REGELE MIHAI I, REGINA-MAMĂ ELENA ȘI EVREII DIN ROMÂNIA, BASARABIA ȘI BUCOVINA, ÎN CEL DE-AL DOILEA RĂZBOI MONDIAL

Summary. In the midst of the world war, King Mihai I of Romania ascended the throne in Bucharest on 6th of September 1940, for the second time in his life. The political situation inherited from his father, Carol II, who had abdicated in favour of his son, forced by Ion Antonescu, newly invested with full powers in the leadership of the state, was complicated to say the least. Romania had just given in to USSR ultimatums to withdraw its administration from Bessarabia, northern Bukovina and Herța. One of Antonescu’s first actions, at the request of the young king who had returned to the throne at the age of 19, was to bring Queen Mother Elena back to the country. Returning home from an exile imposed by Charles II, Queen Elena found a destable Romania, in 1940 - extremist movements, fascism and anti-Semitism were on the rise, while General Ion Antonescu and the far right were de facto rulers of the country.This research examines the attitude of the two monarchs, mother and son, towards the Jewish minority in Romania, Bessarabia and Bucovina, between 1940 and 1942. The situation of the Jewish community in Bessarabia was complicated and delicate: under the USSR occupation in 1940-1941, the Soviets deported tens of thousands of Jews and dispossessed them of their property. At the same time, part of the Jewish population was recruited by the Russians to help with the Sovietization of the occupied territories in 1940, which triggered a wave of hatred from the rest of the population. Between 1941 and 1942 Jews in both Romania and Bessarabia began to be deported, and in Transnistria even killed.In this historical context we analyse the attitude and actions of King Mihai and Queen Mother Elena towards the situation of the Jews. A key figure in deciphering these events under historical investigation is the Chief Rabbi of Romania, Alexandru Șafran (1938-1948). It was he who brought the plight of the Jewish community to the attention of the monarchs. This research gathers statements and documents that led to the recognition of Queen Mother Elena’s contribution to the rescue of hundreds of thousands of Jews, for which, on 11th of March 1993, the Yad Vashem Memorial Commission in Jerusalem awarded Queen Mother Helena the title of „Righteous Among the Nations”.