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We Were There
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 9, 1947:

By Albert Hutler
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I have been looking at some pictures of the beautiful city of Mannheim, Germany made after the capture. Shattered bridges, torn up streets, rubble piled high, battered buildings, all are a part of Mannheim today. Smoke curls out of the basement of what was once a proud apartment building and I know that a family lives there; one of the lucky families who have found a shelter.

Germany is badly beaten.  Proud cities are shattered and consist of rubble and yet, "we who were there" often wonder whether victory was really won. Some of my buddies, in letters to me, have expressed the feeling that 1946 was a victory for Germany which was concluded in a general amnesty for 800,000 little Nazis. It was a victorious year in which Jewish Displaced Persons were still being beaten; still being subjugated to human whims and sadistic tendencies; still living in camps surrounded by guards and barbed wire; still being treated as third class citizens. Yes, victory was full for the Germans in 1946for not only had Displaced Persons ceased eating German food, but military government is beginning to return Germans to apartments now occupied by Jews and forcing Jewish Displaced Persons to live in camps.  Such is the German victory of 1946.

Over fifty-eight million dollars was spent by the Joint Distribution Committee in 1946 to alleviate their hardships. Over forty-two million was spent by the United Palestine Appeal. Your money, my money, all America's money, gave these people clothing, shelter, food, and most important—HOPE.  It brought five thousand to America in 1946; 20,000 to Palestine in 1946; 250 to So America. Our one hundred and two million dollars spread HOPE in Shanghai, Budapest, Vienna, Italy, Africa—gave a new life throughout the world.

We have told our people, living behind barbed wires, living in misery, living as animals, that they must not give up HOPE.  We have told them that we have not forgotten; that we will raise one hundred and seventy million dollars for their use. We must not forget, we cannot forget, for if we forget them, we too are forgotten.