The establishment of a loan fund to enable Jewish victims of the Orleans Ville, Algeria, earthquake of last September to rebuild their homes and reconstruct their lives was announced here today by the Joint Distribution Committee, which set up the fund together with the Federation of Jewish Communities of Algeria.
The loan fund will begin with an initials capital of 3,000,000 francs contributed in equal shares by each group. As additional funds are required the two organizations will make further allocations.
Moses Benkelman, European director of the JDC, making the announcement, recalled that the JDC had contributed 1,000,000 francs immediately after the disaster to a general fund to be used for all victims, regardless of race or creed, Later, the JDC granted another 1,000,000 francs for immediate relief for Jewish victims. Mr. Beckerman paid tribute to the efforts of the Jews of Algeria to give relief to their stricken brothers in Orleansville.
The 130 Jewish families living in the city when the series of quakes destroyed most of it, lost all their homes and business establishments, Seventy-five families were left completely destitute and have been receiving relief assistance; 17 of these families lost their breadwinners in the holocaust.
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.
