From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: letters from Istanbul, August 1944

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: letters sent by Melech [Najsztat?] and David Zimand at the Istanbul office to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, Switzerland, in February and August 1944. 6 pages, typewritten and handwritten original, in German Note: For secrecy, the text uses transliterated Hebrew words. The file contains: 1. A letter from Melech, addressing the "family of workers", regarding the actions of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency, budget allcoation, transportatin, agriculture, construction, security, settlement, the Jewish Brigade, service in Italy, and more. 22 February 1944. 3 pages, typewritten original, in German 2. Two letters dated 13 August 1944 and 23 August 1944 from David Zimand, regarding the rescue efforts of the Gordonia movement in Hungary, smuggling refugees out of Zaglebie (Sosnowiec in particular), immigration and the fate of several activists, including Leon Blatt. 3 pages, typewritten and handwritten original, in German About Alfred Schwarzbaum: Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was born in 1896 in Sosnowiec, Poland. He later moved to Bedzin, became a businessman and started a family. In late September 1939, following the German occupation of Poland, he sent his daughter to England. In November 1939, he was jailed for several weeks in Myslowice and was interrogated by the Gestapo. After his release, he turned down an offer from Mosheh Merin, head of the Sosnowiec Jewish council, to be his deputy. Using his connections and his fortune, he was able to obtain visas for Switzerland. In April 1940 he left Poland and settled in Lausanne. Schwarzbaum soon started sending out food, clothing, money and papers to Poland. He managed to navigate between the often uncoordinated Jewish and Zionist organizations based in Switzerland, to transfer financial help to Jews in Poland. He sent hundreds of parcels to German occupied localities, via Lisbon, Sweden and Turkey. He visited refugee camps in Switzerland, and corresponded with persons living under the Nazi rule. He also produced passports, which led him into trouble with the Swiss police, who feared for violation of the country's neutrality policy. In 1946 he immigrated to Mandate Palestine. In Israel, he supported funds and provided stipends for students in need, in several Israeli institutes for higher education. He died in 1990.