Page 33 of The Righteous
JULIA AND THERESA awakened early and decided to take a walk.
The March air was brisk. On their way, they passed two different groups of German soldiers marching down the sidewalk in formation, their boots hitting the sidewalk like a single pile driver.
The girls had to jump to the side to get out of their way, which made the soldiers laugh.
It was jump or be steamrolled. For the soldiers, it was the morning’s amusement.
“I guess we weren’t showing the proper deference,” Theresa said.
Julia agreed. “Is your father coming to the meeting this morning?” she asked.
“He is, and he’s bringing two other men, Rabbi Levy and a board member who is reputedly ‘very old, very wise, and very cranky.’ So says my father. Apparently, he is the synagogue’s resident conscience. His name is Solomon, naturally.”
Julia and Theresa were the first to arrive in room 217, even before Carl.
Soon, Benjamin walked into the meeting, accompanied by Rabbi Levy and a much older man with a snow-white beard.
“This is Solomon Cushman,” the rabbi said.
“He is a very learned man and very well respected. He is the synagogue’s historian, a walking library of the Jewish Empire in this area, going back to the Roman legions. ”
“The Roman legions?” Theresa said. “That would be almost two thousand years ago.”
The rabbi nodded. “This area, all of Central Europe, was at one time part of the Holy Roman Empire.”
“And afterward, it became the Habsburg Empire,” Theresa said, “but I never heard of the Jewish Empire.”
That comment brought a smile to Solomon’s lips. “In comparison to the other religious sects, we were small, but we were mighty. At one time, our Jewish Empire topped twelve million.”
The rabbi hung his head. “As you know, as a people, we have recently suffered devastating losses. Hungary, with its nine hundred thousand, is the last bastion on the continent.”
There was a knock on the door, and Carl Lutz arrived.
“I’m afraid I have very disturbing news—” Carl began.
Rabbi Levy interrupted. “Is it about the groups of German soldiers? We think they were sent here in the chance that Hitler and Horthy could not come to an agreement. But now we understand that Regent Horthy is returning home to Budapest today, so maybe that fear was unfounded. Maybe Hitler and Horthy have made peace and the German soldiers will turn around and march right back to Germany. Those of us at the synagogue expect the situation to stabilize, and things to return to just as they were before Horthy left. Isn’t that your thinking as well, Mr. Lutz? ”
“Will you please let Mr. Lutz finish telling us his news?” said Benjamin.
“As I mentioned, I have received some news that couldn’t be more disturbing,” Carl said.
“An unidentified German officer arrived in Budapest this morning. He was accompanied by his staff and five hundred members of the SS, including Nazi intelligence and police divisions, the SD and the SiPo. They have taken up residence in the German compound. I’m afraid they are not just soldiers passing through.
They are high ranking and far more dangerous.
I recommend that you all think about your security here in Budapest.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” said the rabbi. “I always think about my security. Just because some officer brings in five hundred more Germans doesn’t change anything, does it?”
“Oh yes, it does,” said Julia in a shaky voice.
“Don’t you see what they are planning to do?
They are bringing in sufficient Nazi soldiers and SS, enough to turn Hungary into another conquered state, like the Netherlands.
If they are following their pattern, they are going to set up machinery to round up Jews, wherever they are, and send them to their death in German prison camps.
I have seen the death marches. Something must be done and quickly! ”
“Settle down. We don’t know that for certain,” Rabbi Levy said.
“Nothing has been done here yet. The wrong thing for us to do is to run like a pack of scared dogs. The Jews are powerful here in Budapest. As Solomon told you, the history of the Jewish people reaches back to the Holy Roman Empire. We are a respected and solid minority. Besides, nine hundred thousand is a lot more than five hundred.”
“Oh, you want to go to war? Then you haven’t been listening, because Hungary is surrounded by a million Axis troops standing on our borders,” Julia countered with a degree of annoyance. “And these five hundred are troops, soldiers, not housewives and children and businessmen.”
Carl held up his hand. “I think it might matter who this individual German officer is,” he said. “I have asked Paul to find out. He should be reporting to me soon.”
Solomon shook his head. “Unless it’s Hitler himself, it doesn’t matter to me.
I’m not going to take my family and run because some officer shows up with five hundred soldiers.
You people speak from fright, from panic.
What do you propose we do? Shall I go to Chaim Sternhauf, the butcher, tell him to close his store and take his wife and children and everything he owns and pile into his jalopy and leave Budapest?
And what about those who don’t have a car?
Do they take their horse and wagon? If I did go to him, Chaim would simply look out onto the streets and see business as usual, and he would think his rabbi is a frightened child.
And where would Chaim go anyway? Romania?
