JDC in the 1960s
Yemenite seder at Malben’s Ein Shemer home for the elderly.
Shaar Menashe, Israel, 1960.
JDC’s first cargo of preserved kosher beef is loaded aboard the SS Ashburn.
New York harbor, June 1919
JDC’s partnership with the Israeli government to develop strategic interventions in social service programs for a broad spectrum of populations continued to expand, enabling Israel to meet the needs of its diverse communities. JDC in Europe helped communities to welcome Jewish refugees from North Africa and Poland and to develop social services to assist in their absorption.
In Depth
1960s: Helping the New State of Israel Care for its Most Vulnerable Citizens
Elderly man in the mellah (Jewish quarter) of Marrakesh, Morocco, with bread from the JDC-subsidized Soupe Populaire
In 1959, JDC was serving more people in Morocco than in any other single country in the world, with the lion’s share of the budget earmarked for the feeding program.
Morocco, c.1960.
Yemenite seder at Malben’s Ein Shemer home for the elderly
Reflecting Israel’s ethnic diversity, the Yemenite community kept up its religious and cultural traditions, which were encouraged and fostered by JDC through its Malben institutions.
1960.
Man arranging newly made shoes in a JDC supported-workers' cooperative
Warsaw, Poland, 1960. Photograph: Jean Mohr.
Children on an outing
In 1958, the Polish government invited JDC to return, primarily to care for Jews repatriated from the Soviet Union. It was forced to leave again in 1967.
Warsaw, Poland, 1960. Photograph: Jean Mohr.
Two young women learn sewing at a JDC-supported job training program
Algiers, Algeria, 1962.
Algerian Jewish refugee children at the Foyer Amical Canteen
Almost the entire Algerian Jewish community sought refuge in France following Algerian independence in 1962. JDC assisted the French government and French Jewish welfare agencies to aid almost 360,000 refugees.
Paris, France, c.1962. Photograph: Daniel Franck.
Elderly resident of JDC/Malben Village for the aged knitting
Neve Avot, Israel, 1963. Photograph: Fred Csasznik.
Refugees from Czechoslovakia wait for an airplane to take them to the United States
More than 4,000 Czech Jews fled to Austria during the Prague Spring; nearly 3,000 of them turned to the JDC office in Vienna for assistance.
Vienna, Austria, 1968. Photograph: Jean Mohr.
Hearing-impaired youngster in the JDC-supported school run by Micha, the Israel Society for Deaf Children
Programs for children with special needs received particular attention in the 1960s; JDC provided financial and technical assistance to voluntary agencies for handicapped children, including Micha and Shema for the deaf and hearing-impaired, Akim for the developmentally disabled, and Ilan for children with neuro-muscular disorders.
1968.
