German-Jewish Children's Aid Records
Scope and Content Note
The records found in this collection document the work and administration of the German-Jewish Children’s Aid, later named the European-Jewish Children’s Aid. The vast majority of documents in this collection is correspondence. Much of the correspondence is between German-Jewish Children's Aid and other refugee organizations and discusses the identification and emigration of children from Europe.
The first two series primarily hold correspondence, although there are also some lists and biographical information on children. The correspondence in these series discusses the locating and emigration of children out of Europe. Series III and IV are composed mainly of specific individual cases of children who were helped by the German-Jewish Children’s Aid. Series VIII also contains information on children’s cases, but is concerned with those of children still in Europe after the end of World War II. Series VII holds identity papers for many of the children assisted by the German-Jewish Children’s Aid. Series X holds records of cases administered by the Jewish Child Care Association, which dealt with individual children already in the United States.
Series V, VI and IX hold records which are of administrative importance to the organization. Series V is comprised of narrative reports of agency personnel travelling with the children or upon meeting ships arriving in America. Series VI holds records focusing on the logistics of transporting children, and is mainly comprised of correspondence with transportation companies. Records in Series IX contain reports of administrative interest, including financial information and activity reports.
Dates
- 1933 - 1956
Creator
- German-Jewish Children's Aid (Organization) (Organization)
Language of Materials
The collection is in English and German.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open to the public. Permission to publish part or parts of the collection must be obtained in writing from the YIVO Archives.
Use Restrictions
Conditions governing use:
There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection.
For more information, contact:
YIVO Archives
YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
email: archives@yivo.cjh.org
Historical Note
The German-Jewish Children's Aid Society was formed in New York in 1934 by a coalition consisting of the New York Foundation, the Baron de Hirsch Fund, B'nai B'rith, the Hofmeimer Foundation. the American Jewish Committee and the Women's Committee of the American Jewish Congress. These organizations contributed the funds for the German-Jewish Children's Aid to operate.
The purpose of the German-Jewish Children's Aid was to act as the receiving organization for unaccompanied or orphaned children emigrating from Europe to the United States. It acted as financial sponsor for the children (to avoid their "becoming a public charge") and attempted to secure housing or foster home placement.
In 1938, when difficulties were encountered with fund raising, the National Council of Jewish Women assumed financial responsibility for the German-Jewish Children's Aid and the administration of the German-Jewish Children's Aid was taken over by the National Refugee Service. Both of these functions were, in turn, taken over completely by the National Refugee Service in 1941.
In November 1942, to accommodate federal government refugee legislation and coordinate with the United States Committee for the Care of European Children, the German-Jewish Children's Aid changed its name to the European-Jewish Children's Aid.
Extent
81 Linear Feet
Abstract
The German-Jewish Children's Aid, later known as the European-Jewish Children's Aid, was involved in bringing Jewish children to the United States from Europe before, during, and after World War II. The records in this collection are comprised of correspondence, reports and case files, which may contain biographical information as well as questionnaries and correspondence concerning the case.
Arrangement
This collection has ten series, arranged as follows:
- Series 1: Administrative Correspondence, 1933-1956
- Subseries 1: Domestic Administrative Correspondence, 1933-1956
- Subseries 2: European Affiliates Correspondence, 1934-1949
- Series II: Emigration Correspondence, 1933-1950
- Series III: Children's Case File Correspondence, 1939-1952
- Series IV: Children's Closed Cases, 1946-1951
- Series V: Reception Reports: 1935-1944
- Series VI: Transportation Fund-Raising, 1934-1944
- Series VII: Identity Papers, 1941-1948
- Series VIII: "Children Abroad" Case Files, 1945-1949
- Series IX: Administrative Reports, 1934-1952
- Series X: Jewish Child Care Association Case Files, 1947-1948
Acquisition Note
Organizational records of the German-Jewish Children's Aid were received by YIVO from the United HIAS Service in 1965 with additional material arriving in 1974.
Processing Information
In 1971, the records received from HIAS in 1965 were arranged by Zosa Szajkowski and microfilmed on 34 reels, after which the originals were discarded. In 1974, a large lot of German-Jewish Children's Aid case files were received and placed in warehouse storage.
- Administrative reports
- Adoption
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
- Case files
- Correspondence
- England -- Emigration and immigration
- Financial records
- Identity cards
- Immigrants -- United States
- Jewish children
- Jews -- United States -- Charities
- Lists (document genres)
- National Council of Jewish Women
- National Refugee Service (U.S.)
- Official reports
- Razovsky, Cecilia, 1886-1968
- Refugee children
- United States -- Emigration and immigration
- United States. Immigration and Naturalization Service
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Children
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Refugees
- YIVO Archives
Source
- United HIAS Service (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Records of the German-Jewish Children's Aid (GJCA), 1933-1956 RG 249
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Zosa Szajkowski and Gunnar M. Berg
- Date
- © 2004.
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Edition statement
- This version was derived from GJCA.xml
Revision Statements
- January 2006.: Entities removed from EAD finding aid.
Repository Details
Part of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Repository