 On April 5, 1940, Rumkowski petitioned the Germans for materials for the Jews in exchange for desperately needed food and money.By the end of the month, the Germans had acquiesced, in part, agreeing to provide food, but not money.Although Rumkowski and other "Jewish elders" of the Nazi era came to be regarded as collaborators and traitors, historians have reassessed this judgment since the late 20th century in light of the terrible conditions of the time.