Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief: records (microfilm)

Papers of the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief, 1933-1965, detail the work of the CBF in shelters, hostels, internment camps, schools and foster homes, and also contain information on the finances of the fund. The collection notably include CBF minutes of its committees, finance, reports from individuals, and also a complete run of country files detailing the fund's work abroad; records of the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and other relief organisations, 1941-1953; records of the Children's Refugee Movement and the Jewish Refugees Committee; files on various other organisations which were involved with the work of the CBF to a greater or lesser extent, including the Agudas Israel World Organisation.

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 Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany on a political platform of anti-Semitism. Among the founders were Anthony 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 Jewish Relief and Rehabilitation. 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 (CBF) was then known).

Arranged by committee or sub-committee.

Open

World Jewish Relief.

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Microfilm

London Metropolitan Archives additional material.

Copies can be made for personal use. Permission must be sought for publication.

Wiener Library 'Henriques Archive' 1232.

London Metropolitan Archives.