Board letter to Ministers of Interior of the United Kingdom, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands

On 19^th September in Utrecht, Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, Senior EJA Board Member and Chairman of the EJA Committee for combating antisemitism, spoke at a solemn and important event, marking the ascendancy of the late Cardinal and Archbishop of Utrecht Johannes de Jong as a Righteous amongst the Nations by Yad Vashem for resisting the Nazis and saving hundreds of Jewish families and children.

Present at the event were all Dutch Bishops, the Israeli Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, two representatives of the King.

In his speech to those assembled, Chief Rabbi Jacobs recalled one particularly brave and visible moment of Cardinal de Jong’s resistance, linking it to a recent Torah Portion urging the Israelites, before entering the Land of Israel to “walk in his (G-d’s) ways”

In his powerful remarks Chief Rabbi Jacobs said:

“Last Shabbat we read in all synagogues in the world the Parshah כי תבוא in which we read, among other things, in chapter 28 sentence 9: והלכת בדרכיו -and you shall walk in His Ways.

The great philosopher, lawyer and physician Maimonides counts these words as one of the 613 do’s and don’ts known to Judaism and he explains that man should try as much as possible to resemble Gd. As the Midrash, the narrative literature, explains: “As the Lord is called gracious, so also shalt thou be merciful. As the Eternal is called merciful, so also shalt thou be merciful. And as the Eternal is called loving, so also shalt thou be loving.”

It is known that Maimonides never counts general commandments, such as “Thou shalt keep My commandments” or “Thou shalt sanctify thyself” in the number of the 613 commandments and prohibitions that the Torah prescribes. Only specific commandments count. And so the question arises, why is “and ye shall walk in His ways” an exception made here and an apparently general and overarching commission elevated to a specific individual commandment?

It is quite conceivable that a man lives exactly and meticulously as He, the Eternal, desires of him. He never commits a violation. And yet he does not, as it were, rise higher on the spiritual ladder. He remains on the spiritual plane where he stood. Teach us the Torah here: והלכת בדרכיו – there must be movement. How does a person get his spiritual level moving? By not merely fulfilling His commandments, but by being constantly aware that His ways must be walked. Every commandment has its specific assignment, its own way of carrying out, but growing, rising higher and higher, being in motion is an assignment in itself.

I can imagine that in the 1940s-1945s situation, many dutifully obeyed G-d’s laws, kept all commandments, and committed no transgression. But was there any movement? Were they willing to move the moment movement was required? “Thou shalt walk in His ways.” It is not enough to keep His commandments. His ways must be walked, there must be progress, spiritual ascent, movement.

During the horrible war period, according to the historian Prof. Presser, five percent of the Dutch were on the move, but it was a movement in the wrong direction because that five percent of our Dutch population was collaborating with the enemy, the Nazis. Ninety percent sat motionless and so let it happen. And only five percent moved in the right direction, walking in G-d’s Ways, at the risk of their own lives. The bishops, led by Archbishop de Jong, were part of that five percent, because on Sunday, August 3, 1941, it was pronounced from all the pulpits that membership of National Socialist umbrella organizations was not only prohibited, but would also entail exclusion from the sacraments.

The following happened prior to that Sunday:

In the night from Saturday to Sunday, August 3, 1940, the telephone rang in the Archbishop’s Palace. The Gestapo wanted to speak to the Archbishop immediately. Archbishop de Jong has Dr. Geerdinck announce that the men can come in half an hour. De Jong dresses in his official attire and the chandeliers are burning in the large room for guests.

When the bell rings at exactly four o’clock, Dr. Geerdinck opens, asks Himmler’s men to remove their coats and climbs the state staircase in front of them. Arriving at the door, he asks their names, knocks and leads the men inside. The Archbishop stands behind the table in his official garb and is silent. dr. Geerdinck announces: “Excellence. Obersturmführer Matzker and his adjutant”. De Jong bends down and remains silent. Geerdinck says: “setzen Sie sich”. Everyone sits down and everyone is silent.

Finally, the Obersturmführer takes out a narrow roll of paper and begins to read that the proclamation to ban membership of National Socialist umbrella organizations must not take place tomorrow morning. The Archbishop indicates that he has understood the message, whereupon his visitor says: “It is now four o’clock. All presbyteries can be reached by telephone. The proclamation in the church can be cancelled without difficulty.” The Archbishop mumbles that it is clear to him.

Then there is silence again, for a long time. Finally, Geerdinck says, “Gentlemen, have you fulfilled your assignment with this?”. They mumble yes, whereupon Geerdinck stands up and the visitors follow his example. A farewell is said, silently and without greeting.

The next Sunday morning, of course, the announcement went through everywhere. The words non possumus non loqui sound – “We cannot be silent”.

De Jong refused to simply continue to serve the Eternal as a faithful Catholic and to remain silent. He knew that especially as a church leader, movement, action was expected of him.

