Jews first settled in Braila in the 15th century. The Jewish population in 1930 was about 7,200. In 1940, significant persecution commenced against the Jewish population by the Rumanian Iron Guard. In November, property was confiscated and heavy taxes imposed. Between August, 1941, and August 1944, most males between ages 16-60 were drafted into labor battalions. See also Braila, Rumania.
Below are thumbnails of a cover sent from a Russian occupied village through the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, to Abraham Last in Braila. The cover was postmarked in Odedssa on Ma 11, 1940, and arrived in Braila on May 19, 1940. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Cover" in the left frame to return.
Spector, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust (2001), P. 180
Copyright © 2008 Edward Victor