Updated: 29-01-2026
Added: 05-01-2023
On April 30, 1940, Rumkowski convened a meeting of his closest associates in the premises of the Community at 4 Kościelny Sq. It was attended by members of the Council of Elders: Mosze Zażujer, Leon Szykier, Dawid Helman, Dawid Warszawski, Pinkus Gerszowski, Henryk Neftalin, Stanisław Jakobson, Maurycy Goldblum, Ruben Kenigsberg, Uszer Białodworski, Wolf Zbar and Beniamin Perlsztajn, as well as Zygmunt Reingold (vide), Salomon Ser and Herbert Grawe.
The Eldest of the Jews presented his plan for the organization of the ghetto and its economy. In his speech, he said: “We have to use [our] labor opportunities in order to ensure living conditions for as many people as possible. We should not delude ourselves and count for a quick end of the war; on the contrary, we must do everything possible to find work for as many Jews as we can. In order to implement this plan, we need to introduce, even in miniature sizes, a whole range of new offices and forms of government, as [it is done] in every state. Do not laugh at the name, but we will start with establishing ministries, namely those most important: of work, health, provisioning, finance and economy. As for other types, life will show us in the coming days what offices will be necessary. We have our own police, our own administration and post, and will have our own currency."1
At the meeting, Rumkowski assigned men to the most important units of the ghetto administration, introducing the principle that aside from head of the unit, there was also a patron appointed (one of the members of the Council of Elders or himself) who had the right to vote on matters crucial for the department. Rumkowski retained “control over internal and ‘foreign’ affairs” in the ghetto.
Ed. Adam Sitarek
The Eldest of the Jews presented his plan for the organization of the ghetto and its economy. In his speech, he said: “We have to use [our] labor opportunities in order to ensure living conditions for as many people as possible. We should not delude ourselves and count for a quick end of the war; on the contrary, we must do everything possible to find work for as many Jews as we can. In order to implement this plan, we need to introduce, even in miniature sizes, a whole range of new offices and forms of government, as [it is done] in every state. Do not laugh at the name, but we will start with establishing ministries, namely those most important: of work, health, provisioning, finance and economy. As for other types, life will show us in the coming days what offices will be necessary. We have our own police, our own administration and post, and will have our own currency."1
At the meeting, Rumkowski assigned men to the most important units of the ghetto administration, introducing the principle that aside from head of the unit, there was also a patron appointed (one of the members of the Council of Elders or himself) who had the right to vote on matters crucial for the department. Rumkowski retained “control over internal and ‘foreign’ affairs” in the ghetto.
Ed. Adam Sitarek