The first Jewish refugees to be flown from Shanghai to Israel have left by chartered plane, it was announced here today by Moses A. Leavitt, executive vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee. The J.D.C, aided the International Refugee Organization to meet the costs of the air evacuation involving 60 persons–and worked closely with I.R.O. in arranging the flight. An additional 140 Shanghai DP’s are awaiting air passage to Israel under the evacuation schedule, Leavitt noted. A total of 1,792 Shanghai Jews are en route to Genoa aboard the I.R.O.-sponsored ships, the J.D.C. official disclosed. He said that J.D.C. would provide passage for this group from Genoa to Israel. Approximately 3,000 European Jewish refugees still remain in Shanghai, awaiting evacuation before the war in China reaches the city, Leavitt stated.
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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.