UNITED JEWISH RELIEF AGENCIES (UJRA)

Identifier
I0062
Language of Description
English
Dates
1 Jan 1930 - 31 Dec 1978
Level of Description
Fonds
Source
EHRI Partner

Biographical History

The United Jewish Refugee and War Relief Agencies of Canada was established with the assistance of Samuel Bronfman in 1938. Later known as the United Jewish Relief Agencies, or UJRA, it at first helped escapees, evacuees, and interned refugees from England, providing food, shelter, and diplomatic and moral support. There were as yet no Jewish refugee immigrants to aid, due to Canada's restrictive wartime immigration policies. After the war, UJRA sent supplies and helped trace families for DPs, brought skilled immigrants to Canada, facilitated the immigration of refugee youth ("The War Orphans Project"), and also sent aid to the new State of Israel. Working with other organizations, it sent Passover supplies to needy Jews in Israel, Europe and Canada and with the Canadian Jewish Congress formed the United Restitution Organization for war reparations. Though its duties lessened over the decades, the UJRA continued to function for several decades after WWII.

Scope and Content

This fonds is divided into 11 major series, relfecting the principal activities of the organization, with an emphasis on the WWII and postwar period.

Note(s)

  • General note: Also contains 5 boxes of unprocessed material 1.55 m.

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.