Verena Buser lectures on JDC Support for Hachshara in Nazi Germany

The concepts of Hachshara, Mittleren-Hachshara, and Berufsumschichtung—Jewish retraining and vocational transformation to prepare Jewish youth for life in Eretz Israel—merged in the 1930s as a central theme in German-Jewish circles and press. While scholarship often highlights the youth movement’s role under rising Nazi persecution, less noted is the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s crucial support. This lecture, delivered on January 12, 2026, examines the Joint’s involvement and the pioneers who built training farms across Germany and Europe, opening new perspectives on this pivotal chapter of Jewish history.