Collection GB 0074 ACC/2793 - CENTRAL BRITISH FUND FOR WORLD JEWISH RELIEF

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 ACC/2793

Title

CENTRAL BRITISH FUND FOR WORLD JEWISH RELIEF

Date(s)

  • 1933-2004 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

50.86 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief was founded in the early months of 1933 by a group of Anglo-Jewish community leaders, in response to the appointment of Adolph Hitler as Chancellor of Germany on a platform of anti-Semitism. Among the founders were Antony de Rothschild, Leonard G. Montefiore and Otto Schiff.

The Fund has been through many name changes in its lifetime. It started out as the Central British Fund for German Jewry, then became part of the new Council for German Jewry in 1936 along with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the American United Palestine Appeal. On the outbreak of World War Two in 1939 the Fund changed its name to the Central Council for Jewish Refugees, and in 1944 changed again to the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief. After many years as the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief, the organisation is now known as World Jewish Relief.

The Fund's mission, according to its Memorandum of Association, was "to relieve or assist Jewish refugees in any part of the world in such manner and on such terms and conditions (if any) as may be thought fit." In this work the fund was aided by various organisations, including the Jewish Refugees Committee (JRC) which was founded by Otto Schiff in 1933; the Children's Refugee Movement (established by the JRC and the Inter-Aid Committee); and the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad, which was established in 1943 and financed by the Central Council for Jewish Refugees (as the Central British Fund was then known).

Archival history

GB 0074 ACC/2793 1933-2004 Collection 50.86 linear metres Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief

The Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief was founded in the early months of 1933 by a group of Anglo-Jewish community leaders, in response to the appointment of Adolph Hitler as Chancellor of Germany on a platform of anti-Semitism. Among the founders were Antony de Rothschild, Leonard G. Montefiore and Otto Schiff.

The Fund has been through many name changes in its lifetime. It started out as the Central British Fund for German Jewry, then became part of the new Council for German Jewry in 1936 along with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the American United Palestine Appeal. On the outbreak of World War Two in 1939 the Fund changed its name to the Central Council for Jewish Refugees, and in 1944 changed again to the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief. After many years as the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief, the organisation is now known as World Jewish Relief.

The Fund's mission, according to its Memorandum of Association, was "to relieve or assist Jewish refugees in any part of the world in such manner and on such terms and conditions (if any) as may be thought fit." In this work the fund was aided by various organisations, including the Jewish Refugees Committee (JRC) which was founded by Otto Schiff in 1933; the Children's Refugee Movement (established by the JRC and the Inter-Aid Committee); and the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad, which was established in 1943 and financed by the Central Council for Jewish Refugees (as the Central British Fund was then known).

Deposited in multiple accessions between 1990 and 2011.

Records of the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief, predecessor organisations and associated organisations. The archive details the work of the Fund in shelters, hostels, internment camps, schools and foster homes.

Records include correspondence; reports; appeals; records relating to relief organisations including the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad, the Pioneer Welfare Fund; the Medical Committee for Relief Abroad and the Jewish Board of Guardians; records relating to refugee organisations including the Central Committee for Refugees; the Central Office for Refugees; Jewish Refugees Committee and Children's Refugee Movements; records relating to the Agudas Israel World Organisation and the Israel Colonisation Organisation; administrative papers including Committee minutes and papers; and case files for Afghan, Argentine, Austrian, Belgian, British, Czech, Egyptian, Ethiopian, German, Hungarian, Iranian, Lebanese, Moroccan, Polish, Rumanian, Russian, South African, Syrian, American and Yugoslavian cases.

LMA also holds case files for the "Kindertransporte" through which children were evacuated from Germany and Austria in 1938 and 1939. PLEASE NOTE: These case files are only accessible in digital form and by application to World Jewish Relief.

The archive has been arranged into the following sections:
ACC/2793/01: Central British Fund;
ACC/2793/02: Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and other relief organisations;
ACC/2793/03: Refugee movements including the Childrens Refugee Movement and the Jewish Refugee Committee;
ACC/2793/04: Other organisations including the Agudas Israel World Organisation;
ACC/2793/05: Administration;
ACC/2793/06: Case files (information not available except with depositor permission);
ACC/2793/07: Microfilm.

