9 Letters Henrietta Szold Signed Letters Jewish Agency Central Office for the Settlement of the Jews of Germany. ...

9 Letters Henrietta Szold Signed Letters Jewish Agency Central Office for the Settlement of the Jews of Germany. She was head of the youth immigration department in the Agency

The following letters were sent to the National Library in the years 1936-37 regarding the borrowing of books to the adolescents and immigrants of the Kibbutzes Merchavia, Sarid, Beit Zera, Mishmar Ha'Emek, Tel-Hai, Kiryat Anavim, Gan Shmuel. Henretta to responsibility over the lending of the books.

In 1933, at the 18th Zionist Congress in Prague, it was decided over the formation of an office that will operate toards the settling of German Jews in the Land of Israel, following Hitler's rise to power. Haim Weizman was appointed as head of the enterprise, and Arthur Rupin was appointed to head this department in the Jewish Agency organization. On the basis of Fryer's established work, Weizman and Rupin decided to act for the immigration of German Jewish youth to the Land of Israel, ahead of their parents. They turned to Szold in a request to run this enterprise.

After much deliberations including mainly the practical considerations for the feasibility of this idea, the required funding souces for this project, finding and creating the jobs that wil be needed for the immigrants and the right education for adolescent boys and girls separated from their parents - Henrietta took upon herself the mission to lead the "youth immigration". Prior to her final decision she traveled Europe for a month and met with the adolescents themselves in Germany and community leaders, as well as with the worried parents. That year a body was founded in Germany called "The Assistance Commmitee for Jewish Youth". This body prepared the youth towards migration, chose and concentrated them. Another body was founded, in charge on the recruiting of funds and another body established in the Land of Israel called "The Office for Youth Immigration" headed by Henrietta Szold herself. "The Office for Youth Immigration" was in charge of getting visas for the immigrants from the British authorities, and preparing the ground for the youth's reception upon arrival to the Land of Israel.

During the dispute over the placement of Teheran Children in the Land of Israel when they arrived in 1943, Szold decided that children above the age of 14 will choose themselves the framework in which they will stay. With the rest of the children, about 400 in number, Szold met for personal conversations in order to determine whether they grew up in religious families, and decide on their placement according to their answers.

Szold always stood at the port and greeted each ship, on it were young adolescent boys and girls immigrating from Europe. She used to shake each kid's hand, ask for their names and make clear she was available for any request or advice. Her office was sent thousands of letters in which the kids described to her the many hardships they were experiencing. She made sure to answer them all.