Page 14 of The Righteous
Julia and Theresa were given a stack of papers labeled Hungary/Transylvania and directed to a small meeting room.
Many of the papers were handwritten, sometimes in Hungarian, sometimes in German, and some appeared to be intraoffice notes in English.
Theresa was a big help. Aside from her fluency in Hungarian and English, she had studied German in high school.
She’d also brought a Hungarian dictionary.
They decided to organize the documents by subject matter: government, communications with Germany, military, immigration, human relations, and those documents specifically concerning Jewish matters.
Many were hard to read or even harder to understand.
The great majority concerned complaints to the State Department that the allotment of visas for Hungary was insufficient or that the limited number of permissions to enter the US was unfair.
“They’re right,” Theresa said. “Hungary has a population of about nine million people, ten percent of whom are Jewish, and the State Department limits the visa quota to 869 per year.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” said Julia.
“I dealt with those complaints for five years in Amsterdam. It’s in the hands of Congress, and they’re not about to change the quotas.
Some things never change. But let me ask you about something different.
I’ve seen documents that mention the Nyilaskeresztes Párt and its leader, Ferenc Szálasi.
They’re scary. What do you know about them? ”
Theresa shook her head. “Nothing. Nyilaskeresztes Párt means the ‘Arrow Cross Party.’ I’m not familiar with them.
From what I can piece together,” she said, holding up a few pieces of paper, “it’s a new political party in Hungary, started in 1937.
Their literature is anti-capitalist, anti-Communist, and definitely antisemitic.
They are critical of Miklós Horthy in a nasty way, but they are not critical of Germany or the Nazis.
In fact, they quote Hitler and his goals. ”
Julia shrugged. “Probably just some fringe outfit.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. This paper claims that they received twenty-five percent of the 1939 Hungarian national vote.
If they did, it was four years ago,” Theresa said.
“If Horthy is still in power today and holding his own, this Arrow Cross gang hasn’t made much inroad. Hungary is still free from Nazi rule.”
As five PM approached, Julia and Theresa gathered up their papers and headed to the conference room.
“If they ask us what new things we have learned, it hasn’t been much,” Theresa said.
“Nothing new except for the Arrow Cross bunch. We didn’t see anything about unrest in Budapest. There isn’t anything we’ve read concerning mass arrests, or deportations, or anything like that.
Everything seems stable. I have been looking for signs of danger, but Budapest seems relatively predictable for the Jewish community. ”
When the WRB group reassembled in the third-floor conference room, John Pehle stood at the front with a good-looking man who nodded and smiled at the members as they passed.
Many stopped on their way in to say hello.
He appeared to be about forty and was well dressed, with thick, curly hair, dark eyebrows, and an engaging Hollywood smile.
Theresa elbowed Julia. “Watch yourself,” she said. “This man could be trouble.”
“I like that kind of trouble,” Julia answered. Then it was their turn to stop and say hello to John and his guest.
“Allow me to introduce Ira Hirschmann,” John said to the two of them. “He is a most interesting man, as you will soon learn. Ira, this is Theresa Weissbach and Julia Powers. Miss Weissbach is Hungarian and a history professor at the University of Michigan.”
Hirschman held out his hand to greet her. “Very impressive,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Theresa said.”My friend Julia is also from Michigan. She just finished serving the State Department in the Netherlands and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.”
Ira shook her hand. “Congratulations,” he said. “I’m pleased to meet you as well.”
John added, “Theresa’s family is quite prominent in Budapest, and she hasn’t heard from them in a long time. She is most concerned about their welfare. They’re Jewish.”
Ira nodded. “Of course, I understand. I was in Budapest recently,” he said.
“I don’t know a family named Weissbach, but things seemed relatively calm for the Jewish community in Budapest. I wouldn’t say safe , because no place is safe for Jews in Europe, but to my knowledge, no displacements or mass arrests are taking place.
Of all the countries surrounding Germany, Jews seem the securest in Hungary.
That’s why Jewish refugees from surrounding countries are migrating to Hungary if they get the chance.
Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine all have refugees fleeing to Hungary. ”
“If I may ask,” Theresa said, “those refugees that are traveling into Hungary, how do they do it? You were there recently. How did you travel safely in that area? How does someone who wants to travel into Hungary, let’s say for a visit and return home, go about doing that?
I desperately want to see my parents. It’s been a long time, and I’m worried about them. How could I do that safely?”
Ira grimaced. “Safely? That’s a hard question. For someone in your particular position, a Jewish person, I would strongly recommend against it. It’s far too dangerous.”
“But you can come and go without risking your life. You’ve done it.”
“I have, that’s true, but it’s a long story. Maybe someday we’ll talk about it.”
