Bulgarians and Jews have for centuries lived together in a tolerant and loyal manner. The very first Bulgarian Constitution, adopted in 1979 upon the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman Rule, guaranteed the political equality of the ethnic and religious minorities in a period when Jews had a major role not only in the economy, but also in the political and cultural life of the country. Bulgarian Jews were internationally recognized individuals like the painter Jules Pascin, originally from Vidin and the Nobel Prize winner for literature Elias Canetti, born in Rousse, as well as many other members of the Bulgarian intellectual elite. The Bulgarian Jewish Community maintained excellent relations with the state and in 1909 the Bulgarian Monarch family attended the grand opening of the impressive new Sofia Synagogue – the third largest in Europe and among the most beautiful.
As loyal subjects of the Bulgarian state the Jews took part in the wars for Bulgarian national unification. During the Serb-Bulgarian War of 1885 some Jews reached the rank of colonel in the Bulgarian army. The names of some Jewish soldiers and officers are prominent during the Balkan wars of 1912-1913 and during the First World War. The total number of Jews, killed in these wars is 952.
In the period between the two world wars the Jewish Community in Sofia accounts for around 0.8% of the total Bulgarian population, reaching approximately 50 000 people. More than half of them live in the capital – Sofia. Almost 90% of them were born in Bulgaria, 92% were Bulgarian subjects and their total share in the Bulgarian business and trade was 5.17%. Together with the Greeks and the Armenians the Jews were representatives of commerce in the country only historically, as the number of wealthy Jews was very low.
The atmosphere started changing with Hitler’s advent to power in Germany. The political and economic influence of Germany on the Balkans was beneficial for the appearance of anti-Semitism on the Bulgarian political stage. In the mid-30-ies in Bulgaria the two main anti-Semitic political factions were shaped: the Union of Bulgarian national legions and the Supporters of the advance of the Bulgarian Spirit. Both organizations realized anti-Jewish propaganda and published anti-Jewish articles in their periodicals. Brochures were distributed, copying the Nazi racial documents but having little to no effect on the traditionally tolerant Bulgarian society. On September 20, 1939 an attempt was made to copy the “Crystal night” on the streets of Sofia, which took the form of ravaging the windows of the Jewish shops. However, attacks and accessions against Jews did not occur.
In the course of the decade Bulgaria became increasingly economically dependent on the Third Reich, which was Bulgaria’s largest foreign trade partner before World War II. The economic and military ties with Germany and the territorial claims of the Bulgarian Government towards the countries, related to the Allies and the presence of a large German army on the Bulgarian northern border led to Bulgaria becoming a member of the Axis powers on March 01, 1941. This was a political act with major consequences for the Jewish population in Bulgaria.
The particular examples of political anti-Semitism in Bulgaria began in 1940 and were closely related to the foreign policy of the country. The anti-Jewish legislation was in line with the anti-Semitic laws of the national socialist party of Adolf Hitler and the racist legislation resembled the Italian one. In both countries anti-Semitism was imposed from above and based not on internal ideas, but aimed to accommodate the wishes of the German side.
From all repressive legislation the Law for protection of the nation (LPN) was the most eminent and legitimized anti-Semitism as governmental policy. The Law was drafted upon the initiative of Tsar Boris III and the Government of Prof. Bogdan Filov in the summer of 1940. It was forwarded for discussion to the 25th National Assembly on October 06 the same year.
The LPN was opposed by various circles within Bulgarian society, which did not share the racist theory of the Nazis. The Bulgarian population existed together with the Jews for a long period and accepted them as their fellow nationals and Bulgarian subjects. Because of its ideological and racial grounds the LPN did not only find no support, but also evoked protests both within and outside the National Assembly. Ex Ministers, parliament members from the opposition, scholars, writers, other eminent social figures, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Central Jewish Consistory, and representatives of the professional organizations and the majority of the Bulgarian people condemned the LPN as anti-constitutional, inhumane, immoral and declared their support for the Jewish population. Despite the opposition the majority at the 25th National Assembly voted in favour of and accepted LPN. On January 21, 1941 by a Tsar decree the Law entered into power.
Using religion as criterion the population of the country was separated in two categories: the first consisted of all people with Bulgarian background and the second was formed by the individuals of Jewish origin. All people had at least one Jewish parent were declared Jews. Under the threat of penal responsibility within a month from the Law entering into power the Jews, who lived on the territory of the Kingdom, irrespective of their citizenship were to declare their background and enlist in the municipality and police registrars. They were instructed to use their traditional Jewish names, so that their second and family names could not end in a traditional Bulgarian ending like “-ov”, “-ev”, “-ich” (like in Davidov or Leviev).
The LPN introduced very broad and general limitations to the political and civil freedom of the Jewish population. In accordance to the law the people with Jewish origin could not:
The economic sanctions against the Jewish population were as serious. Jews were prohibited from owning, being in control or renting open agricultural property. In small village municipalities the limitation was extended to covered property also. Regardless of the fact that the Constitution declared property to be legally protected Jews, who owned property were forced to offer them for sale to the State Land Fund, to Bulgarians or to Bulgarian companies. The economic and professional activities of people of Jewish origin were limited. They were allowed to practice a profession and be involved in industrial production only in proportion to their total percentage from the total population in the country. Within a month from the LPN coming into power every Jew is obliged to declare to the Bulgarian National Bank the whole of its moveable and unmovable property. This lays the foundation for a future confiscation of the property.
