The Road to Life: The Rescue Operation of Jewish Refugees on the Hungarian-Romanian Border in Transylvania, 1936-1944

A history of rescue operations in northern Transylvania, interwoven with Carmilly-Weinberger's personal memoirs. Romania's attitude toward the Jews deteriorated steadily between 1938-41; Antonescu contemplated expulsion of the Jews to Transnistria, but changed his mind in 1942. The Romanian authorities did not object to the rescue activities, including transit of Jewish refugees from other countries through Romania to Palestine. The first Jewish rescue organization in northern Transylvania, in which Carmilly-Weinberger was involved, was set up in Cluj in 1936. After Hungary's annexation of the territory in 1940, the rescue activities became clandestine; the initiative passed to the Budapest-based Vaadat ha-Ezra ve-ha-Hatzalah. The rescuers were aided by non-Jewish Romanians, including Raoul Şorban. Describes the German occupation of Cluj in March 1944, the establishment of the Jewish Council, and attempts by Jewish leaders to thwart the internment of Jews in a ghetto. In April, Carmilly-Weinberger was sent on a mission to Romania, and he emigrated to Palestine. Pp. 145-182 contain facsimiles of documents.