[3.5. The first emigration wave in 1933 - partly return]
[The Jewish Central Committee (ZA)
in Germany and it's branches]
ZA [Zentral-Ausschuss für Hilfe und Aufbau, Engl. Central Committee for
Help and Reconstruction] had to deal not only with the members of the
Jewish community, but also with fairly large numbers of those who,
although of Jewish parentage, had severed their link with the Jewish
community prior to the Nazi rise to power. The various components of ZA
dealt with different aspects of the German Jewish situation.
-- The Hilfsverein was the emigration agency for countries other than
Palestine or Eastern Europe;
-- the Palästinaamt dealt with emigration to Palestine;
-- the Hauptstelle for Jewish wanderers dealt with repatriation of East
European Jews to their countries of origin.
In addition, CV [Central-Verein, Hilfsverein] was also a part of ZA
[Zentral-Ausschuss], as were the welfare organization of German Jews
(Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle), the committee for education of RV
[Reichsvertretung], the center for economic aid, the center for Jewish
loan kassas, the united center for Jewish labor exchanges, and the
organization of Jewish women. (p.114)
[Jews lining up before the offices
of Hilfsverein (CV) and Palestine office]
The immediate major problem as far as Germany was concerned was that of
emigration. With the rise of the Nazis to power, large numbers of
terrorized Jews crowded the offices of the Hilfsverein and the
Palestine office in search of an opportunity - any opportunity - to
leave Germany.
[Arbitrary emigration: Jews come
back because of lack of place or work]
Quite a number of people who had crossed the frontiers into some of the
West European countries had to return to Germany soon afterward because
they could not find a place to live or an occupation that would provide
them with a livelihood.
[Jewish emigration 1933: 37-40,000]
The exodus of 1933, which was brought on by panic, soon subsided. At
first, exaggerated figures were given as to the number of those who had
left Germany. At the end of 1933 52,000 Jews were said to have fled
Germany. However, it appears that a considerably smaller number left
the country. Apparently not more than 37-40,000 Jews actually left
Germany during that year and stayed away.
(End note 19: Werner Rosenstock: Exodus 1933-1939; In: Leo Baeck
Yearbook; London 1956, 1:373-90. The author bases his article on one by
Dr. Kurt Zielenzieger in the December 1937 issue of the London journal:
Population).
