1951 Anti-German Reparations Demonstrations

from Yitzhak Heimowitz

At the urging of Norman Cohen and Steve Adler I did look at my scrapbook and discovered that the Oct.25, 1951 demonstration was only one of several opposing German reparations. On Jan 11, 1952 Betar demonstrated before the Israel Consulate General in Manhattan against the arrest of hundreds of Herut members and Betarim in Israel who were also demonstrating against the deal with Germany.

On Jan 20, 1952 thirty Betarim demonstrated at the Biltmore Hotel against another meeting of the Jewish organizations pressing for reparations. This got a lot of publicity including the NY Herald Tribune and the NY Times. The Betarim sat in the halls outside the meeting room, reading Tehillim and praying (Mincha and perhaps Maariv). The conference organizers offered the Betarim two choices: a) one or two would be admitted and permitted to address the meeting, or b) a representative would come out to address the Betarim. Otherwise, they threatened the NY Police commanded by a captain, who were waiting downstairs, would come up and break up the demonstration.

The Betarim rejected both choices and demanded they all be admitted to the meeting. Supposedly the police were sent for, but at that minute the meeting ended, the door opened and delegates began to leave. The Betarim all immediately rushed into the room, distributed their leaflets and shared it for a while, debating with the remaining delegates.

Of course I have all the material on the Apr. 1956 invasion of the Egyptian Consulate General, but that will have to wait for another time. I could spend all of my time on this and I don't have that much to spend, so drop by drop.

That 1951 Anti-German reparations Demo

Yitzhak Heimowitz writes:-

It was a Betar Demo, but the Revisionists issued a statement. Both were carried in a Yiddish newspaper and given bare mention in the NY Compass. If you want those press clippings I can send them to you. I think it was a one-time event. I don't remember any other demos on this issue.

and he sent these scanned leaflets from his scrapbook:








-----------------

Norman Cohen asks:

Any scrapbook clippings of the demonstration against President Eisenhower in Washington DC in 1956? We drove down from New York City. Any memories from the mid-1950s Manhattan?

Yitzhak Heimowitz responds:

I recall driving from New York to Washington for a demonstration. My memory is that it was against Anthony Eden at the British Embassy. DC has very strict rules against demonstrating at Embassies and all the Betarim were arrested. I negotiated with the police to get them all released in exchange for our promise to leave Washington immediately. By then two of our three cars had left and I had to take all the Betarim in my car. My recollection is that we had 11 people in the car, even though that probably sounds impossible. Next week I'll check if I have anything about this in my scrapbooks, which are in my office.

And Norman Cohen asks:

Is that the car whose axle broke?

Anti-Reparations Demo

In researching some aspects of the beginnings of the German Reparations Agreement with Israel, I came across a mention in a book, p. 28 in German Reparations and the Jewish World: A History of the Claims Conference by Ronald Zweig here it is, partially online) of a demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria on October 25, 1951 by "Revisionists" protesting the meeting (which was called to coordinate policy but also left out some important American Jewish organizations,.

Moshe Brodetzky wrote:

I was with MORTY DOLINSKY inside the hotel - in the corridor - outside the room - where the deal was being considered - and praying tehilim / mincha.

Yitzhak Heimowitz writes:

It wasn't outside, it was inside. I was one of the group of Betarim who located the room in which the conference was taking place and broke in. We demonstrated for quite a while until we left, either because we were finished or because security guards arrived. My impression was that the delegates took it without going wild, and were not surprised that Betar had found them out.