50.000 Jews were saved

Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church was proposed as a candidate to the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize for its significant contribution to the rescue of 50 000 Bulgarian Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps during World War II. The proposal was submitted by Bulgarian MP Latchezar Toshev, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the year marking the 70th commemoration of this historical event in the Country. "The Orthodox Church of Bulgaria – states Latchezar Toshev – is the sole religious body that openly declared its position in a country that was Hitler’s ally". "It shows that people from different religions can stand in defense of others risking their own life – the member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe told Iva Mihailova, for SIR Europe – it should be viewed as an encouragement to all those tasked with decision-making powers today not to fear taking righteous positions, even if they are exposed to the risk of having to pay heavy dues".The support of the Jewish Community. The proposal enjoys the support of the Country’s Jewish Community. "The Bulgarian Orthodox Church – claims the president of the Jewish Community in Bulgaria, Robert Djerassi – had a primary role in saving the Jews, especially its religious leaders, notably the Apostolic Exharch Stefan and Metropolitan Plovdiv Kiril". "Bishop Kiril was in the school where the Jews had been hidden – continues Djerassi -. He threatened to lie down on the railroad tracks to stop their deportation".The history. On March 9 1943, 8thousand Bulgarian Jews were arrested. The decision taken by the leaders of the Commission for the Question of the Jews envisaged the deportation to Nazi concentration camps in Poland, a first step followed by the deportation from Bulgarian of other 35 thousand Jews. "It all took place in utmost secrecy, unbeknown to Parliament and to most members of government, who although an ally of Nazi Germany, until then had been hesitant when it came to supporting measures against the Jews", underlines the history scholar on Bulgarian Public Archives Ivanka Gezenko, highlighting the role played by the Vice-President of the Bulgarian Parliament Dimiter Pescev. "Alarmed by his Jewish friends Pescev drew up a statement that forbade deportation orders, signed by 43 MPs". Cornered by popular dissent, king Boris III wired his order to stop deportations, while the Jews who had already been brought to the trains, were told to return to their homes.A scarcely known episode. "For many years this historical episode was not known by the rest of the world – Djerassi said – we are informed of the rescuing of Danish Jews, but what happened in Bulgaria is unique". "I started the nomination process to gain greater worldwide recognition for the Orthodox Church’s role in helping to save Jews from deportation to Nazi concentration camps", explained the member of the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Latchezar Toshev. "The act of defense of the Jews involved the entire population and it implied concrete measures", said Djerassi. "In those difficult years Bulgarians were the sole European people that opposed the extermination of the Jews", he added. His words are confirmed by a statement released by the German Ambassador Bekerle in 1943: "The Bulgarian society doesn’t understand the meaning of the fight on the Jews and also fails to grasp the true nature of the racial question". "These intentionally harsh words, which at the time were aimed at casting a dark shadow over the Bulgarian people – Toshev said – now sound as a compliment for the tolerance of the Bulgarian nation, that viewed ethnical differences as normal". "Orthodox leaders were not intimidated by Fascist ideology – Djerassi added -. They have shown that tolerance and love for our neighbor are much stronger than antagonism, hatred and xenophobia". "The courage of Orthodox prelates should serve as an example also in contemporary society. The question on how to live together in 21st century Europe, as titled in one of the campaigns of the Council of Europe, is paramount", Toshev said.