The Jewish Agency announced today that it has established a special committee, under the chairmanship of David Ben-Gurion, to cope with the physical and psychological problems faced by recent immigrants. The committee will concentrate on seeking employment and adequate housing for the new arrivals.
Observers here point out that most of the new immigrants differ from those who have come in past years in that they have come to Palestine because it is one of the few havens available, rather than from any strong Zionist belief. Confronted with difficulty in securing employment and homes, some of the newcomers tend to become demoralized. The new committee will attempt to smooth the transition period for these refugees.
Meanwhile, Eliahu Dobkin, chief of the Immigration Department of the Agency, appealed to all Jewish residents of Palestine to take into their homes, temporarily, some of the refugees who arrived last week from Europe on the Nyassa. He stressed the acute housing shortage throughout the country. Mr. Dobkin also suggested that the newcomers be given priority in obtaining jobs and emphasized the necessity for understanding their problems, and for assisting them to make psychological adjustments. If these suggestions are followed, the immigration head said, it will speed the absorption of the refugees into the permanent community.
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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.
