In the Bukovina Jewish community, the elderly Feld was busy settling his compatriots. It was clear that he was highly experienced.
After centuries of migration, the Jewish people had learned to make themselves at home wherever they landed. Even in an unfamiliar place, everyone could quickly adapt.
In fact, Austria had not originally been the first choice for Russian Jews emigrating from Russia. At first, they had planned to leave Europe altogether, and Bukovina was merely a transit station.
Yet after arriving here, they discovered that aside from unfriendly public opinion toward Jews, Austria had not actually seen any large-scale anti-Jewish movement break out.
As for Jewish capitalists being thrown into prison, that was child's play. These days, Jews had it rough everywhere in the world; being locked up for no reason at all was commonplace.
The Russian Empire was especially inhospitable. Even those who had attached themselves to powerful figures within the Tsarist Government could not escape being shaken down.
Drawing on their many years of life experience, several Jewish leaders, including Feld, concluded that Austrian bureaucrats simply wanted to squeeze out some money.
It so happened that an anti-Jewish movement had also broken out in the Americas during this period. With nowhere to go all of a sudden, everyone discussed it and decided to stay for the time being and watch how the situation developed.
Once the investigation team's list was finalized and they saw that it was full of "their own people," the Austrian Jewish upper class that had slipped through the net was reassured. Everyone agreed that the matter had passed.
In this inhospitable world, the Jewish people had endured by relying on unity in times of crisis.
After discussing it, everyone decided that since they had nowhere else to go anyway, and Austria's anti-Jewish movement