The Yishuv/Israel
Jewish refugees hoist a flag as they disembark in Haifa from the SS Mataroa.
Haifa, Palestine, July 1945.
JDC’s founding telegram from Ambassador Henry Morgenthau was a call to action to assist the Jews of the Yishuv. JDC worked to develop social welfare services and to improve the lives of those living in Palestine in those early years. From malaria eradication to establishing kindergartens and assisting in the beginnings of Hadassah, JDC has been there. It helped to absorb immigrants and took charge of major rescue efforts from Yemen and Iraq. JDC Malben established institutions for the elderly, the sick, and the disadvantaged. JDC-Israel today partners with the government of Israel and NGOs to bring innovative new services to Israel for those at risk.
Nurses care for infants and children at the Aliza Maon Infants Orphanage
After providing food and other basic supplies during World War I, JDC continued its activity in Palestine, including support for orphanages and medical and sanitary programs to alleviate the spread of disease.
Palestine, 1921.
Women training to work as bus drivers
As men enlisted to join British forces to defend Palestine during World War II, women were trained to take over the civilian jobs they had left.
Tel Aviv, 1942.
Crates of shoes purchased by JDC in Palestine for shipment to Polish Jews in Soviet Asia via Baghdad and Tehran
In 1942, JDC began to send relief packages with desperately needed supplies to Jews who fled east with the Nazi advance on Europe.
Jerusalem, c.1943.
The first children's transport to Palestine arrives from Romania
Palestine, 1944. Photograph: Charles J. Handler.
Yemenite Jews get their first glimpse of the Holy Land
So poverty-stricken that their clothes consist mainly of rags, these Yemenite Jews shown on their arrival in a port in Palestine are typical of those whom the JDC helped to evacuate from the British Crown Colony of Aden.
Palestine, March 31, 1944.
Lucky Jewish refugees hoist a flag as they disembark in Haifa from the SS Mataroa
JDC transported the 1,164 passengers from Naples, Italy, including 242 orphans rescued from concentration camps.
Haifa, Palestine, July 1945.
A group of residents of a MALBEN home for the aged
Through MALBEN, JDC assisted elderly immigrants from many different countries.
Pardessia, Israel, 1955.
ORT vocational training program in metalworking
JDC provided support for ORT schools in Israel for many years.
Israel, 1960s. Photograph: Herbert Sonnenfeld.
A group of students from the Etz Chaim Yeshiva undergo blood tests
The tests were performed as part of a program to provide regular medical care to 9,000 yeshiva students in Israel.
Jerusalem, c.1960.
A young cerebral palsy patient learns to read at the JDC-supported Asaf Harofeh Government Hospital
The hospital was founded on the site of a former British military hospital and later came to specialize in the treatment of cerebral palsy.
Tzrifin, Israel, 1962.
Two elderly couples stop to chat in front of a MALBEN apartment complex
MALBEN provided apartments for elderly immigrants who were able to live independently.
Israel, 1963. Photograph: Fred Csasznik.
Cornerstone-laying ceremony of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work
The Paul Baerwald School, first established in Versailles, France, in the post-World War II years, later was moved to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, October 1964. Photograph: Joseph Natani.
Testing conducted at the JDC-supported Dr. Harold and Anna Weinberg Child Development Institute
Starting in the 1960s, JDC helped to establish a countrywide network of Child Development Centers to diagnose and evaluate physically and developmentally disabled children.
Tel Aviv, c.1975.
Yemenite Jews arrive in Israel
In the early 1990s, a group of the small remnant of the Yemenite Jewish community was able to leave Yemen.
Israel, 1990s. Photograph: Ami Bergman.
An Ethiopian-born Jew embraces a family member who has just immigrated to Israel as part of Operation Solomon
The operation transported more than 14,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 36 hours.
Israel, 1991. Photograph: Zion Ozeri.
A child playing at an educational program for Ethiopian children
Rishon LeZion, Israel, 1992. Photograph: Vera Etzion.
A Soviet immigrant works as an apprentice for her mentor in the Women to Women Program
JDC developed model training courses to enhance opportunities for immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
Israel, 1991. Photograph: Studio Magnes.
Exhibit
Everything Possible:
JDC and the Children of the DP Camps
Featuring historic photographs from the JDC Archives, focuses on JDC’s significant efforts on behalf of children in the displaced persons camps established by the Allied Armed Forces after World War II. JDC was permitted to enter the camps to supplement minimal provisions with critical nutritional, medical, educational, and religious services for survivors.
