Top

Our Collections / Names Index

Lists in the Names Index

Below is a description of the lists currently searchable in the Names Database. As this is an ongoing effort, the inventory of lists available to the public continues to grow, with more names and documents being added periodically.

Early Remittance Lists

Early Remittance Lists: The Transmission Department of the JDC was established in 1915 to deliver personal remittances to those areas in Europe and Palestine where normal transmission agencies were incapable of functioning due to war conditions. Relatives from the West were able to deposit small amounts of money (typically $5 or $10, up to $100) for JDC to remit to their relatives overseas. The remittance lists include both the names and addresses of remitters and beneficiaries, prime genealogical material that cannot be found elsewhere. In the 1917-1920 period these remittances exceeded $6,966,195. The JDC Archives has indexed remittance lists from Poland (including the “Occupied Territory”), Romania, Palestine, and Russia. Files include:

The 1914-1921 Period

Jewish Men from Rohatyn, Poland Imprisoned in Siberia, 1916 (PDF 703 KB)
A 1916 list of those from the Galician town of Rohatyn, Poland imprisoned in Siberia. The entire male population, aged 12 to 70, was imprisoned by Russian troops, leaving a community of starving women and children, to whom the JDC endeavors to distribute proper aid.

Aid to Rabbis in the Russian Empire and Palestine, 1916 (PDF 2.43 MB)
Lists from 1916 detailing financial aid for prominent rabbis.

Jews from the Russian Empire Requesting Contact with Relatives, 1917 (PDF 2.25 MB)
JDC representatives assisted Jews from the former Russian Empire in attempts to contact and locate their relatives in the West. JDC representatives acted as intermediaries between relatives in this 1917 list and provided aid.

Injured Jewish Prisoners of War Repatriated to Their Home Countries, 1920- (PDF 12.4 MB)
In the aftermath of World War I, JDC, together with the American Red Cross and other groups, sought to repatriate 160,000 prisoners of war in Siberia, 10,000 of whom were Jewish. This list includes information on “60 Jewish war invalids” who were repatriated on May 11, 1920 on the SS Shunko Maru, funded by JDC. Photographs and genealogical details are included on this list.

Vienna Professionals to Whom JDC Distributed Food Parcels, 1920- (PDF 2.31 MB)
Following World War I, Austria suffered unprecedented inflation, shortages and devaluation of the Austrian krone. JDC responded to this crisis by providing Jews with food, clothing, heating materials and cash assistance. This list details engineers, physicians, government employees and others who were newly destitute and received food parcels from JDC.

Prisoner of War in Siberia Cards, 1920
In the aftermath of World War I, 10,000 Jews were among the 160,000 prisoners of war in Siberia. JDC, together with the American Red Cross and other groups, established the Siberian War Prisoners Repatriation Fund. Almost all inmates who desired to return to their homes were able do so, saving tens of thousands from death. This collection of over 1,000 cards has photographs and biographical information about Jewish prisoners.

Lists of Polish Jews, Grouped by Town, Requesting Assistance from U.S. Relatives, 1921 (PDF 24 MB)
JDC representatives in Poland transmitted requests for affidavits, transportation funds, and other assistance from Jews overseas to their stateside relatives. JDC field representatives sent to the JDC NY Headquarters lists of Jews from a specific town in Poland, which included information on their individual needs and the details regarding their U.S. relatives. The NY office then followed up with stateside relatives. Genealogically rich materials such as Polish and American names and addresses appear on these 1921 postwar lists.

Orphans Provided Guardianship through JDC’s Financial Adoption Program, 1921 (PDF 5.91 MB)
Following the upheaval of World War I, JDC initiated a legal adoption program, whereby a patron sponsored a child’s welfare for the yearly sum of $100. Immigrant Aid Societies, Synagogues, and distant relatives in the United States often sponsored children.

Prisoners of War Released from Siberia, 1921 (PDF 1.57 MB)
This 1921 list details former Hungarian, German and Austrian Prisoners of War who received aid from JDC and the American Red Cross upon arrival in San Francisco, en route to Trieste, Italy. This list was published for the information of relatives, who could expect the arrival of their relatives in Trieste by the end of June, 1921.

 

Lists from the Nazi Period and its Aftermath

Refugees in Polish Border Areas, 1938-1939 (PDF 72.5 MB)
Lists of Polish Jews expelled from Germany by the Nazi government into the Polish border town of Zbaszyn and others expelled from the German client state of Slovakia to towns in the no-man’s-land across the border in Western Galicia, receiving assistance from the JDC in 1938-1939.

Polish Jewish Emigrants in Hungary, 1939 (PDF 2.18 MB)
A list of emigrants from Poland receiving welfare aid from the JDC in Budapest in 1939.

Refugees on the SS St. Louis Who Received JDC Aid, 1939 (PDF 2.07 MB)
In May 1939, the SS St. Louis ferried more than 930 passengers fleeing Nazi Germany to Cuba. They were denied entry into Havana, and JDC came to their aid. When negotiations between JDC and the Cuban government failed, the ship was forced to return to Hamburg with 907 passengers. While the ship was still on the high seas, JDC won the consent of Holland, Belgium, England and France to accept the refugees, posting a $500,000 guarantee to cover support costs. When it reached Europe, the ship was able to dock in Antwerp, where the passengers disembarked.

