10.386
Amleto Cicognani, Ap Del USA to Secretariat of State
Reference:
Telegram 2445 (AES 7184/44)
Location
and date: Washington DC, 03.11.1944 @15.28 (Rec’d Rome 04.11.1944 @ 12.00)
Summary
statement: Request for papal intervention for Jews in German-occupied
territory.
Language:
Italian
Text:
Jewish
committees once again implore the Holy Father to interceded wit the clergy and
Catholic people to intervene with the governments of Germany and Slovakia, both
directly that … neutral powers, such as Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, in
order to save non-Aryans from death, particularly children, women and elderly,
in territory occupied by the Germans.
The conditions are worsening everywhere, especially in Hungary and
Slovakia, where they are interned in concentration camps in immanent threat of
deportation to Poland and extermination. (1)
Particular
assistance is required for 16,000 Jews, among them eminent rabbis, deported
from Lithuania to Germany: (2) (it) would not like all the others … they were treated
as prisoners of war or civilian internees and helped by the International Red
Cross above all with food and clothing.
The frequency of my telegrams for the Jews is occasioned by their
incessant urgent and desperate appeals.
Note
of Montini:
After
audience with His Holiness, 05.11.1944. See what you can do.
Notes:
(1)
See ADSS 10.369
(2)
See ADSS 10.235.
The
telegrams Cicognani referred to came from Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz (1891-1964)
of Brooklyn who had been in contact with the Apostolic Delegate since late
March 1943. Kalmanowitz was a major conduit of information on the situation of
Eastern European Jews.
The
following information is taken from Gershon Greenberg American Catholics During the Holocaust, on the Museum of Tolerance
website.
On
23.10.1944 Kalmanowitz cabled Cicognani:
“Respectfully
call your attention following cable received. Quote: Germans leaving Kaunas
took to Germany 16,000 Jews among them Grand Rabbis Eichmnan Wasserman and
Abraham Grodzenski implore to do all efforts to save them. Unquote. We respectfully appeal for intercession of
Vatican rescue of these persons doomed to certain death. Grateful for any information received in
matter”.
Unbeknown
to any of those involved in this correspondence Rabbi Wasserman had been
murdered on 06.1941 and Rabbi Grodzenski on 13.07.1944.
On
27.10.1944 Kalmanowitz wrote again and added that the group of 16,000
Lithuanian Jews included “the greatest Rabbis and Jewish spiritual and
religious leaders”.
Quote latest reliable report from Kaunas following Rabbis living
when Germans evacuated city stop were taken by them to unknown destination.
Rabbis Abraham Grodzenski [head of Slobodka Yeshivah], Shabsai Wernikowski [Mashgiach
of Lomza Yeshivah], Zalman Permut (1890-1943) [leader of Kovno Kollel], Moshe
Skaruto [of Slobodka], David Perlman [of Aleksot], Shmuel Aba. Snieg [rabbi
with Lithuania's military], Shimon Dubiansky [head of Kaidan Yeshivah], Mordche
Shliapoberski, Benjamin Asinsky. Chief Rabbi Cabled Union Orthodox Rabbis do
everything discover whereabouts for rescue. Rest not Unquote ...
The shadow is
fast falling and we must again appeal to you, as we have appealed to you
before, to urge the intervention of the Vatican and we would respectfully
suggest the following possible steps in the rescue of these unfortunates.
1) That the
Vatican appeal to the Germans on behalf of these 16,000 persons and to urge
their treatment as civilian internees and that the Germans permit the
International Red Cross contact with these internees and the transport of food
and clothing parcels necessary to keep them alive.
2) As a
general measure, the Vatican intercede with all the neutral countries such as
Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and others, that they appeal in name of
humanity and civilization to the Germans to cease the willful and merciless
destruction of the Jews in all the concentration camps and territories under
control of the Germans. This unified appeal at this time should be more
productive of the desired results than any appeal attempted heretofore.
We shall be
grateful for the positive action we feel most certain you will take.
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