[Cz-L] re: Correct number of people saved by Traian Popovici

10-3-08,

Dear Miriam, Hardy and CZ List members,

I absolutely agree with Hardy Breier. The purpose of the plaque is to honor Mr. Popovichi's efforts, not necessarily the numerical results of those efforts.

If I remember correctly, the plaque was originally to read in part "while Mayor of Czernowitz.." Mr. Popvichi was Mayor of Czernowitz in 1941. Mr. Popovichi had no control over what would later happen. As Hardy so correctly stated, Popovici did not issue life assurances (insurances). Again, that was beyond his control. Suppose if you will, that all of the 19,600 Jews had later been deported and summarily exterminated. Would that in any way diminish the quality of his effort to save Jews?

Will reducing the number of Jews that Popovichi attempted to save make the City Committee happy? Would they be happy if Zero Jews had been saved? I would hope that the answer to these two questions is no. But if we believe that the answer to both is yes, then we are once again placating the City committee members in order to get the plaque approved by the City and thus shame on them and shame on us for compromising our principles yet again. Isn't the elimination of both the word "Mayor" (in favor of "Leader") and of the Rumanian text, if both should come to pass, enough?

Gary Rogovin


-------------- Original message from "HARDY BREIER" <HARDY3_at_BEZEQINT.NET>: --------------


> Mimi.
> In 1941 Popovici saved 19600 Jews.
> In 1942 after Popovici was dismissed , 2600 of those were rounded
> up and deported.
> This does not change the number he saved by one single soul.
> Popovici did not issue life insurances - he issued stay permits.
> The plaque is to state his deeds of 1941 .
> Even if all Jews were later deported ,his credit stays unchanged.
> I strongly oppose any change of this number .
> Hardy
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Miriam Taylor"
> To: "Czernowitz Genealogy and History"
> Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 7:35 PM
> Subject: [Cz-L] Correct number of people saved by Traian Popovici
>
>
> > In deciding what number to inscribe on the memorial plaque
> > to Traian Popovici, it seems that I was in error.
> >
> > Mr. Popovici TRIED TO SAVE 19600 Jewish people. Had it been up to him,
> > he would not allowed a single Cernauti Jew, to be deported.
> > It was thanks to his efforts that governor Calotescu signed 15000
> > authorizations, which exempted their holders from being deported.
> > Mr. Popovici signed another 4600 authorizations, which bore his signature.
> > In June 1942, Traian Popovici was relieved from his post as mayor and the
> > deportations resumed. Of the 4600 people holding Popovici authorizations,
> > a further 2600 were deported. Therefore the correct number of people which
> > Popovici succeeded in saving is 17 000.
> >
> > On the advice and strong recommendation of Dr. Radu Ioanid, of the
> > US Holocaust Museum and author of the book: "The Holocaust in Romania"
> > and after giving the matter a lot of thought, I have written to the
> > designer
> > to alter the inscriptions on the design for the plaque, also to Dr.
> > Bursuc,
> > who is submitting the design for approval to the appropriate committee.
> >
> > Mimi
>
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Received on 2008-10-04 00:51:12