I regret that he could not be awarded the Yad Vashem award during his lifetime, but I am grateful that, thanks in part to the efforts of my good friend Dr. Hans Themans, we are finally gathered here today to show the world who and what de Jong used to be.

His Eminence Dr. Johannes Cardinal de Jong no longer needs the award, because he is rewarded daily for his willingness to risk his own life and to keep moving in the dark 1940s-45s, when 90% of our Dutch society motionless saw it and let it happen.

But this special meeting is of great importance to us, because alertness was, is and remains required. What happened then can happen again today and tomorrow. The war ended in our country on May 5, 1945, but anti-Semitism, today under the pseudonym anti-Zionism, has remained.”

Michael Freilich, EJA Special Envoy for Holocaust Remembrance and Belgian Member of Parliament:

“NAZI MONEY PAID FOR THE DEPORTATION OF BELGIAN JEWS DURING THE HOLOCAUST SHOULD BEST BE CONFISCATED”

On 17 February 2025, the report “The Belgian Railways and the deportations during the Second World War” was presented to the Senate’s Committee on Institutional Affairs in Parliament.

Michael Freilich, the only Jewish Member of Parliament and a special envoy to the European Jewish Association reacts:

“It is praiseworthy that this historical research has finally been completed, albeit many years overdue. For too long, too little attention was paid to the role of the Belgian railways during the Second World War. This report brings crucial new facts to light and reminds us that we must learn from the past.

But recognition is not enough. The government must accept its responsibility and take concrete action, as the report proposes. It calls for tangible initiatives, such as education and commemoration projects, and more support for surviving victims and their families.

Freilich advocates confiscating the money used to pay for the deportations: It is known that the Nazis paid the Belgian railways to deport 25,843 Jews and 351 Roma from Belgium to concentration and extermination camps. This amount – equivalent to around 15 million euros today – should be confiscated by the state, as is usually the case with funds obtained through criminal activity. This would send an important message to the survivors and the families of the victims. These funds could then be used to fight racism, anti-Semitism and current threats against the Jewish community. In this way, we can ensure that the lessons of the past are effectively translated into policy.”

Conclusions of the Group of the Wise on the NMBS/SNCB during WWII

The presentation of the report The NMBS/SNCB (the Belgian Railways) and the deportations during WWII took place in the Senate’s Institutional Affairs Committee on Monday 17 February 2025.

The Group of The Wise concluded that the historical research uncovered new facts about the involvement of Belgium and the NMBS/SNCB in the deportations during the Second World War. The importance of knowledge and awareness about this period cannot be emphasised enough.

In addition, the research shows that the lessons from this history remain relevant. The danger of a creeping undermining of democracy and the constitutional state, as happened through seemingly small bureaucratic decisions, remains a current warning. The cooperation of the NMBS/SNCB in the deportations illustrates how institutions can morally fail under ideological pressure.

The necessity of moral vigilance is also emphasised. The ethical dilemmas that officials and institutions were confronted with in wartime are not merely historical: even today, critical thinking requires constant attention in order to protect the rights and dignity of minorities.

The Group calls for a broader commitment to combating anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. Not only the federal government, but also other levels of government and the private sector must be involved.

Recommendations

The recommendations are grouped around three core pillars: Truth, Transmission and Reparation. In addition, a transversal recommendation is formulated to improve the coordination and evaluation of initiatives.

1. Truth
   • The NMBS/SNCB must take concrete actions to publicly reveal the historical truth, in collaboration with experts and organisations.
   • Cooperation between initiatives must be improved to prevent fragmentation and promote knowledge sharing.
   • Society must be better informed about the concept of the ‘politics of least resistance’ and its relevance today.
2. Transmission
   • Educational initiatives are needed to transmit history to young people and the general public.
   • Teachers must be supported in countering resistance and disinformation in the classroom.
   • The War Heritage Institute (WHI) can contribute with travelling exhibitions and educational programmes.
3. Restitution
   • The NMBS/SNCB should not only express regret, but also offer an official apology for its role in the deportations.
   • Work must be done to improve the status of victims and initiatives for commemoration and social actions for the benefit of the groups involved.
   • The federal government must be open to initiatives to repair material and moral damage, even 80 years after the fact.
4. Cross-cutting recommendation
   • An inventory of commemoration and educational initiatives must be made to avoid overlap and increase effectiveness.
   • A budget must be provided for evaluations and impact measurements of these initiatives.
   • A monitoring committee must be established to monitor the implementation and impact of these recommendations.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association, stated:
“This report is a stark reminder of the consequences of institutional complicity in evil. The European Jewish Association stands firm in its call for justice, not just in recognizing historical truths, but in taking concrete action. Confiscating these funds is not merely a financial measure—it is a moral imperative. We owe it to the victims and their descendants to ensure that these ill-gotten gains are used to combat hate and anti-Semitism today. Only then can we truly say we have learned from the past.”