Escaped Polish Jewish Officers in Komarom, Hungary, 1939 (PDF 2.18 MB)
This 1939 list includes names of the escaped Polish Jewish officers in the camp at Komarom, Hungary. Detailed information about the officer’s city of origin and relatives relative is listed.

Children in Holland Whom JDC Is Trying to Assist to Emigrate to the United States, 1940 (PDF 6.69 MB)
JDC rescue efforts during World War II included reaching out to a network of other organizations, including HIAS and the NY-based German Jewish Children’s Aid to help children, some of whom had relatives in America, emigrate from Holland to the U.S. Relatives were contacted for affidavits, funds, and to provide homes for young relatives.

Vilna Refugees, 1940 (PDF 27.4 MB)
Polish Jewish refugees receiving JDC aid, after they had moved eastward to Vilna, Lithuania in 1940 to escape the Nazi regime.

Jewish Refugee Children Receiving JDC Aid in France, Including Information on Overseas Relatives and Friends, 1940 (PDF 27.4 MB)
During World War II, JDC supported childcare for Jewish refugee children in France. JDC funded efforts of the U.S. Committee for the Care of European Children, which helped children emigrate to the U.S. This list includes names of Jewish refugee children in France, their parents’ names, the child’s birth date and place, and names and addresses of U.S.-based relatives or friends from whom assistance was sought for affidavits.

German Jews in Lisbon for Whom JDC Covered Emigration Costs, 1941 (PDF 14.1 MB)
JDC and its partners helped German Jews flee Nazism to North and South America, and other safe havens via ships from neutral Portugal. JDC funded transportation costs, HIAS funded administration fees and the HIAS-ICA Emigration Association in Lisbon (HICEM) provided logistics. Listed are names, family members, sailing date, ship name, destination, and expenses covered by JDC.

Ship Sailings of Refugees from Japanese Ports to the Western Hemisphere, 1940-1941 (PDF 38.3 MB)
These 1940-1941 lists contain information on European Jewish refugees seeking to emigrate from Japan to the West. Files on individual sailings are included, to safe havens such as Canada, USA, and South America. Included are names, city of origin, nationality, and destination. Names and addresses of relatives and friends who gave affidavits securing their passage are included.

Jewish Refugees Escaping to Shanghai, China via Yokohama, Japan 1941 (PDF 53.3 MB)
These lists detail German Jewish refugees escaping Nazism to China and Japan via the TranSiberian railroad. Included are names, addresses in Germany, nationality, amount paid for passage, destination and date of departure. Also included are relatives overseas in Shanghai, USA, South America, and the Philippines supplying affidavits.

Jewish Refugees Leaving Japan for Other Safe Havens, 1941 (PDF 8.86 MB)
These lists detail refugees who, after finding refuge in Japan from Nazism, are leaving Japan for Australia, Canada, USA, Burma, South Africa, Palestine, and South America. Included are names, nationalities, dates, Japanese ports of departure and destinations. A Refugee Aid Committee was formed in Japan in 1939, with JDC migration offices opening in 1940.

German Refugees Receiving JDC Aid in Japan, 1941 (PDF 1.45 MB)
This is a 1941 list of German and Austrian refugees stranded in Japan. Funds for their support are drawn from the JDC Germany budget. Included are names, cities of origin in Germany, and ages.

European Refugees Receiving JDC Aid in Japan, Including Information on Overseas Relatives, 1941 (PDF 58.2 MB)
The Jewish community in Kobe, Japan compiled this list of European refugees and their relatives overseas, so that JDC can solicit aid from family members. Included are names, ages, birth information, profession, citizenship of refugees, as well as the names and addresses of relatives abroad. In the 1940-1941 period, JDC allocated more than $158, 284 to refugees in Japan.

Yeshiva Students Receiving JDC Aid in Wartime Japan, 1941 (PDF 3.00 MB)
Lists of students, organized by yeshiva, receiving JDC aid in wartime Japan. Included are the Mirer, Kamieniecer, Slonimer, Ostrów Mazowiecka, Klecker, Radiner, Telser, Nowogrodker, Lucker, Warschauer, Reverends and Lubavitcher Yeshivas. Names, ages, birth data, profession and citizenship, as well as names and addresses of relatives abroad, are listed. From 1940-1941 JDC allocated more than $158,284 to refugees in Japan.

Refugees Arriving in Japan and Receiving JDC Aid, 1941 (PDF 8.61 MB)
These 1941 lists detail Polish and German Jewish refugee subjects, as well as refugees from other locales, arriving in Kobe, Japan in 1940-1941. Included are names, ages, birthplace, profession, date of arrival in Japan, destination and date of departure. With the heavy refugee influx, community groups turned to JDC for aid. A Refugee Aid Committee was formed in Japan in 1939, with JDC migration offices opening in 1940.

