1997 — Softbound. 8vo. VII, 106 pages. 22 cm. First edition. This publication gives a brief history of Jews in Albania with an emphasis on their exodus in 1991; it emphasizes the widely unknown exceptional situation of Jews in Albania during the Second World War, in that not a single Jew was taken to any of the Nazi concentration camps. This accounts for the extraordinary fact that by War's end there were more Jews in Albania than before, due to an influx of Jews fleeing from other countries, not only Yugoslavia and Greece, but also from further afield such as Germany and Austria. Central to Sarner's history is Josef Jakoel (1922-91) , spiritual head of the Jewish community in Albania, whose perseverance in his faith managed to prevent the very small Jewish community in Albania from completely losing touch with their roots and with each other although travel even within Albania during the Communist period was extremely limited, and the few Jews were scattered between Tirana, Durres, Vlora and Shkodra. A second important theme of Sarner's account is the story of Albania's "Righteous" (those non-Jews identified and honored by Yad Vashem as people who risked their lives to rescue Jews during the Holocaust) . Sarner gives details of some of these people and families (Moslems and Christians) who housed and hid Jews, some for years; he remarks on the extraordinary generosity of those hosts, their refusal to accept recompense and their ungrudging giving even in situations of extreme danger. Not only were Jews offered hospitality by individuals and families; the Albanian government also heeded the code of honor for guests and refused to obey the command of the Italian occupies to expel all foreign Jews, and even provided a small stipend for needy refugee families. Subjects: Jews - Albania -History. Joden. Holocaust. Light shelf wear. Very good + condition. (HOLO2-97-14)
