Guide to the Records of the Jewish Colonization Association RG 236

Title: Guide to the Records of the Jewish Colonization Association RG 236

ID: RG 236 FA

Extent: 3.75 Linear Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The collection was originally arranged by Zosa Szajkowski in the 1970s and was inventoried as part of the Records of HIAS-HICEM I, Section XXXVI. In 2001, under a grant from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) in New York. Archivists Gunnar Berg and Fruma Mohrer revised and expanded the finding aid.

This is a partial inventory of the Records of the Jewish Colonization Association. The portion of JCA records described here pertains to JCA activities in Galicia and Russia only. Included here are reports on JCA colonies, cooperative savings and loans societies, agricultural schools, vocational and technical schools, carpentry workshops, mechanized embroidery factories and weaving factories.

This a partial inventory of the Records of the Jewish Colonization Association. Only Series III: JCA Activities in Russia and Series IV: JCA Activities in Galicia have been described here. For the rest of the inventory please reffer to a hard copy located at the YIVO Archives.

The JCA records in this collection pertain to JCA activities in Argentina, Palestine, Russia, Galicia (Poland), Canada, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus and Germany. The largest part of the collection pertains to JCA colonies in Argentina. The reports relate to all aspects of the colonies' development and include information on harvests, droughts, surveys of land, education. The smaller part, JCA sponsored projects and colonies in Europe, Palestine, Canada includes reports on JCA colonies, cooperative savings and loans societies, agricultural schools, vocational and technical schools, carpentry workshops, mechanized embroidery factories and weaving factories.

The Jewish Colonization Association was founded in 1891 by Baron Maurice de Hirsch and incorporated in London as a joint stock company. JCA headquarters were in Paris until 1949 when they were transferred to London.

The JCA assisted Jewish emigration and agricultural colonization throughout the world and sponsored vocational and agricultural schools, local manufacturing industries, savings and loan societies in Europe and elsewhere. The passage of the Immigration Quota Act in 1924 greatly decreased the opportunities for Jewish immigration. To deal with the situation of economic depression and anti-Semitism and to assist immigration, the United Evacuation Committee was formed by JCA jointly with Emigdirekt and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJDC). In 1927, HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), the JCA and Emigdirekt formed HICEM, a migration organization, which had about 57 committees in over 20 countries.

Although emigration from poverty stricken Europe was JCA's most important goal, the organization assisted communities throughout Europe by setting up agricultural colonies and schools, cooperative savings and loan societies, vocational and technical schools in Poland, Russia, Rumania. The JCA sponsored the establishment of colonies in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Palestine, Cyprus and Turkey. In the United States Baron de Hirsch established the Baron de Hirsch Fund and founded the agricultural school of Woodbine and cofounded the Jewish Agricultural Society. The JCA also distributed several thousand loans to immigrants. From 1965 JCA cooperated with the United HIAS Service contributing to the Special Rescue Program for transportation of immigrants from Eastern Europe and North Africa.

Alternate Extent Statement: Microfilm reels MKM 15.166 - 15.169. (4 reels)

Access Restrictions: The collection is open to researchers with an appointment with the Chief Archivist. For more information, contact: Chief Archivist,YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011 email: archives@yivo.cjh.org

Acquisition Method: The records were received by YIVO in 1948. The arrival of the collection was reported in the News of the YIVO, Issue 36 Page 8 (Yiddish side).

Original/Copies Note: This collection has been microfilmed and is available on four Microfilm reels MKM 15.166 - 15.169.

Preferred Citation: Published citations should read as follows:Identification of item, date (if known); YIVO Archives; Records of the Jewish Colonization Association; RG RG 236 Microfilm MKM 15.166 - 15.169; folder number.