Guarantees from the Mirrer and Lubavitcher Yeshivas in Support of Students Finding Safe Havens in Canada or Other Friendly Countries, 1941 (PDF 4.76 MB)
These are lists from the Mirrer and Lubavitcher Yeshiva representatives of their students and faculty who are refugees in Kobe and Shanghai. The Yeshivas are guaranteeing their support of $8/per month for each faculty member and student, and JDC is seeking countries of safe haven for these refugees.

Passengers on the SS Mouzinho, 1941 (PDF 84.7 MB)
The SS Mouzinho left Lisbon for New York on June 10, 1941. JDC had secured the entire ship for refugee passengers, including more than 100 children, many of whom had been living in internment camps in southern France. Among the passengers were artist Marc Chagall and his wife, Bella.

JDC Lisbon List of Polish Jewish Passengers to Cuba or Jamaica, 1942 (PDF 745 KB)
A group of Polish Jews, refugees stranded without papers in Portugal, faced imminent deportation. JDC assisted them to reach out to the Polish Government-In-Exile, and an agreement was reached with the British, allowing the refugees to live in Jamaica on a temporary basis. JDC arranged for transportation of 157 Polish Jews from Lisbon to Cuba, and to a refugee camp in Jamaica. JDC covered living expenses for the refugees.

Passengers on the SS Cabo de Bueno Esperanza, 1940-1943 (PDF 2.0 MB)
The S.S. Cabo de Bueno Esperanza carried passengers from Portuguese and Spanish ports to safety in South America during World War II. JDC provided travel assistance, facilitated communication with overseas relatives who provided sponsorship, and made arrangements with the shipping lines. Indexed lists document passengers on seven sailings of the ship between November 1940 and June 1943.

Of particular note is the voyage of October 1941: after having been detained aboard another ship, the Alsina, in Dakar and subsequently incarcerated in concentration camps outside Casablanca, a group of 42 passengers was allowed to proceed to Brazil. But when they arrived, they were refused permission to disembark. The ship continued south to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the group was confined to an immigrants’ hotel with a 90-day limit until they could obtain new visas for other destinations. When this grace period ended, the group, now joined by another 40, were put on the Cabo de Hornos, which was returning to Europe. JDC scrambled to find a country that would accept the refugees, finally receiving the agreement of the Dutch that they could land in Curacao. These events are outlined in a summary document and a copy of a TIME magazine article in the JDC Archives.

Individual Recipients of JDC Food Parcels in Poland, 1941-1943 (PDF 26 MB)
These lists detail Jews in Poland who required assistance during the World War II years and to whom JDC shipped parcels and food packages. Included are lists of individuals for whom package shipments were requested as well as lists of individuals with confirmation that their packages were received. Also included are lists of individuals to whom packages were sent but returned, never reaching their intended recipients.

Refugees in Portugal Assisted by JDC, 1943 (PDF 8.4 MB)
During World War II, Jews from across Europe fled to the safety of Portugal, where they hoped to gain visas and passage on ships bound for the West. Many became stranded there for extended periods of time. JDC provided financial assistance to these refugees as well as to Portuguese Jews. An addendum lists prospective immigrants for Canada, many of whom are also listed as assistees.

Beneficiaries of JDC’s Free Parcel Service in the Soviet Union, 1943-1945 (PDF 15.4 MB)
These 1943-1945 lists contain the names and addresses of Jews receiving JDC parcels in the Soviet Union and the liberated territories. Included are refugees who had previously fled eastward to escape the Nazis.

Refugees Emigrating from Portugal to Canada with Help from JDC, 1944 (PDF 326 KB)
As part of the Canadian Emigration Project, the JDC appropriated $150,000 for support of Jewish refugees in Spain and Portugal and for the transportation of refugee holders of duration-of-the-war visas to Canada. This list includes 81 members of 30 family units who received Canadian visas in Portugal as of February 12, 1944.

Refugees Receiving JDC Aid in Tangier, 1944 (PDF 1.76 MB)
This list details 807 Jewish refugee families who received assistance from JDC in Tangier, an international city since 1938. Aid to these refugees, many of whom were rendered stateless due to the trials of World War II, was provided in partnership with the local refugee committee. Refugee names, place and date of birth, nationality and occupation were recorded, as relayed to the committee by the refugees themselves.

Immigrants to Palestine from Southern Italy, 1944 (PDF 2.0 MB)
This list provides the names of 873 persons who had fled to Italy from other countries in Europe prior to 1940 and were incarcerated in camps at Bari and Ferramonti once Italy joined the war. JDC provided assistance in the camps and participated in the program to transport them to Palestine.

