A reunion of Jews who gathered other Jews from the DP camps in Europe, and smuggled them into Palestine, today honored Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, executive vice-president of the Israel Bond Organization, who was European director of the Joint Distribution Committee during the postwar era. The former members of the European Escape Route Organization assembled at Mann Auditorium to present Dr. Schwartz with an “Illegal Immigration Year” medallion.
Moshe Sharett, chairman of the Jewish Agency executive, described how the postwar rescue operations were carried out. Other speakers were Shaul Avigur, who headed the “Hammosad, ” by which the “illegal” immigration network was known, and Asher Ben Nathan, former Vienna leader of such immigration, who is now director general of the Israel Defense Ministry.
Mr. Ben Nathan described the cooperation between the Palestinian Jewish underground and JDC officials, an effort in which JDC had the code name of “Aunt Betty. ” He also reported there had been a form of cooperation about which the JDC had never been informed. Palestinian Jews used the JDC name on rescue operation vehicles without JDC authorization.
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