Photographs of Jews being persecuted under Nazi rule created an international stir in the early 1930s. Yet still German officials prevailed upon some German Jews to toe the line that “nothing was happening.”

     “Goering, too, had had his instructions. On March 26 [1933] he summoned the leaders of the Jewish organizations to his office. Clear, direct and hostile, Goering told them that they would have to inform the Jews abroad to stop spreading atrocity stories about Germany and to halt the anti-German boycott campaign. Otherwise—as one communal leader later wrote—‘otherwise pogrom [an organized massacre].’

     “The German Jews talked back. They called attention to the dangerous anti-Jewish agitation being carried on by the Nazi press, showing Goering a Nazi paper of Chemnitz, with a photograph of Jews being forced to wash streets under armed Nazi escort. They wanted to show other documents in their possession, but Goering impatiently replied that he had already punished all those guilty. (No one, of course, had been punished.) Finally, however, they had to promise, under threat, to contact Jewish organizations abroad and deny the atrocity reports. A plethora of cables, telegrams and letters were issued by each Jewish institution in Germany to every contact abroad. Typical of the messages was a telegram, March 30, 1933, from the presidium of the Berlin Gemeinde (Jewish community) to the American Jewish Committee:

     “‘According to newspaper reports, atrocity and boycott propaganda against Germany is continuing overseas, apparently in part also by Jewish organizations. As Germans and Jews we must enter a decisive protest against this. The dissemination of untrue reports can only bring harm, affecting the reputation of our German fatherland, endangering the relations of the German Jews with their fellow citizens. Please try urgently to see to it that every atrocity and boycott propaganda report is halted.’

     “(The American Jewish organizations realized that these telegrams were sent under duress.)

     “On March 28, two days after Hitler’s instructions, it was announced that a boycott of Jewish businesses was being called for April 1, by NSDAP [Nazi Party] leaders, who had organized a Central Committee for Defense Against Jewish Atrocity and Boycott Propaganda. ...”

| Previous | Glossary of Scientology Terms | Contents | Next |
| Your view on this Scientology Website | Scientology Related Sites | Bookstore | Church of Scientology Freedom Magazine |

editor@freedommag.org

© 1997-2008 Church of Scientology International. All Rights Reserved.

For Trademark Information