Clarifying 70 Years of Whitewashing and ... - Shelomo Alfassa
Clarifying 70 Years of Whitewashing and ... - Shelomo Alfassa
Clarifying 70 Years of Whitewashing and ... - Shelomo Alfassa
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partnership with the Nazis. 11 The Bulgarian government was the perpetrator in the deportation <strong>and</strong><br />
extermination <strong>of</strong> 98% percent <strong>of</strong> Macedonia’s Jews. All <strong>of</strong> the families were destroyed, all <strong>of</strong> their<br />
possessions were confiscated, <strong>and</strong> their unique living Spanish Sephardic culture was made extinct.<br />
The Bulgarian government continues to whitewash its responsibility in these tragedies, as it annually<br />
celebrates saving 50,000 Jews while selectively overlooking the 13,000 lost souls it helped put to death. 12<br />
When Bulgaria is spoken about in the media in relation to the Holocaust, it is almost criminal to report<br />
that the Bulgarians ‘saved 50,000’ Jews, while just a few miles over their border in their proud ‘New’<br />
Bulgaria—territory they claimed was their ancient homel<strong>and</strong>, they themselves were conspirators in the<br />
torture, physical <strong>and</strong> emotional persecution, <strong>and</strong> eventual murder <strong>of</strong> over 13,000 defenseless Jewish men,<br />
women, <strong>and</strong> children.<br />
Fig. 1. Map <strong>of</strong> Bulgaria during World War II.<br />
11 For a report on political conditions in Bulgaria <strong>and</strong> information that Nazi youth organizations persecuted the Jews, see: NARA.<br />
Interallied <strong>and</strong> Interservice Military Agencies Records - Records <strong>of</strong> the Office <strong>of</strong> Strategic Services (RG 226); Records <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Research <strong>and</strong> Analysis Branch, file #44324.<br />
12 The U.S. National Archives <strong>and</strong> Records Administration states: “It is estimated that some 14,000 Bulgarian Jews <strong>of</strong> an<br />
estimated 64,000 pre-Final Solution population were exterminated.” (State Department <strong>and</strong> Foreign Affairs Records, Records <strong>of</strong><br />
the Foreign Service Posts <strong>of</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> State (RG 84) “Bulgaria”)<br />
Judaic Studies Academic Paper Series / Library <strong>of</strong> Congress ISSN No. 2156-0390 © <strong>Shelomo</strong> <strong>Alfassa</strong> (shelomo@alfassa.com)