He considers his main tasks are to increase output efficiency in the war effort and other branches of industry. For this purpose work squads are to be created, chiefly comprising Jewish workers. If the Jews behave properly, no harm will come to them and instead they will benefit from everything in relation to performed work like other workers. They may even have the right to return home at nights. This includes men aged 45 to 50. Currently there is a requirement for 300 to 400 workers. He would like people to volunteer, but if they do not, he will have to use force. These workers will be treated very well and receive good pay, like everyone else. There can be no room for liberal habits when selecting these people. You should not ask, but instead give orders!

With regard to finances, he wants to centralise all Hungarian Jews. Those required to wear the star, including converts, are subject to the Central Council. Since converts are the wealthiest, the Central Council should ensure the greatest sums are collected from them. An appropriate regulation will be issued to confirm the collected sums. The Jewish organisation should be uniform and if necessary, the church tax should be raised. Everyone has to comply with Jewish Council decisions, and he will see to it that this is so. … The Council should include in its structure a department of statistics, as well as a technical one, so that if need be, the thus informed Council will be able to appropriately respond and act … .

All these orders will be valid only until the end of the war. After the war, Jews will be allowed to do whatever they want. All that currently concerns the Jewish question is exclusively in force for the duration of the war. Once the war ends, Germany will once again be ‘gutmütig’, as before, and allow for everything as earlier.

He declared that he did not generally like violence and only wanted things to run smoothly, without having to resort to force. They [the Germans] need everyone, so they will not be able to post guards everywhere. So far, his personal experience suggests that violence and executions took place only in cases where Jews put up resistance. There is a war on, and in wartime that is the only way to proceed. However, if Jews understand that he only wants to maintain order and discipline, or for work to be performed at home, for instance sewing gloves, then they will not have to fear any mistreatment. Quite the opposite, they [the Germans] will protect them from any harm and make sure they are treated the same and paid the same like every other worker.

The eight days of Passover. The weather was sublime. My mother was busy in the kitchen. The synagogues were no longer open. People gathered in private homes: no need to provoke the Germans. Almost every rabbi's home became a house of prayer.

We drank, we ate, we sang. The Bible commands us to rejoice during the eight days of celebration, but our hearts were not in it. We wished the holiday would end so as not to have to pretend.

On the seventh day of Passover, the curtain finally rose: the Germans arrested the leaders of the Jewish community.