More than 100 organized groups of West German youth, including young teacher groups, have offered to come to Israel to work for varying periods in kibbutzim, on roadbuilding crews or on other development projects in the Negev as a kind of “personal atonement” for Nazi crimes, it was disclosed here today.
Four such groups have already been admitted to Israel without publicity and have worked in several kibbutzim. West Germans are also becoming one of the largest groups among the tourists who visit Israel each year. During the last quarter of 1959, some 1,000 Germans received Israeli entry visas and the number is likely to be even larger during the first three months of this year.
Arrivals from West Germany include a considerable number of technical experts who have come to Israel in connection with the installation of equipment purchased with reparations funds.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.