Interview with Levy Shabtay,

Interview Summary

Levy Shabtay describes his early years in Sofia, Bulgaria as the Second World War began. He discusses at length the Bulgarians' opposition to the persecution of Jews, suggesting some of the reasons for this were the low socioeconomic status of Jews in Bulgaria and the good relations of the Bulgarian Jews with Bulgarian Gentiles, particularly with the Eastern Orthodox Church in Bulgaria. Although anti-Jewish regulations were enforced in Bulgaria during the war because of the country's support of Germany, Shabtay explains, the work that his father performed in a labor camp was nothing like slavery and was in fact recompensed. Shabtay describes his family's stay in the rural town of Provadia, Bulgaria, as well as their return to war-torn Sofia after the country's liberation by the Soviet army. Shabtay explains why no Bulgarian Jews were sent to death camps during the war.

Interview Keyword

Bulgaria--History--1878-1944. Bulgarian Jews Bulgarians Holocaust survivors. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Jews, Bulgarian Labor camps Provadia (Bulgaria) Sofia (Bulgaria) World War Two World War, 1939-1945--Jews.

Interview LC Subject

World War, 1939-1945.

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.