We rely on your support for our independence With the Jewish community in Romania today numbering just a few thousand people its tragic fate should serve as an example for what the outcome of political extremism may be In a country that during the interwar period hosted the third largest Jewish community in Europe these events illustrate the ways in which a cultural legacy can be celebrated while also making continuing and much needed efforts to commemorate the tragic fate of this once thriving community another event that took place earlier this year deserves some more detailed consideration the public commemoration of the 1941 Bucharest pogrom took place in a different setting than usual Organized by the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania the Center for the Study of the History of the Jews in Romania and the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania the ceremony was set in the Jilava Forest on the outskirts of Bucharest where around 90 Jews were shot and killed during the pogrom Recently conducted research made it possible to more accurately identify the location of the massacre thus giving this year’s ceremony a special significance The Bucharest pogrom was part of the bloody ending of the National Legionary State the regime established in Romania on September 14 and in which General Ion Antonescu and the Legionary Movement — the main fascist organization in interwar Romania — had full control of the country until the end of January 1941 The growing tensions between Antonescu and the Legion escalated and turned violent leading to what was regarded as a full rebellion in which the legionaries attempted to take full power because of an initial lack of adequate response from law enforcement the city’s thriving Jewish community became a target for the legionaries Many of Bucharest’s Jews fell victim to the numerous acts of vandalism and violence that took place over three days Contemporary accounts tell the story of the destruction brought about during the pogrom. Mihail Sebastian a well-known writer from the interwar period kept a detailed diary of his personal and public experiences between 1935 and 1944 with an edition in English brought out in 2000 the journal stirred countless debates regarding the extent of anti-Semitism in interwar Romania during the ascent of fascism in Europe in the 1930s especially among the young generation of intellectuals “The greater disaster was in Văcărești and Dudești where not one house or makeshift hut escaped plunder and burning Try to imagine the district ablaze on Wednesday night while gangs of hooligans went around shooting all those terrified people a few premises with Romanian names have been left standing so a lot of the damage would have been concealed or removed And all this has hit the poorest of the poor living in the most wretched conditions — small-scale craftsmen and traders careworn people barely able to scratch out a living you see an old woman or a near-naked child crying and waiting hundreds of people wait in line; there are so many missing The aftermath of the massacre in the Jilava Forest was described in a 1944 moving account entitled “The City of Slaughter” by famed journalist Filip Brunea-Fox a tragic and suitable echo of Hayim Nahman Bialik’s poem about the Kishinev pogrom of 1903 The journalistic skills of Brunea-Fox managed to instill in the reader the raw images at the stage of the killings as seen recently after they took place Regarding this atrocious episode of the pogrom Sebastian also emphasized that “the stunning thing about the Bucharest bloodbath is the quite bestial ferocity of it apparent even in the dry official statement that ninety-three persons (‘person’ being the latest euphemism for Jew) were killed on the night of Tuesday the 21st in Jilava forest.” After the war, Matatias Carp, secretary general of the federation of Jewish communities in Romania, managed to put together, in a work entitled The Black Book: The Sufferings of the Jews of Romania 1940-1944 priceless documents and testimonies regarding the crimes and destruction that affected the Jewish community during the pogrom Among them is a list of the 120 victims of the pogrom The social profile of the victims was quite diverse and shows that no one was spared by the violence: shopkeepers with some of them being World War I veterans or family members of war veterans who fought in the Romanian army Through its destructive consequences and public significance the pogrom marked one of the darkest chapters in the history of Bucharest and Romania The January 2018 ceremony can be regarded as part of a long and arduous road that Romanian society still has to go through in order to come to terms with its past Ignoring or covering up such events can only hinder this much needed process it is only befitting that its rich cultural legacy should be celebrated while its tragic fate should serve as an example for what the outcome of political extremism may be *[Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR) is a partner institution of Fair Observer.] The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy Photo Credit: Gabriel Petrescu / Shutterstock.com Unique Insights from 2,500+ Contributors in 90+ Countries We have sent a link to your registered email address to reset your password ANDREW Tate has moaned about prison conditions in a pathetic poem he wrote in his cell at a Romanian hellhole jail The disgraced influencer sulked over "cockroaches and lice" while being held in custody following his arrest in December The former kickboxing champion who is facing sex trafficking and abuse charges shed light on his first 27 days in detention The 36-year-old sent a sob story to followers of his website titled: "My first email from imprisonment" The poem read: "They are trying to break me "When the guards bring me to and from the courtroom "They try to pour hatred into my heart." The jail Tate is being held at has not been named but previous reports have laid bare the dire living conditions for prisoners in the country. Under Romanian laws prisoners are allowed just one hour a day of "outdoor recreation" The damning report also found most prisoners stay locked up for 23 hours a day in their squalid cells The report read: "Material conditions in all the prisons visited were generally poor and mattresses and bedding worn out and infested with bed bugs and cockroaches." His pathetic cries follow a court ruling last week that extended his detention until February 27 as investigations continue Tate and his brother were arrested in December after their luxury Romanian mansion was raided by police The pair have reportedly been under investigation for the alleged kidnapping of two young women at their villa in the town of Voluntari According to a statement from Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) the British-born suspects lured victims using the "loverboy method" The men claimed they loved the women and intended to marry them DIICOT said the female victims were then taken to buildings in Ilfov County, on Bucharest's outskirts where they were "sexually exploited by group members" Cops said the suspects used "physical violence and mental coercion" and that victims were forced to perform in pornographic videos for dissemination on social media Tate has recently come under fire for his warped views on women and the influence he has on younger men Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families: If you are a ­victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support ­service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk Women’s Aid provides a live chat service - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm You can also call the freephone 24-hour ­National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/