Lists of Passengers Who Sailed on the SS Serpa Pinto, 1941-1944
In numerous sailings over the course of World War II, the SS Serpa Pinto (or Serpa Pinta) bore more refugees across the Atlantic than any other Portuguese ship. It typically carried up to 800 passengers per sailing, departing from Lisbon and often stopping in Casablanca to pick up additional passengers. The ship’s destination was generally the United States, but other points of disembarkation included Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico. JDC financed or shared in the financing of these trips by purchasing tickets and providing guarantees, which enabled thousands of refugees to reach safety. These JDC lists are not ship manifests; they are lists of refugees assisted by JDC. The lists that have been indexed are arranged chronologically below:

  • March 1941 (PDF 1.3 MB): This list includes passengers’ addresses and information about the sponsor in the United States who deposited funds with the JDC to ensure passage.
  • June 1941 (PDF 600 KB): This list is arranged by the JDC office (Berlin, Amsterdam, and Vienna) that arranged the refugees’ passage. Financial information about the sums provided has been redacted.
  • September 1941 (PDF 1.3 MB): This list is arranged by the partner organization that arranged the refugees’ passage. Financial information about the sums provided has been redacted.
  • November 1941 (PDF 242 KB): This sailing included passengers who had been waiting in Vigo, Spain, and a group bound for the Dominican Republic, mostly in connection with the Dominican Republic Settlement Association (DORSA) program.
  • January 1942 (PDF 1.64 MB): This sailing included passengers bound for Jamaica, Cuba, and New York.
  • June 1942 (PDF 1.35 MB): This sailing included passengers embarking in Lisbon and Casablanca. Details include age, occupation, and nationality.
  • September 1942 (PDF 1.78 MB): This sailing included passengers bound for Veracruz, Mexico; its final destination in the United States was the port of Baltimore.
  • November 1942 (PDF 204 KB): This list of 181 names does not include any additional information about destination, age, or nationality.
  • January 1943 (PDF 369 KB): This list is arranged by citizenship and includes date of birth and prior country of residence.
  • April 1943 (PDF 181 KB): Details on this list include age and citizenship.
  • August 1943 (PDF 450 KB): Details on this list include age, marital status, and nationality.
  • October 1943 (PDF 54 KB): This brief list includes name and age only.
  • March 1944 (PDF 406 KB): The passengers on this list were in transit to Canada via Philadelphia. Details include age and nationality.
  • May 1944 (PDF 54 KB): This list includes passengers bound for Canada from Barcelona and Madrid in addition to those already in Lisbon. While at sea, the ship was attacked and held by a German U-boat but finally was allowed to proceed. An accompanying news item describes the incident.
  • Jewish Refugee Children on the SS Serpa Pinto, 1943-1944 (PDF 2.06MB): This list details Jewish refugee children who were helped by JDC in Barcelona. The JDC then assisted with their emigration from Lisbon on the SS Serpa Pinto.

Passengers on the SS Nyassa, 1941-1944
The S.S. Nyassa made numerous trips from Europe to the West during World War II. JDC made arrangements for refugees to travel aboard the ship, providing full or partial funding for the tickets. The ship traveled from Lisbon and/or Casablanca to the United States, sometimes making additional stops in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Mexico. A special voyage, in January 1944, took refugees from Lisbon to Haifa. The lists that have been indexed are arranged chronologically below:

Refugees Receiving JDC Aid in Camp Fadhala, Morocco, 1944 (PDF 899 KB)
This is a list of 853 refugees in Camp Fadhala, a transit camp for refugees who arrived from Spain. With most doors closed to European Jewry, JDC helped recruit refugees to the safe haven near Casablanca, providing support for care and maintenance, as well as equipment. Residents of the camp were from Greece, Yugoslavia, Tripoli and Malta, and the camp harbored both Jewish and non-Jewish refugees, including a Roma minority.

Jewish Refugees in Spain Who Received Visas to Canada, 1944 (PDF 2.54 MB)
European Jewish families who had escaped the Nazis and were living in the Iberian Peninsula in1944. The refugees were aided by JDC. These lists include families who had received visas to Canada with JDC assistance.

Refugee Children in Spain and Portugal Whom JDC Is Helping to Emigrate, 1944 (PDF 225 KB)
JDC is attempting to connect Jewish refugee children with their relatives overseas, to secure age affidavits for the children to facilitate immigration. Included are names, place and date of birth, parents’ names, and names and addresses of relatives overseas.

European Jewish Refugee Arrivals from Havana to Miami, 1944-1945 (PDF 2.70 MB)
These 1944-1945 lists detail European Jewish refugees from Havana, Cuba, arriving in Miami, Florida in the postwar period, where they were assisted by JDC and the National Council of Jewish Women. Descriptive material such as full names, relatives, ages, birthplace and wartime location are listed.

Jewish Orphans from Buchenwald Brought to France by JDC, 1945 (PDF 505 KB)
This list contains names of 535 Jewish orphans from the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. Joseph Schwartz, JDC’s Overseas Director, negotiated their entry into France and agreed to cover transportation costs. In June 1945, the children reached Paris and were sent to two JDC-supported homes run by OSE, a French childcare organization. In July 1945, 173 journeyed to Palestine on the SS Mataroa, a trip financed by JDC.