Case files from the 1930s/1940s are accessible only in digital form and by application to World Jewish Relief; Most case files from the 1970s and later are subject to Data Protection restrictions; where Data Protection restrictions do not apply these later case files are accessible only with permission from World Jewish Relief. The remainder of the collection is available for general access.

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.
English

Fit.

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Information about World Jewish Relief's case files from the 1930s/1940s can be found online at: https://worldjewishrelief.org/about-us/your-family-history

For further information please consult the LMA Information Leaflet No. 16: "Records of the Anglo-Jewish Community at London Metropolitan Archives"; available to download here: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Records_and_archives/Visitor_information/free_information_leaflets.htm (URL correct Feb 2010).
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Description prepared in March 2010. Updated November 2017. Agudas Israel World Organisation Jewish Refugees Committee Central Office for Refugees Central Committee for Refugees Israel Colonisation Organisation Pioneer Welfare Fund Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad Jewish Board of Guardians Medical Committee for Relief Abroad World Jewish Relief Central Council for Jewish Refugees Central British Fund for German Jewry Council for German Jewry Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief x World Jewish Relief x Central British Fund for German Jewry x Council for German Jewry x Central Council for Jewish Refugees x Central British Fund for Jewish Relief and Rehabilitation Religions Ancient religions Judaism Cultural identity Jewish Disaster relief Civilian relief International politics International cooperation Humanitarian assistance Migrants Refugees Racial discrimination Antisemitism People People by age group Children (age group) Organizations Associations Charitable organisations Charities Humanitarian law Internment camps Religious groups Jews Migration Evacuation Children's Refugee Movement Egypt North Africa UK Western Europe Europe Germany Hungary Eastern Europe Belgium Morocco Czechoslovakia Lebanon Middle East Yugoslavia USA North America Syrian AR Ethiopia East Africa South Africa Southern Africa Iran Argentina South America Poland Russia Afghanistan Romania Austria Krym Crimea Nonprofit organizations

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited in multiple accessions between 1990 and 2011.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief, predecessor organisations and associated organisations. The archive details the work of the Fund in shelters, hostels, internment camps, schools and foster homes.

Records include correspondence; reports; appeals; records relating to relief organisations including the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad, the Pioneer Welfare Fund; the Medical Committee for Relief Abroad and the Jewish Board of Guardians; records relating to refugee organisations including the Central Committee for Refugees; the Central Office for Refugees; Jewish Refugees Committee and Children's Refugee Movements; records relating to the Agudas Israel World Organisation and the Israel Colonisation Organisation; administrative papers including Committee minutes and papers; and case files for Afghan, Argentine, Austrian, Belgian, British, Czech, Egyptian, Ethiopian, German, Hungarian, Iranian, Lebanese, Moroccan, Polish, Rumanian, Russian, South African, Syrian, American and Yugoslavian cases.

LMA also holds case files for the "Kindertransporte" through which children were evacuated from Germany and Austria in 1938 and 1939. PLEASE NOTE: These case files are only accessible in digital form and by application to World Jewish Relief.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The archive has been arranged into the following sections:
ACC/2793/01: Central British Fund;
ACC/2793/02: Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and other relief organisations;
ACC/2793/03: Refugee movements including the Childrens Refugee Movement and the Jewish Refugee Committee;
ACC/2793/04: Other organisations including the Agudas Israel World Organisation;
ACC/2793/05: Administration;
ACC/2793/06: Case files (information not available except with depositor permission);
ACC/2793/07: Microfilm.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Case files from the 1930s/1940s are accessible only in digital form and by application to World Jewish Relief; Most case files from the 1970s and later are subject to Data Protection restrictions; where Data Protection restrictions do not apply these later case files are accessible only with permission from World Jewish Relief. The remainder of the collection is available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Information about World Jewish Relief's case files from the 1930s/1940s can be found online at: https://worldjewishrelief.org/about-us/your-family-history

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area