Slovakia? Austria? Like you just said, Hungary is presently surrounded by Axis armies standing on the border.
But even with all those armies, nothing has changed, has it?
Germany is taking a beating in Russia, and it can’t afford to lose any of its Axis soldiers, which include a few hundred thousand Budapest men.
Believe me, nothing is going to change.”
Benjamin felt it was time to take a stand. “Rabbi, I know you are a proud man, but you are not opening your eyes. Things are not the same. We are overrun. We wouldn’t be running like scared dogs, we would be evaluating the facts and making preparations.”
There was a knock on the door, and Lutz’s secretary poked her head in. “Mr. Lutz, there is a phone call for you.”
Lutz left the room.
“Do you suppose it’s about the mysterious Nazi officer?” Julia said.
“It doesn’t matter,” the rabbi said, standing up. “I’m going back to the synagogue. Come on, Solomon, let’s go.”
They started to leave, but Carl returned and closed the door behind him. He sadly shook his head. “This is indeed bad news. The man of mystery who came into town with the German contingent is none other than Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann.”
“Oh no!” exclaimed Julia. Her face was flushed. “I know about him. Eichmann is called ‘the Angel of Death.’”
Solomon shook his head. “Ach, he is no angel; he is nothing but a man. A corrupt, evil man. The concept of a wicked angel of death is not even taught in the Bible.”
“Oh, then he is the Demon of Death,” Julia said, standing firm.
“Actually, his title is the ‘grand inquisitor of the Jews of Europe.’ When I was in Amsterdam, Eichmann was brought there to organize the arrest, concentration, and deportation of the Dutch Jews. Deportation to Westerbork and then to German death camps. Think of it—all those Dutch families who never hurt a soul, and Eichmann didn’t give a damn.
” She paused. “And the children—so many children.” Julia broke into tears and turned away.
Solomon shook his head slowly. “I don’t know Eichmann.
To me, he’s just another German. But I do know that my family and their parents and grandparents have been in these hills since the third century.
No one has been able to force us out, and no one ever will.
But if you’re right, then whatever happens will happen.
And maybe they will bury me with my forefathers. Either way, I am not leaving.”
Julia looked at the rabbi. “And what about your family? Are you going to stay and subject your children and your grandchildren to that danger? Are you going to leave it to Hitler or Eichmann or Seyss-Inquart to march you all into boxcars and ship you to concentration camps? Does it make sense to leave your family and the fate of the Jewish community to the will of the Nazi killers?”
Now Solomon snarled and stuck out his chest. “My family? My family? You dare to speak to me about the safety of my family? Don’t you worry about my family. I can take care of my family.”
“Good! That is what I want to hear,” Julia said. “Now go home and pack your bags.”
Carl stood up and raised his hands. “All right, all right, that’s enough.
Let’s settle down. Solomon has a point; his community has been here for a thousand years, and they have a vested interest in the land.
While we don’t know anything for certain, it is a very bad sign that Eichmann has arrived with a large contingent—of that there is no doubt.
I have heard of Eichmann, but I confess, I don’t know why he was sent here at this time. Neither do my sources.”
The rabbi shook his head. “Creating a panic by telling people to drop everything and flee Hungary at this time is not the answer. Solomon has just told you that Jews have been living and working in Hungary since the Roman times. It is their land too. Maybe there is a way to negotiate a solution. Maybe through the leader of some other country. Does Hitler really want to come into one of his Axis partners and kill a million of its citizens, especially those productive ones that are part of the country’s economic foundation? There’s got to be another way.”
“Rabbi has a point,” Carl said. “We have to know more about this and how to approach the situation. Panic is rarely the answer, and maybe there is no single answer. Maybe there are multiple answers. Let’s put our collective brains to work and exchange information at least once a day.”
With that, Carl stood to leave, and everyone else followed. Out in the hallway, Carl pulled Julia aside. “Julia, you are in contact with John Pehle from time to time, are you not?”
“Every day.”
“It’s time to confer with the WRB,” he said quietly.
“An influx of German soldiers, the absence of Regent Horthy, and the addition of Adolf Eichmann are a bad combination. To me, these are signs that tyranny is sitting on the doorstep. Let’s find out what John thinks.
He may know more about Eichmann and why he was sent here.
If indeed it smacks of racial persecution and deportation, what does John think the War Refugee Board can do?
After all, isn’t that why it was created?
To help refugees? And let’s face it—we may soon have a country full of refugees. ”
Julia looked at her watch. It was noon, which meant it was six AM in Washington. Pehle wouldn’t be awake yet, but she could send a cablegram to him that he would read when he got to the office. Maybe the WRB had information about Eichmann and why he had come to Budapest.