Barcelona Refugee Case Cards, 1943-1945
After the fall of France, tens of thousands of Jewish refugees seeking to flee Nazi Europe streamed into Spain from France. JDC set up an office in Barcelona and provided support, housing and emigration assistance to these refugees. JDC also assisted refugees waiting for emigration papers and passage on transatlantic vessels. This collection contains index cards from 1943-1945 for 8220 refugees supported by JDC.

Passengers on the SS Plus Ultra, 1945 (PDF 9.2 MB)
As World War II was ending, JDC arranged documents and paid the transportation costs for survivors to make Aliyah to Palestine. This list provides information on passengers, most of whom were in Switzerland, who were to travel to Palestine via Lisbon on the SS Plus Ultra in May 1945. It was the first passenger ship from Europe to arrive in Palestine after the war.

Passengers on the SS Marine Flasher, 1946 (PDF 13.7 MB)
Departing from Germany on May 11, 1946, the Marine Flasher carried the first survivors to enter the U.S. under President Truman’s executive order establishing immigration priority for displaced persons. JDC arranged passage for 444 of the 867 displaced persons aboard the ship, facilitating the filing of paperwork, supplying affidavits, and covering transportation costs.

JDC Emigration Service Index Cards: Warsaw Office, 1945-1949
JDC’s operations in Poland were reestablished immediately after the end of World War II. One of JDC’s principal activities was to provide assistance to those seeking to emigrate. Most of Poland’s surviving Jews, including those repatriated from the Soviet Union, left Poland during this period, particularly after the Kielce pogrom of 1946. This index of emigration case files includes approximately 6,400 cards.

JDC Emigration Service Case Files: Prague Office, 1945-1950 (PDF 4.1 MB).
This index provides the names of clients served by the AJDC Emigration Service in Czechoslovakia in the years immediately following the end of World War II, until JDC was forced to leave Czechoslovakia in January 1950. The index includes about 11,000 entries covering 22,000 individuals who received emigration assistance from JDC.

Lists of Jews in Europe who received parcels as per orders via JDC’s Jerusalem office, 1945-1948
Immediately following World War II, JDC created a program though which families and friends could get life-sustaining CARE packages to Holocaust survivors in Europe. Included on these list are names and addresses of beneficiaries in Europe and donors in Mandatory Palestine, Iran India, Egypt, and Lebanon, as well as the price of packages.

  • Parcels to Belgium and France, May-July 1945 (PDF 28 MB)
  • Parcels to France, August 1945-February 1946 (PDF 22 MB)
  • Parcels to the Netherlands, 1945-1949 (PDF 83.2 MB)
  • Parcels to Europe, June-December 1946 (PDF 16.5 MB)
  • Parcels to Europe, 1947 (PDF 181 MB)
  • Parcels to Poland, 1946-1947 (PDF 33.8 MB)
  • Parcels from India to Europe, 1945-1948 (PDF 310 MB). Local organization for these parcel requests was coordinated by the Jewish Relief Association in Bombay.

Jewish Refugees in Italy Receiving Aid, 1946 (PDF 3.98 MB)
This 1946 list details JDC’s monthly financial support of individuals in the Naples, Florence, Torino, Genova, Modena and Pisa Jewish communities.

Refugees Receiving JDC Aid in Tangier, 1946 (PDF 5.01 MB)
European refugees had been fleeing to Tangier, an international city, since 1938. Under Spanish occupation from June 1940, this became more difficult. After World War II, Tangier returned to international status. Jewish refugees came from different countries including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Turkey. Many were rendered stateless. This list details monthly assistance provided to refugees by JDC.

Jews in Berlin Seeking Relatives in America, 1946 (PDF 3.98 MB)
Immediately after World War II, JDC initiated the Berlin AJDC Tracing Service with the Berlin Jewish community to list all German Jewish survivors and to make contact with relatives abroad. The names, birthdates and addresses of the German Jewish survivors are listed, as well as the addresses of their American relatives.

NEW!! (June 2024) Polish Jewish Refugees Flee to the West via Czechoslovakia in the Bricha, 1946
Bricha was a clandestine movement to bring Jews from Eastern and Central Europe to Palestine following the Holocaust. JDC provided support to the migrants as they passed through Czechoslovakia to the American zones in Germany and Austria. These lists document Polish Jews who had reached the border town of Nachod in June-December 1946. Information includes name (often rendered in Czech), birthdate, and birthplace. For a JDC historic film clip on the Bricha, click here.

Jewish Refugees Finding Safe Haven in Sweden, 1946-1947 (PDF 24.77 MB)
This document lists Jewish refugees JDC assisted to reach Stockholm in the wake of World War II. JDC provided services to these refugees while in Sweden pending permanent resettlement elsewhere in the US, Palestine and South America. Genealogical information such as nationality, birth date and birth year is included.

Rabbinical Students in Shanghai I, 1947 (PDF 282 KB)
This is a 1947 list of rabbinical students living in Shanghai who fled Poland after the Nazi invasion. JDC funded their transportation eastward via Siberia and Japan. On this list, JDC is arranging affidavits for their immigration to the U.S. All told, some 16,000 refugee Jews survived the war in Shanghai with JDC aid, with JDC expending some $7,434,000 between 1938-1979 for their relief and resettlement.

