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.