A day after the declaration, the SS officer serving as the Resettlement Commissioner called three prominent Jewish council members to his office.
As the members walked into his plush office, the German, dressed impeccably, grinned.
“Take a seat, please. I gather that the general public did not receive the relocation news well.”
“Indeed, sir,” responded one of the members. “Many anticipate that instead of the eastern provinces, they might end up in detention facilities. They accused us of being Jew Killers.”
“I see. Very well. Assemble the lot at the specified location after you’ve rounded them up using your police force. From there, trains will take them to Treblinka. You have three days to organise yourselves and prepare for the task.”
“Could we possibly delay these relocations?” the oldest amongst the attendees cautiously asked, being careful not to annoy the Commissioner.
“Using the available workforce to bolster the military effort against the Soviets has been a tremendous success. From making clothing and uniforms, we can progress to more sophisticated production under your guidance, using free labour. Likewise, we can construct an efficient network of roads and railways to connect the eastern and western borders to facilitate the rapid movement of our troops to battle zones.”
“No, I cannot agree with your proposal. The deportation must proceed.” The German stated firmly.
“Pardon me, sir. I humbly want permission to go home as I feel quite unwell today. Please, I am very sorry.”
Gesturing towards his fellow council members, he spoke in a weak tone. “My colleagues will go over the details of the implementation. Tomorrow, I will make sure to follow up on this topic.”
Without looking at him, the Commissioner jerked his hand roughly and said, “Go, go!” as he examined some papers on his table.
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“The old man does not have the stomach for it,” the Commissioner said after the elderly councilperson left.
As he sank farther into his big chair, he crossed his fingers and rested his elbows on the armrests. He turned to the two visitors and said, “The Reich values bold decisions and acknowledges dedication and sacrifice.”
Moments ago, while he appeared to be listening solemnly to his elderly companion, Szymon, one of the attendees, was filled with joy inside as he envisaged a more prominent and lucrative role for himself soon.
“The majority of us on the Council reject the idea that the Reich intends to cause harm to the Jewish people, much less murder them!” he said while clenching his fist and shaking his head, appearing to support the eviction plan of the powerful man across the table with excessive enthusiasm.
“Virtually all in the Jewish community also support us,” he continued, “The ghetto police will be sufficient to ensure everyone gets to the assembly site without any trouble. I don’t see any significant backlash from the residents. Nevertheless, I humbly suggest that armed German police oversee the process to prevent any last-minute chaos caused by troublemakers.”
“Szymon, I am pleased. The Council would be better off with you at the helm. I shall communicate my suggestion to the District Governor and the Ghetto Commissioner. Initiate the project!”
Szymon chose to galvanise the occasion further after feeling overwhelmed by the Commissioner’s remarks: “If you will excuse me, I was hoping to propose an idea that could help our cause.”
“Yes?”
“People in our community hold certain individuals in high esteem. Many former high-ranking officials, student leaders, radical religious figures, writers, and traders are among them. Anticipating desperate circumstances, they may try to incite the people against us.”
Szymon narrowed his eyes to emphasise his viewpoint further. He ended up looking so absurd that the commissioner struggled to contain his laughter.
“You have a valid point. But you had already prepared a list of such individuals. I wonder why such agitators still exist?”
“The Council identified most inciters, and the Einsatzgruppen dealt with them. To influence the population to our benefit, we required their assistance. But now, as I indicated, they may argue that there are moral and intellectual justifications for a popular uprising under these peculiar circumstances.”
The deportation and subsequent extermination of Jews was in consequence of the “Final Solution” decided by the central Nazi hierarchy to implement genocide of Jews in territories under their influence. Einsatzgruppen were paramilitary detachments of the SS, notoriously known as the “death squads”, which carried out large-scale killings in the Nazi-occupied regions.
“What a cheap rascal!” The Commissioner and the other Council member inwardly speculated Szymon simultaneously.