Rabbinical Students in Shanghai II, 1947 (PDF 1.26 MB)
A 1947 list of rabbinical students living in Shanghai who are refugees from the Nazi invasion of Poland. Finding temporary refuge in Lithuania with JDC support, the rabbinical group then moved eastward via Siberia and Japan, with JDC funding their transportation costs. Most were shipped by the Japanese authorities from Japan to Shanghai in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. JDC covered the costs of their support during their entire sojourn in the Far East. In this document, the JDC is arranging documentation and affidavits for their migration to the U.S. All told, 15,000 refugee Jews survived the war in Shanghai with JDC aid. Between 1938-1979, the JDC expended some $7,434,000 for the relief, rehabilitation and resettlement of Shanghai refugees.

Repatriates from Shanghai to Vienna (PDF 4.3 MB) and Berlin (PDF 3.3 MB), 1947
During World War II, thousands of European Jewish refugees found safe haven in Shanghai, where JDC provided food and other assistance. After the war, JDC assisted these refugees to emigrate or to return to their home countries. These lists provide the names of passengers on the Marine Falcon, Marechal Joffre, and Marine Lynx, repatriating Austrian Jews to Vienna in 1947, and the names of refugees who had returned to Germany as of September 1947.

Jewish Orphans Who Immigrated from Warsaw to France with JDC’s Help, 1947-1948 (PDF 4.15 MB)
This handwritten document relays the names of child survivors living in a JDC-supported children’s home in Warsaw whom JDC helped move to France pending permanent resettlement elsewhere. In the postwar years, JDC supported 32 children’s homes in France which maintained several thousand children. Information on this list includes names, birthplace and birth date.

Departures from Europe, 1947-1954
After World War II, JDC’s Emigration Service, with offices throughout Europe, assisted thousands of Jews to emigrate to North and South America, Palestine/Israel, Australia, and South Africa or to resettle elsewhere within Europe. These lists are regularly issued memoranda of the Emigration Service, detailing information on those who had departed Europe, including the originating JDC office, name, destination, and ship name where relevant.

Jewish Students in Poland Receiving Scholarship Assistance, 1948 (PDF 21.3 MB)
This list details Jewish students receiving scholarships to university, based on merit and need. These scholarships were awarded by the Central Committee of Jews in Poland with funds received from the Central British Fund (now World Jewish Relief). JDC participated in the selection committee and provided logistical support.

Shanghai Clients Registering for Emigration to Canada, 1948 (PDF 4.02 MB)
A 1948 list of Displaced Persons in Shanghai who are registering for emigration to Canada. The JDC advocated on their behalf, and the Canadian government is accepting some and refusing visas to others. The Shanghai Joint Distribution Committee and its predecessor organization guided refugee aid and emigration activities, including running kitchens that fed 10,000 people a day. All told, 15,000 refugee Jews survived the war in Shanghai with JDC aid. From 1938-1979, the JDC expended some $7,434,000 for the relief, rehabilitation and resettlement of Shanghai refugees.

Ezras Torah Fund, 1948 (PDF 4.88 MB)
A 1948 list of needy Orthodox rabbis and scholars, who, along with their families, received financial aid from the JDC in Europe and Palestine in the postwar period. The Ezras Torah Fund was organized in 1915 by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada.

Polish Jewish Repatriates following World War II, 1948 (PDF 1.77 MB)
This 1948 list from the JDC Location Service details Polish Jewish citizens repatriated from Russia back to their home country in the post World War II period. The Polish Jews on the list had spent the war years in Russia.

Jewish Refugees in Latin America Receiving JDC Assistance, 1948 (PDF 5.20 MB)
These 1948 lists detail monthly reports from the JDC Latin America office on World War II refugees. The refugees immigrated to Paraguay, Cuba, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador and were sponsored by JDC. The lists were submitted by Jewish Welfare Committees in each of the aforementioned countries.

CARE Packages to DP (Displaced Persons) Camps I, 1946-1948 (PDF 15.5 MB)
The Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE) program was founded in 1945 by America’s 26 leading volunteer agencies, one of which was the JDC, to rush life saving CARE packages to survivors of World War II in a safe, non-profit channel. More than 100 million packages reached people in need in the 2 decades following the war. These 1946-1948 lists detail relatives from South Africa and Shanghai, China who sent packages of food or blankets to their relatives in DP camps in Europe. Detailed geographical information of both the remitter and the recipient of aid is included. When the program first began, ten dollars bought a CARE Package, with a guarantee that the recipient would receive it within four months.

CARE Packages to DP (Displaced Persons) Camps II, 1946-1948 (PDF 490 KB)
The Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE) program was founded in 1945 by America’s 26 leading volunteer agencies, including JDC, to rush CARE packages to survivors of World War II. More than 100 million packages reached people in need in the 2 decades following the war. These 1946-1948 lists include the beneficiaries of parcels, as well as the date of package delivery.

