Selected text
You know about Dimitar Peshev [16] and how he contributed to the salvation of the Bulgarian Jews. Yet, he didn’t improve the situation of the Jews. That law existed and not until August 1944 all its clauses were effective. After that some of its clauses were repealed. Then the authorities with a more conformist disposition took power in Bulgaria. Witnessing how Germany was losing the war, they wanted to make it up to the Americans, English and Russians. It was then that certain clauses from the Law for the Protection of the Nation were abolished.
After 9th September 1944 the rights of Jews were regained. But after the establishment of the state of Israel, i.e. after 1948, there were some problems again. During the communist regime, if you had connections with a capitalist country, this made you a threat to the regime. Therefore, the Jews who had connections in Israel were almost entirely removed from office in the Department of the Interior, Ministry of Defense, as well as some international commercial organizations. This was one of the forms of hidden anti-Semitism. Jews weren’t allowed to hold such posts. There were Soviet councilors everywhere, carrying out this policy. There were a few diplomats or employees in the Ministry of People’s Defense [as it was actually called then] or the Ministry of Interior, but these were separate cases. Until 1948, which was the year of the establishment of the Jewish state, there were more Jewish employees in these two ministries, but after that many of them were discharged because of the above-mentioned reasons. There were Jews who visited the Embassy of Israel and were detained as a result of this. There were also several Jews in the Central Committee of the [Bulgarian Communist] Party [17]. One of them was the ideological adviser of Todor Zhivkov [18]. But as a whole Jews didn’t hold leading positions.
After 9th September 1944 the rights of Jews were regained. But after the establishment of the state of Israel, i.e. after 1948, there were some problems again. During the communist regime, if you had connections with a capitalist country, this made you a threat to the regime. Therefore, the Jews who had connections in Israel were almost entirely removed from office in the Department of the Interior, Ministry of Defense, as well as some international commercial organizations. This was one of the forms of hidden anti-Semitism. Jews weren’t allowed to hold such posts. There were Soviet councilors everywhere, carrying out this policy. There were a few diplomats or employees in the Ministry of People’s Defense [as it was actually called then] or the Ministry of Interior, but these were separate cases. Until 1948, which was the year of the establishment of the Jewish state, there were more Jewish employees in these two ministries, but after that many of them were discharged because of the above-mentioned reasons. There were Jews who visited the Embassy of Israel and were detained as a result of this. There were also several Jews in the Central Committee of the [Bulgarian Communist] Party [17]. One of them was the ideological adviser of Todor Zhivkov [18]. But as a whole Jews didn’t hold leading positions.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
Yosif Avram Levi