killed by a relative (who was later found), the government called it a ritual murder plot by the Jews. The mobs were incited by Pavel Krushevan, the editor of the Russian language anti-Semitic newspaper Bessarabian and the vice-governor Ustrugov. The newspaper regularly accused the Jewish community of numerous crimes, and on multiple occasions published headlines such as "Death to the Jews!" and "Crusade Against the Hated Race!" They used the age-old calumny against the Jews (that the boy had been killed to use his blood in preparation of matzo). Viacheslav Plehve, the Minister of Interior, supposedly gave orders not to stop the rioters. However, the pogrom lasted for three days, without the intervention of the police. Forty seven (some say 49) Jews were killed, 92 severely wounded, 500 slightly wounded and over 700 houses destroyed. Despite a world outcry, only two men were sentenced to seven and five years and 22 were sentenced for one or two years. This pogrom is considered the first state-inspired action against Jews in the 20th century and was instrumental in convincing tens of thousands of Russian Jews to leave to the West and to Palestine. Many of the younger Jews, including Mendel Portugali, made an effort to defend the community. 1917–1940 Moldavian Democratic Republic In the Sfatul Țării, Bessarabian Jews were represented by: Isac Gherman, 60 years old, lawyer from Chişinău Eugen Kenigschatz, 58, lawyer, Chişinău Samuel Lichtmann, 60, civil servant Moise Slutski, 62, physician, Chişinău Gutman Landau, 40, civil servant Mendel Steinberg The former four abstained from vote for the Union of Bessarabia with Romania on , while the latter two were absent. Greater Romania 1920: The Jewish population had grown to approx. 267,000. 1930: Romanian census registers 270,000 Jews The Holocaust In 1941, the Einsatzkommandos, German mobile killing units drawn from the Nazi SS and commanded by Otto Ohlendorf entered Bessarabia. They were instrumental in the massacre of many Jews in Bessarabia, who did not flee in face of the German advance. On 8 July 1941, Mihai Antonescu, deputy prime minister and Romania's ruler at the time, made a declaration in front of the Ministers' Council: … With the risk of not being understood by some traditionalists which may be among you, I am in favour of the forced migration of the entire Jew element from Bessarabia and Bukovina, which must be thrown over the border. Also, I am in favor of