JDC Shanghai Refugee Client List, 1950 (PDF 39.9 MB)
A 1950 list of JDC’s Shanghai Case Files of Jewish refugees assisted by JDC during the World War II years and thereafter. Lists are organized according to end destination, e.g. U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Israel and Australia. Included also are names of family members and case file numbers. Shipment of the files out of Shanghai was first approved by the Chinese Communist authorities, but later rejected. These files remain in the hands of the Chinese government.

JDC Emigration Service Index Cards: Paris Office, 1945-1953
JDC’s overseas headquarters moved back to Paris immediately after the end of World War II. One of JDC’s principal activities was to assist those seeking to emigrate. This large collection of approximately 30,000 index cards includes cards for Jews who registered directly with JDC’s Paris Emigration Service Office and cards compiled by the Emigration Service Headquarters in Paris for those who had registered with JDC offices elsewhere in Europe. Many of the emigrants passed through France en route to their final destinations. The JDC Emigration Service assisted with travel documents, transportation arrangements, and temporary accommodations.

JDC Emigration Service Index Cards: Munich and Vienna Offices, 1945–mid-1950s
This is a collection of registration cards of Jewish survivors who registered with the Emigration Department of JDC in Munich and Vienna after World War II for help in emigrating to countries other than Israel. The database includes individual cards from 1945 to the mid-1950s for 51,554 Displaced Persons in Munich and 25,374 Displaced Persons in Vienna.

Jewish Displaced Persons Who Immigrated to Australia with Help from JDC, 1951 (PDF 4.54 MB)
This list details survivors who traveled to Australia by boat, with the financial and logistical assistance of JDC. “The Joint” provided its local Jewish partner organizations with the financial means to bring 25,000 Jews to Australia after the Holocaust. JDC supported local Jewish social welfare efforts to absorb the refugees into their newfound country by helping them find housing, employment and educational opportunities.

Jewish Refugees Arriving in Australia via Melbourne, 1946-1954
This was indexed through a Project of Jewish Care (Melbourne, Australia) and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004. The database provides an index of names and available personal data taken from passenger lists sent to the Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Society in Melbourne 1946 -1954. Before the departure of ships (mostly leaving from Genoa in Italy or Marseilles in France), HIAS and the AJDC mailed a list of Jewish passengers under their sponsorship to the Federation of Jewish Welfare Societies. This enabled family sponsors to be contacted and arrangements to be made for accommodation for those not being met by family. In addition to these shipping lists there are a few lists of refugees who arrived by plane whose fares were paid by family or friends. These lists, along with thousands of personal files relating to requests for landing permits and search requests for missing relatives are stored in the archives of Jewish Care, the major Jewish social service organization in Melbourne, and in the Archives of JDC and HIAS. In 2003 an agreement was drawn up to permit the USHMM to have access to refugee files dating from 1938 for microfilming.

Jewish Residents of China Seeking to Emigrate, 1955- (PDF 1.85 MB)
Listed are 685 individuals from Shanghai, Harbin and Tientsin who received assistance from JDC with their emigration plans. These Jews did not leave immediately after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 for a number of reasons, including: health limitations, non-liquid assets, family members refusing to separate, difficulty receiving visas, and the Soviets making it difficult for Soviet citizens to leave.

Transmigration Bureau Records, 1940-1956
The Transmigration Bureau was established by JDC in New York to help refugees emigrate from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg, primarily to the U.S. Its primary role was to accept deposits from friends or family overseas towards the travel costs of Jews emigrating from Europe. Included are deposit cards for 37,732 individuals who emigrated from 1940-1956, with the bulk from 1940-1942.

 

Aliyah to Israel

Refugees Who Immigrated via North Africa to Palestine, 1944 (PDF 14 KB)
This is a list of 196 men, women and children who immigrated to Palestine via North Africa with the help of “Association D’etude D’aide & D’assistance,” the local Algerian Jewish relief committee, supported by JDC. Included are Algerian, Polish, Czech, Syrian, Austrian, Russian and Greek Jews, as well as French Jews who had been rendered stateless.

Passengers on SS Kazbek Who Received JDC Aid, 1944 (PDF 225 KB)
Arrangements were made for the SS Kazbek, a Turkish merchandise ship carrying goods to Romania to return to Istanbul carrying 752 Jewish refugees to Istanbul, en route to Palestine. These rescue arrangements were organized by JDC, with the organization provided the majority of the funds. Partners included the Jewish Agency, the Romanian government, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Laurence Steinhardt and the U.S. War Refugee Board.

Children for First Postwar Convoy from France to Palestine, 1945 (PDF 4.46 MB)
The list details children, young people and accompanying adults who were scheduled to immigrate after the Holocaust with the help of JDC on the first convoy. A number of the children had been rendered stateless by the war. Key genealogical information such as name, birth date, birthplace and nationality is noted.

