Top

About Us

A Perspective on JDC:
Prof. Yehuda Bauer

Prof. Yehuda Bauer

April 2015. Photo by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung.

In the videos below, world-renowned historian and Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer traces the historic trajectory of JDC from its beginning in 1914, focusing on its global impact and its life-changing work in places like the Soviet Union, Germany and Poland.

Chapter I: The Establishment of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

This chapter describes the climate in the American Jewish community that led to the establishment of JDC; the merging of three organizations to a “Joint” Distribution Committee; and the early activities of the JDC in Palestine.

Chapter II: JDC in the Soviet Union

This chapter covers JDC ‘s work in the Soviet Union in the early 1920’s and the establishment of Agro-Joint in Crimea and Ukraine.

Chapter III: JDC in Poland and Germany

This chapter highlights JDC activities in Europe during the inter-war period, including loan kassas (loan bureaus) across Eastern Europe; the socioeconomic situation of Polish Jews in the interwar period; and the experiences of the German Jewish community during the rise of Nazism.

Chapter IV: JDC As a Global Organization

This chapter details the transformation of JDC into a global organization, including JDC’s work during World War II and in the aftermath of the war in displaced persons (DP) camps across Europe; Bricha; and JDC’s operations in Israel, North Africa, and elsewhere across the globe.

Dear Visitors,

Every year the JDC Archives is proud to offer free online public programs, research assistance, and access to our digitized archival collections. Dive into 3.9 million pages, 80,000 images, and over 700,000 entries in our Names Index through our website. We need your support to keep these invaluable resources in Jewish history accessible.