A sum of about £12,000 has been collected in Palestine for German Jewish relief, and applied mostly to constructive purposes, according to the report of the Joint Committee for the Settlement of German Jews in Palestine.
The campaign for funds was started at the end of May, by a committee representing all sections of Jewish life and all institutions in the country. Its members included M. M. Ussishkin, I. Ben-Zvi, Mayer Dizengoff, Dr. Arthur Hanike, Berl Katznelson, Emanuel Neumann, Dr. Werner Senator, Rabbi B. Z. Uziel, Dr. Arthur Ruppin and Miss Henrietta Szold.
The committee’s plans were formulated with the object of making expenditures on German Jewish immigrants after their arrival in Palestine. The general lines of expenditure were on plans, the execution of which demand larger sums than could be raised in Palestine and therefore the cost of which had to #supplemented by money from abroad, and plans w# were necessary for immediate execution and for which local money could be used in entirely. The immigrants were housed on arrival, mostly in tents, which are now being exchanged for houses and huts.
Until now, 1,500 persons have been settled in agricultural centers and about 2,700 in urban and other works. The labor bureaus of the Histadruth and other professional associations have assisted in this settlement activity. Two havuroth, or training groups, based on cooperative life, were established in Hedera and Rishon-le-Zion (since transferred to nearby Nahlath-Yehuda), and experienced laborers were taken as instructors. Social aid was also rendered to sick people, girls, and children. The Social Aid Committee arranged for the housing of 200 children in towns and settlements with various families and institutions, which undertook to care for the # a minimum cost and often free of charge.
The Jewish National Fund has placed at the disposal of the committee 2,000 dunams of land in the Haifa Bay area, and two types of settlers are being colonized, mixed-farmers, and poultry-breeders. The Urban Settlement Committee was granted £850 for constructive loans for those wishing to settle in the cities, and these were given £5 to £50 each 3 percent and 4 percent interest repayable in one to two years. The position of applicants was investigated and their abilities checked. Hebrew language preparatory classes have been arranged, and visas have been obtained for 3,200 youngsters and half their maintenance costs in Palestine guaranteed.
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