Then the line moved up, and John and Ira greeted the next group. Theresa and Julia took their seats.
“That was pretty personal,” Julia said.
“I’m desperate. I’m sorry if I was rude, but I need to get back to my family.
Don’t you remember when John announced that he would introduce us to a talented and influential person who has the means of assisting the WRB in rescue efforts?
If that is Ira, and if he can travel to and from Hungary, maybe I can too. I’m talented and influential. Sort of.”
Julia rolled her eyes. “Talented, yes. Influential, in what way? Are you a diplomat? You’re being foolish.”
“I am not. If Ira is only the first of several, maybe the next one could tell me. The WRB may bring in someone who does have an answer, and I will keep asking until I get one. Maybe I can go to Budapest with Ira when he returns?”
John tapped on the podium, cleared his throat, and said, “Welcome back, everyone. I think you all know Josiah DuBois and Randolph Paul, two of the men who helped us form the WRB,” and he motioned to them sitting in the first row.
“It is my honor to introduce you all now to our very special guest, Ira Hirschmann. Mr. Hirschmann is the board’s first overseas representative. The first of several, we hope.”
Theresa elbowed Julia. “See? The first of several.”
John continued his announcement. “Mr. Hirschmann is going to Ankara, Turkey, where he will be stationed.”
With that statement, Theresa put her hand on her forehead and exhaled. “Ankara. Just my luck,” she said.
John continued, “Mr. Hirschmann will develop WRB programs for the rescue, transportation, maintenance, and relief of Jews and other persecuted minorities in Europe. Turkey is a neutral country, and its citizens are not under control of the Third Reich. Ira has been working to use Turkey as a gateway to British-occupied Palestine. To the extent possible, and providing they can escape into Turkey, Jewish refugees will be sent south from Ankara to Palestine.”
Everyone clapped. Ira smiled and nodded.
“Ira has considerable experience in Western and Central Europe,” John continued.
“In 1938, he attended the Evian Conference as an observer for the United States government. Later, he went to Austria, where he helped several hundred refugees leave the country. Many of you may know Ira from his many other successful endeavors. He was a vice president of Saks Fifth Avenue and a marketing director for Bloomingdale’s.
He is a lover of classical music. Ira started experimental television and an FM radio station.
That FM station became New York’s WABF, which broadcasts live classical-music concerts.
Finally, Ira is a political associate of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.
“Last year, Jewish rescue organizations asked Ira to check out the possibility of bringing Jews from Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary to safety in Palestine via Turkey. As I mentioned, Ira is leaving this week for Ankara on behalf of the War Refugee Board. He and the American ambassador to Turkey have managed to convince the Turkish authorities to allow refugees to land in Turkey. They promised to ensure better living conditions for thousands of Jewish refugees who manage to make their way to Turkey from war-torn Europe.”
John smiled, stepped to the side, and held out his arm in Ira’s direction. “Ira Hirschmann, everyone,” John said, and clapped. “Let’s hear it for WRB’s man in Turkey!”
John’s introduction was met with a standing ovation. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres were served by uniformed waiters. While people mingled, Teddy walked over and joined Julia and Theresa.
“Oh, you came at the right time,” Julia said. “Drinks are served.”
“I’ve been here for a while,” Teddy responded.
“I had a nice chat with Ira. He is a remarkable man. You have to ask yourself why a wealthy, comfortable man would put his life on the line, halfway around the world, to save Jewish families in Europe from being slaughtered by the Nazis. He could be killed as well.”
“If you have to ask that question, you wouldn’t understand the answer,” Julia said. “It’s because he can.”
“Did you happen to speak to Ira about Hungary?” Theresa asked. “When I asked him about the Hungarian Jewish community, he told me that it was ‘calm,’ but then he added, ‘I wouldn’t say safe.’ What does that tell you?”
“I’m not sure,” Teddy answered. “It sounds like he’s telling you that Hitler is unpredictable, but we all know that.
Ira told me that the majority of Hungarian Jews hear reports from refugees, but they discount them because nothing major is happening in Hungary.
They predict that such horrors will never happen in Hungary. They have faith in Horthy.”
“That’s foolish,” Julia said. “Who is going to stop Germany from crossing the Hungarian border if Hitler wants to? The Nazi hatred of Jews is a sickness. It starts at the top and flows right down to the SS squadron leaders. I witnessed it. I saw it in their eyes. I watched them take little children and load them onto trains without a second thought, knowing they would be murdered upon arrival. The Nazis expressed no emotion whatsoever.”
Teddy nodded and said, “I saw it too, but Ira said the Hungarians are confident in Horthy. He’s kept the Nazis away so far.”