Persons for the Second Convoy from Switzerland to Palestine, 1945 (PDF 28.6 MB)
As World War II was ending, JDC worked with HICEM, Hehaluts, and other organizations to arrange documents and transport for survivors to make aliyah to Palestine. This list provides information on persons who were part of the second convoy of olim who were to travel to Palestine from Switzerland. Many traveled on the SS Mataroa or SS Lima, both of which arrived in Haifa in September 1945.

Births to Cyprus Detainees, 1948-1949 (PDF 11.2 MB)
From 1946 until early 1949, the British confined over 53,000 Jewish refugees not permitted to enter Palestine, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, in detention camps on Cyprus. These weekly lists document babies born to residents of the camps during the period August 1948-February 1949. The lists record more than 500 births and include date of birth, sex, mother’s name, and camp number.

Operation Magic Carpet Yemenite Airlift: Passenger List of Orphans, Women and Children, and Elderly Men, December 1948-March 1949 (PDF 22 MB)
Following Israel’s independence, JDC organized and financed Operation Magic Carpet, bringing Yemenite Jews to Israel. The first phase initialy airlifted orphans to the newly established State of Israel from the British Protectorate of Aden. It then also included unaccompanied women and children and elderly men. This phase lasted from mid-December 1948 through early March 1949. The list includes names, sex, birth year, weight, and family status.

Operation Magic Carpet Yemenite Airlift: Passenger List of Adenites, March-April 1949 (PDF 10 MB)
Following Israel’s independence, JDC organized and financed Operation Magic Carpet, bringing Yemenite Jews to Israel. The second phase airlifted Adenites in March-April 1949 to the newly established State of Israel from the British Protectorate of Aden, after the armistice agreement that allowed Adenite men of fighting age to immigrate to Israel. The list includes names, sex, birth year, weight, and family status.

Operation Magic Carpet Yemenite Airlift: Passenger Lists from Djibouti and Asmara, June 1949 (PDF 2.2 MB)
Following Israel’s independence, JDC organized and financed Operation Magic Carpet, bringing Yemenite Jews to Israel. In addition, as part of this effort, Jews were airlifted from neighboring Djibouti and Asmara in June 1949. The list includes names, sex, birth year, weight, and family status.

Operation Magic Carpet Yemenite Airlift Passenger List Phase 3, “Massive Aliya,” July 1949-July 1950
Following Israel’s independence, JDC organized and financed Operation Magic Carpet, bringing Yemenite Jews to Israel. The third phase of the airlift began after the Imam of Yemen agreed to allow the more than 45,000 members of the remaining Jewish community to leave. The list includes names, sex, birth year, weight, and family status. The list is organized chronologically; portions of the list that have been indexed to date include the following:

Records from 1954 Onward

JDC Aid to Algerian Jews after Earthquake, 1954 (PDF 12.2 MB)

One of the deadliest earthquakes of all-time hit Orleansville (now Clef), Algeria in 1954, killing 1,600 and leaving 10,000 homeless. JDC contributed to a general relief fund for all victims, and, through the local Jewish community, provided loans to the 130 Jewish families in the city who were rendered homeless and whose businesses were destroyed. Included in this list are family names, given names and occupations.

Hungarian Refugee Registration Cards, 1956-57
With the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, more than 18,000 Jews fled to Austria. JDC helped emigrants waiting for resettlement, housing some 11,000 refugees in hotels, private dwellings and camps. JDC also supported two kosher kitchens in Vienna and furnished medical and religious supplies. While some stayed in Europe, refugees emigrated to the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Latin America.

Refugees Assisted in Brazil, 1957 (PDF 1.99 MB)
These lists include information about Jewish refugees from Egypt, Hungary, Israel, and other places helped by the Conselho de Assistencia, a JDC-supported organization in Sao Paulo. Information on the list includes names of family heads, number of persons per family and amount of aid distributed.

Egyptian Jewish Refugees in France Receiving Aid from JDC, 1957-1959 (PDF 1.7 MB)
Fleeing persecution and economic discrimination after the 1956 Suez crisis, 20,000 Egyptian Jews left for Europe, South America and Israel. This list includes payments and loans provided to Egyptian Jewish refugees in France by COJASOR (Comite Juif d’Action Sociale et de Reconstruction). JDC funded COJASOR efforts to assist the refugees with resettlement and housing costs.

Czech Refugee Registration Cards, 1968-1969
During and immediately following the Prague Spring, many Czechoslovakians fled to the West. This set of 1,400 index cards documents Czech Jews who registered with the AJDC Emigration Service in Vienna, Austria in 1968-1969. Included are the name, date and place of birth, occupation, destination, and accompanying family members.

Index to the Transmigrant Files of the AJDC Vienna and Rome Offices, 1946-1988
In Vienna and Rome, JDC developed programs to assist transmigrants, Jewish refugees in transit to other countries, who faced a waiting period of several months for their papers to be processed and were not eligible for work permits. JDC’s caseload fluctuated in response to political developments in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. The Jerusalem Archives of JDC holds tens of thousands of case files for these transmigrants. Due to length, the index is divided into four parts:

In addition, these names may be searched in the Names Index

Search the Names Index