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A few days later in Switzerland, Jean Musy received a declaration from the Committee in Montreux, headed by Mr.
Sternbuch, that he was the sole authorized representative in Switzerland of the "Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States of America and Canada." Based on the information
received, Sally Meyer's organization was essentially an American organization involved in charitable work. Benoît and Jean-Marie Musy left once again for Berlin with the
declaration to give it to the German leaders.
Mr. Musy had been able to convince General Schellenberg and Göring that Germany should liberate all of the
concentration camps without compensation and conditions. These two individuals had sincerely been attached to the liberation project.
On February 5th, 1945
it was agreed that a train of 1,200 to 1,300 deportees would depart continuously for Switzerland. Three days later, on February
8, 1945 Swiss border guards at Constance informed Jean-Marie Musy that a train of 1,200 Jews from Theresienstadt had arrived. The Swiss people gave a cordial welcome to the deportees.
Göring who had accompanied the first train of deportees returned to Berlin, because it had been understood that a
second convoy would leave immediately, to be followed each week by other transfers. All appeared to be going well, barring the unexpected difficulties which developed rapidly.
Mr. Göring told Mr. Musy that everywhere in Germany it was falsely announced that this liberation had been granted in exchange for 200 S.S. officers to find asylum in America
at the end of the war. It was rumored that this announcement had been perhaps spread by Sally Mayer, then told to Colonel Becher, which brought it to the attention of Adolph
Hitler by General Ernst Kaltenbrunner (chief of security). Hitler became so enraged and immediately gave the order to suspend the liberation of all of the concentration camps.
Another difficulty was suddenly created when a false broadcast from Radio-Atlantic announced that the liberation of
the Jews had been achieved in exchange for the offer that all Germans who had helped with this liberation, would find protection and refuge in America. This communiqué was
completely fictional, and the end result was to be that Hitler, the Führer, forbade permanently the liberation of all concentration camps.
The anti-Semites were numerous in the Führer's entourage and firmly determined to completely collapse the
liberation project. Hitler and his followers, including many Germans between 1944-45, had never realized how much they were hated by people from other countries.
Unfortunately, the efforts which appeared only yesterday on the track to success, now seemed rapidly compromised.
Nonetheless, Jean-Marie and Benoît Musy did not lose faith and they knew that several more trips to Berlin would be without a doubt necessary. As the undertaking of the task
was vast, Mr. Musy thought that the collaboration from the International Red Cross could be useful.
Because the second train, which had been promised was not arriving, the Musys father and son
left for Berlin. This trip was undertaken under conditions which were especially dangerous, because they were bombarded and machine-gunned near Beyreuth by airplane fighters.
Fortunately, due to exceptional luck, they were not hit during this dangerous adventure. They were resolute to try everything to achieve their mission.
Upon arrival in
Berlin, the conversations with General Schellenberg and Göring gave them hope that, in spite of everything, the liberation undertaking could be resumed and persued. General
Himmler gave the order to liberate all of the relatives of Mrs. Recha Sternbuch and all persons named on a list issued by the American Rabbis. Himmler also promised to
relocate to the Swiss border Czechoslovakian and Hungarian Jews, which the Germans called "Die Illegalen Juden" (illegal Jews), and which were considered out of the
boundaries of the law. Sixty one Jews arrived at Constance (Switzerland) - February 1945. In the meantime Mrs. Sternbuch's two brothers also arrived at the Swiss border.
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