Through the Law for payment for uncovered property of persons with Jewish origin from 1941 the confiscated properties were to be paid by prices not exceeding 50 % of the market value of the property as of 1932. By accepting the Law for taxation of the Jewish population with a one-time tax of 1/5 to ¼ stealing from the Jewish was legalized on the grounds of the Jews endangering the national economy. Administrative and police measurements against Jewish people were also accepted and they were forced to wear yellow stars, to declare their properties, furniture, etc. They were forbidden to possess automobiles, radio receivers and telephones.
In April 1941 the Bulgarian army entered Aegean Thrace and Macedonia. The new lands were included in the administrative area of the country. The Bulgarian military, administrative, police and judicial authorities were introduced. The courts of law were judging in the name of the Tsar and the Council of Ministers accepted the Order for citizenship in the name of the Tsar, under which all Greek and Yugoslavian subjects automatically became Bulgarian citizens. In accordance with point 4, article 3 this was not valid for the Jews, who were left without citizenship. The Jews from Thrace and Macedonia were thus deprived of civil rights and all restrictions and duties, valid in the old territories, were imposed on them. Gradually the anti-Semitic legislation was supplemented by various orders, regulations and other legal acts.
At the beginning of 1943, courageous clergy, intellectuals, members of parliament, public figures, and ordinary people opposed state policy that was hostile toward Jews and aimed at their deportation to death camps. At the risk of their lives, or at the very least their social standing, these righteous individuals, both known and unknown advocates, strongly condemned the inhumane ideology of antisemitism and, driven purely by human compassion, saved nearly 50,000 Jews from the territory of pre-war Bulgaria.
Due to the same policy, 11,343 Jews from the territories administered by the Kingdom of Bulgaria, Aegean Thrace, Vardar Macedonia, and the city of Pirot, were not able to be saved and were sent to the death camps. Only 12 of them survived.
Read the full story about the fate of Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War in the section “Rescue of the Bulgarian Jews.”
The end of the Second World War found Bulgarian Jews as survivors, but also as people with nothing, with no means of existence. The Jewish community itself was divided in the first years after the War (1944-1948) into two factions. The separation now was between communists and Zionist and the struggle between those two camps is well documented. This was the period of formation of the idea of Aliyah (the emigration to Palestine) even before the creation of the State of Israel. Zionist organizations across the country were very active, and especially enthusiastic after the visit of Ben Gurion (Head of the Jewish Agency “Sohnut” at the time and future first Prime Minister of Israel), who came to Bulgaria in December 1944. At the same time many Jews were prominent fighters in the anti-Fascist struggle and this helped them receive a place in the new Government structures. Theirs was the task to stop the Zionists from leaving Bulgaria. As a whole Bulgarian Jews had a positive attitude towards the National Front and showed no anti-government activities. They even supported the authorities in 1946 by sending a special delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, insisting that special articles related to the Jewish rights should be omitted from the peace agreements.
The years 1947-1949 were a crossroad for Bulgarian Jews, who had to choose between two motherlands: the one, which saved their lives in the years of the Holocaust, but was going into the direction of a Soviet type of state rule on one hand and the newly founded State of Israel, which attracted Jews from all around the world. In 1947 the international circumstances and the attitude of the World Powers changed drastically towards creation of a new independent Jewish state. The Soviet Union was a strong supporter and the position of Moscow increased the influence of the communist faction within the Jewish communities around the world. The Bulgarian Labour Party (communist) was very active and took the initiative for emigration. On 28 July 1948 a Plenum of the ruling party decided, together with a commission on minorities of the National Front, to organize the emigration issue. Bulgarian Jews made their choice and between 25 October 1948 and 16 May 1949 32 106 Bulgarian Jews left for Israel in an organized manner, while others left the country privately. A gap was opened in many economic sectors: trade, crafts, services, etc. Many intellectuals and governmental employees left also. The Jews who stayed increased the connections of the Jewish institutes with the Communist party. This was valid not only for the Jewish community, but for the society as a whole. The functions of the Consistory changed significantly and it took the role of educational and cultural institute with almost no social activities. Until 1952 all Jewish communities and institutions were under the control of the ruling party. A public party organization remained operational and issued a Jewish Yearly, while the publishing of “Jewish news” went on uninterrupted. Many Jewish customs were preserved, but the variety and richness of the Jewish social life, the way it existed until the end of the 40-s was now absent. Until 1952 all private urban economic enterprises, which formed the basis of Jewish economic life, were eliminated. A period follows in which several generations of Bulgarian Jews hardly practice Jewish traditions.
After 1989, the Bulgarian Jewish community enters a long period of revival of active Jewish life, culture, and both informal and formal education.
