Yediot Hitachdut Olei Germania – ״Bulletin of the Association of German Immigrants” – A historically significant issue addressing the urgent need to assist German Jews in immigrating to Eretz Israel following the enactment of the Nuremberg Laws and the revocation of civil rights from Jews in Germany. Includes a report on the vast sums registered at the time under the Haavara (Transfer) Agreement, reflecting the overwhelming demand among German Jews to immigrate to Eretz Israel. Tel Aviv, Shevat 5696 – February 1936. In German, with some Hebrew. Rare.
The issue reports a record number of visitors to the offices of the Association of German Immigrants during that year, following the Nuremberg Laws of September 1935, which severely restricted Jewish freedoms in Germany. No fewer than 60,000 individual consultations were recorded that year—primarily German Jews seeking advice regarding their worsening economic situation and the possibility of immigrating to Eretz Israel. At the center of the issue appears an extensive article titled Die HOG. gibt Rechenschaft (“The HOG Gives Account”), covering the general assembly of the association held in Jerusalem in January 1936. The assembly emphasized the urgent need to assist German Jews, before it was too late. It was reported that prior to the publication of the Nuremberg Laws, most German Jews still believed they could manage to survive in their homeland despite the escalating antisemitism following Hitler’s rise to power, placing their hopes in their livelihoods and professions. But after the Nuremberg Laws, stripping Jews of their civil rights, were announced in September 1935, it became clear that immigration to Eretz Israel was the only viable path forward. At the conference, various proposals were raised to expand immigration to Eretz Israel, including through the Joint Distribution Committee and other aid organizations. Due to the severity of the crisis, the Hitachdut Olei Germania (HOG) resolved to halt all internal political disputes and focus solely on rescue efforts for German Jews. It was declared that the association would support the immigration of all Jews, regardless of their political affiliations or worldview. Furthermore, it was resolved that the association would accompany the immigrants through every stage: from facilitating their arrival, to providing professional guidance and financial assistance in Eretz Israel. The issue also reports increased efforts under the Haavara (Transfer) Agreement through the strengthening of the “German Department” within the Jewish Agency. (The Haavara Agreement, initiated by Jewish-German businessman Sam Cohen and signed on August 25, 1933 between the Nazi authorities and the Jewish Agency, allowed Jews emigrating from Germany to Eretz Israel to deposit their assets in German banks. These funds were used to purchase German goods exported to Eretz Israel. Upon arrival, the goods were sold, and the immigrants received part of the proceeds.). Reports also mention the formation of new labor groups to provide economic support to German immigrants. The situation in Germany had become so dire, and the demand for aliyah so high, that in December alone, the sum of funds transferred through the Haavara Agreement equaled the total amount transferred between February and August. The issue includes a detailed article explaining how to safely invest capital in the economy of Eretz Israel for those seeking to transfer funds from Germany. It also provides practical information for German-Jewish immigrants preparing to settle in Eretz Israel.
“Yediot Hitachdut Olei Germania” – The internal-public bulletin of the Association of German Immigrants in Eretz Israel, a representative body established in the early 1930s in response to the Fifth Aliyah of German Jews following the Nazi rise to power. The publication began appearing around 1933, primarily in German and occasionally in Hebrew. It served as a vital platform for communication, information, and identity-building among the Yekkes in Eretz Israel. The paper included organizational news, announcements regarding the association’s activities, opinion articles, legal and economic guidance for immigrants, and notices related to education, culture, and employment. It also provided ongoing reports on the condition of Jews in Germany and updates on Nazi legislation and persecution. From a historical perspective, the publication is a primary source for understanding the worldview, concerns, and daily life of German-Jewish immigrants in Eretz Israel during the 1930s. It forms an integral part of the documentation of the Association of German Immigrants’ activities during the British Mandate period.
24 pages. Complete issue. 31 cm. Good condition.
