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J.d.c.’s Evacuation of 6,000 Cyrenaica Jews to Israel Revealed by U.J.A. Official

November 4, 1949
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The emergency evacuation to Israel and to way stations on route to the Jewish state of 6,000 Jews from the former Italian North African colony of Cyrenaica was revealed today by Monroe Goldwater, president of the United Jewish Appeal. of Greater New York, on his return to this country aboard the Queen Elizabeth, after a month-long inspection of needs of distressed Jews overseas.

Approximately half the evacuees have already been sent to Israel by the Joint Distribution Committee, Mr. Goldwater reported. The others are temporarily quartered in Italy and other way stations awaiting the moment when they can go to Israel. The 6,000 Jews constituted virtually the entire Jewish population of Cyrenaica.

He stated that despite the tremendous progress toward recovery made by Jewish communities in Europe since VE Day, no less than 500,000 Jewish men, women and children in Europe, in addition to hundreds of thousands in Moslem lands and in Israel, still urgently require day-to-day help. A sign of progress which he noted, Mr. Goldwater said, was that the Jewish DP population of Germany, Austria and Italy, which numbered some 250,000 two years ago, has now shrunk to 50,000. “Despite the closing of camps, there are still 18 Jewish DP camps in operation in Germany, Austria and Italy which may be open for many months,” he added.

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