The repatriation treaty between the Soviet Union and Poland, under which tens of thousands of Jews were returned from the USSR together with many non-Jews, has been extended, it was reported here today.
Originally the pact should have expired last December 31, but arrangements have been made to continue the flow of returnees until the end of March. A large proportion of the Jews who returned to Poland moved on to Israel with hardly a stopover. Last year the USSR protested this freedom of movement and the Polish authorities clamped down on it.
However, repatriated Jews, returning to cities, towns and villages which once had been their homes, were unable to find a place. Unwanted, in most cases, they could not recover apartments or homes, could find no jobs and became relief clients. In these circumstances, the ORT and JDC were invited by the Polish Government to operate again in Poland. In the past year, these two allied Jewish services have helped thousands retrain for work and get on their feet.
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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.