Tag #153666 - Interview #103357 (Leonid Mariasis)

There lived Rumanians that had arrived in 1918-1919, when Bessarabia became a part of Rumania. There were also Russians, Jews and Moldavians in Bessarabia. The Rumanians were sort of foreign elements. They even had their own stores and only spoke Rumanian. They were very nationalistic and anti-Semitic.  There was a slogan during the Rumanian times “Zhydan to Palestine”, meaning “Jews. Go to Palestine”. It was almost a state slogan. Their negative attitude towards Jews was felt everywhere. I had to go to the Rumanian grammar school, because all other schools were closed by the Rumanian authorities.