Jewish Agency for Israel, Department for Renewal and Development Records
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists primarily of departmental reports and administrative records. The reports include those to the Board of Directors and the Assembly of the Jewish Agency from the department, as well as reports from committees within the department. One of these is the Committee on Unification of the Rural Settlement Department and the Renewal and Development Department. The administrative records include minutes from a meeting of the Board of Governors Committee for Renewal and Development, with a proposal from Moshe Nissim, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, appended, a proposed budget from the Finance Subcommittee, and minutes from a meeting of the Galilee Economic Development Planning Committee.
Also contained in the collection are planning documents and correspondence from the Pre-Assembly Seminar Committee of the United Israel Appeal (UIA), under the direction of Rae Ginsburg and Laura Smith. The UIA is a nonprofit organization in the United States that oversees funds raised for philanthropic endeavors in Israel, and JAFI is its operating agent in Israel. One other report, from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, outlines the organization’s Global Program and Budget from 1992.
Dates
- undated, circa 1987-1992
Creator
- Jewish Agency for Israel (Organization)
- Jewish Agency for Israel. Department for Renewal and Development (Organization)
Language of Materials
The collection is in English and Hebrew.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for researcher use. Please contact us to request access or to make an appointment to view this collection at jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of this collection. For more information contact jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Historical Note
The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) was established in 1929 as the Jewish Agency for Palestine. It is the largest Jewish nonprofit organization in the world and was instrumental in the founding and development of the State of Israel. An incarnation of JAFI first emerged in 1908 out of the Palestine Office of the World Zionist Organization (at that time, the Zionist Organization), and its original mandate was to facilitate Jewish immigration to Palestine through negotiation with foreign powers and the purchase of land. Through Article Four of the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine, the Jewish Agency became the primary connection between the government operating in Palestine, the world Jewish population, and the Mandatory powers. When the State of Israel was established in 1948, the organization’s name was changed to the Jewish Agency for Israel, and it initiated programs to support the Israeli population through education and economic development.
By the end of the twentieth century, JAFI’s chief aims had evolved toward connecting the Jewish diaspora to Israel and vice versa, as well as aiding at-risk Israelis through social programs. JAFI is also still instrumental in organizing Jewish immigration to Israel, stationing emissaries around the world who counsel prospective immigrants, and offering temporary housing and language programs for easier integration into Israeli society.
The Jewish Agency consists of a number of departments aligned with the mandates of the organization. One of these departments, the Department for Renewal and Development, is the subject of this collection. The group focused on providing education, community development, and vocational training programs to facilitate economic growth in the urban and rural sectors of Israel. In 1993, during a period of restructuring within JAFI and the World Zionist Organization, the Renewal and Development department was merged with the Rural Settlement department to become the Department for Rural and Urban Development.
References
- Material from the collection.
- “Israel Society & Culture: Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI),” Jewish Virtual Library, accessed June 22, 2016. /www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Orgs/jafi.html>
Chronology
- 1922
- The League of Nations Mandate for Palestine is ratified.
- 1929
- The Jewish Agency for Palestine is established.
- 1948
- The Jewish Agency for Palestine becomes the Jewish Agency for Israel.
- 1993
- The Renewal and Development department merges with the Rural Settlement department to become the Department for Rural and Urban Development.
Extent
0.5 linear feet (1 manuscript box)
Abstract
The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) was established in 1929 to assist the Jewish population in Palestine. It is now the largest Jewish nonprofit organization in the world and seeks to connect the Jewish diaspora to Israel and vice versa, as well as running programs to support the Israeli population through education and economic development. This collection centers on the Department for Renewal and Development within JAFI, primarily between the years 1990 through 1992 and includes reports to and from the department, and administrative records, such as meeting minutes and budgets.
Physical Location
Located in Boston, Mass.
Acquisition Information
Acquisition information is unknown.
Processing Information
Processed by Shannon Struble, 2016
- Title
- Guide to the Jewish Agency for Israel, Department for Renewal and Development Records, I-591
- Author
- Processed by Shannon Struble
- Date
- 2016
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors Repository