokesman is Todor Wadim, editor of the daily newspaper Romania Mare. The newspaper and the political party of the same name incite against the Jews, against Israel, and also against the democratic forces in post-Ceasescu Romania. Horia Iliescu tries to block any rising anti-Semitism, especially when considering America’s decision regarding the granting of economic concessions as a most favored nation. The Jewish community’s attitude , as expressed by Cajal, differs from that held in the past by Rabbi Rosen. Cajal does not declare a general, vocal war on anti-Semitism, but focuses on providing information to convince the Romanians of the great contribution the Jews made to the Romanian people and to the country. It may be that by the time the efficacy of this approach will be proven, there will be no Jews left in Romania.

ISRAEL-ROMANIA RELATIONS
Israel-Romania relations over the past few years have proceeded on a fairly even keel. Many Romanian laborers work in Israel, while Israeli students, particularly of medicine, study in Romania. Some 400 Romanians emigrate annually to Israel, the majority of them partners in mixed marriage.

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

Ver detalles de:
* Historia: Rumania