Part of Wiener Library Archive
The Committee of Jewish Refugees was founded in April 1933. It was part of the Committee of Special Jewish interests (CBJB). The main task was to arrange the practical assistance and care of Jewish refugees in Amsterdam. Prof. D. Cohen was appointed Chairman of the Refugee Committee. The committee was in 1939 at the 's Gravenhekje 7 in Amsterdam. The point of departure of the CJV was that the policy of the Dutch government had to be followed. The Dutch government did not want the reception of Jewish refugees to be burdened by the government. The CJV's policy was that all the childbirths were paid and settled by the Committee itself. Although there were several refugee committees in the Netherlands, most of whom were found in Rotterdam , The Hague and Enschede , the CJV soon played a central role. Issues concerning work permits, entry visas and identity passes were dealt with centrally by the Amsterdam Committee. The Committee represented the refugee work and the provincial refugee committees at the Dutch government and all Jewish and non-Jewish bodies involved in refugees at home and abroad. The local committees kept the Central Committee in Amsterdam informed of the situation of refugees in the province. These committees were accountable to the CJV. In return, the CJV supported the provincial committees as necessary. The provinces, in turn, contributed to the central cash register of the CJV. The committee had more than one hundred paid and voluntary employees. The composition changed strongly because of the ranks of the refugees and these people often left the Netherlands over time. In addition to the chairman, Prof.dr. D. Cohen , had two members daily management of the CJV, Raphael Henri Eitje , from Hachnosas Ourechim, an organization that provided assistance to Jewish emigrants in Amsterdam and Gertrude van Tijn-Cohn, from the Jewish Women's Organization . Cohen left the committee's daily management to Eitje and Van Tijn. He focused on his work for the CBJB, Which meant that he brought refugee interests to the attention of the Dutch government and had contacts with other Jewish organizations. He also represented the Dutch refugee work at international gatherings of refugee organizations. Eitje was instructed to maintain contacts with Dutch government agencies. He led the department for fitting and work permits. Van Tijn was responsible for the first shelter of refugees in the beginning of the CJV, ie the intake interviews and registration, housing and food delivery. Subsequently, she was responsible for managing the finances, she led the departments for emigrations and professional training and became the contact for foreign aid organizations. She made statements of the work done by the Refugee Committee and compiled annual and monthly reports. Money problems, the increasing flow of refugees and the increasingly stringent Dutch government made the Committee's work increasingly difficult. From May 1934, it was no longer possible for a refugee to obtain a work permit for work that could also be performed by a Dutchman. By the end of 1937, government regulations had made it impossible for the refugees to start their own business. In the end, refugees could not get more work and residence permits at all. As a consequence, more and more refugees could no longer provide their own maintenance and incurred from the Committee. The policy of the Dutch government was aimed at leaving the Netherlands as soon as possible. However, Also, the acquisition of emigration visas has been more difficult over the years as the number of countries willing to include refugees decreased. Yet, in the course of time, all hope was based on the emigration of refugees.
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Comite voor Joodsche Vluechtlingen: Correspondence