[A.
Destruction of the Jewish existence in Poland
1929-1939]
[5.10. Vocational programs in Poland: Farming for
Palestine or future jobs for industrialization - it's all in vain]
[Vocational programs in Poland
from ORT, WUZET and JDC]
However, the vocational programs in Poland were distributed among a
variety of organizations. ICA [Jewish Colonization Association] ran its
own schools, and JDC had to
divide its money between three additional groups of schools:
-- those established by ORT [Organization for Rehabilitation through
Training],
-- those of an independent organization in Galicia (the former
Austrian, southern part of Poland) known as WUZET,
-- and JDC's own schools.
[ORT is not investing in future
industries - JDC pupils have no work after their school]
There was much criticism of ORT in JDC circles, especially at the
Warsaw office. The charge was that ORT was too prone to follow
established trade lines such (p.201)
as textiles, fur, and the like, and did not attempt to pioneer in the
employment of Jews in the mechanical trades and in new industries
(radio, auto repair, etc.). The problem was that when the youngsters
finished their training, they had to be given employment in Jewish
enterprises - non-Jewish ones would not accept them - and there simply
were not many new Jewish industries around.
[JDC helps when pupils have
lodging problems]
Another problem had to do with the so-called Bursen, or apprentice
homes, for those youngsters who were living away from home while
learning a trade. This was a real problem, because usually the partners
could not afford the expense of paying for lodging, and JDC had to
help. It did so, and through various social institutions (TOZ, CENTOS,
and the like) it supported a number of homes that were either built or
rented to house these young people.
[Vocational schools: Figures]
By early 1938 there were 17,720 pupils in these vocational schools,
which were of varying standards; 3,946 were in ORT schools, 4,714 were
in ICA schools, and 6,172 were in schools supported directly by JDC,
2,888 more were at WUZET institutions.
[Hechalutz vocational trainings on
farms for emigration to Palestine - doubts to get to Palestine - Kahn
supports training in future jobs for Poland - JDC vocational trainings
for industrialization]
In addition to all this, there was the network of training camps run by
Hechalutz, the Zionist organization that prepared pioneers for
Palestine. By early 1938 Hechalutz had 16,206 trainees who were
working, as Kahn put it, "in a manner still somewhat primitive".
(End note 61: Kahn's lecture at Cincinnati, 1/10/38 [10 January
1938], R12)
Hechalutz had no money, and it had to send its members to farms and
shops where the conditions of work were primitive and extremely
difficult. Most of the trainees worked in agriculture, the idea being
that they would leave Poland as soon as possible.
The British funds in 1935 and 1936 were partly earmarked for Hechalutz,
and Kahn supported this
allocation. The reason was that while the Hechalutz people were
supposedly training for Palestine, the lack of certificates for that
country made it extremely doubtful that most of them would ever get
there;
therefore, they were actually training for future jobs in Poland, a
program Kahn favored.
(End note 62: R15, 3/29/36 [29 March 1936], Kahn report)
Here, too, there was a growing discrepancy between the number of
individuals trained for new jobs and the number of jobs available.
Large groups of trainees were bound to suffer the hardships of
unemployment unless large-scale efforts were made to (p.202)
provide employment through investment in new or old enterprises. But
before this problem really became acute, the "final solution" came and
solved this and all other problems for Polish Jewry.
JDC tried
industrialization
and it supported vocational training. But it was not, of course,
operating in a vacuum, was not free to operate as it wished. Jewish
groups and subgroups were fighting for position in the harsh reality of
Poland.
[There is the big suspicion: Polish government wants industrialization
without Yiddish Jews and wants to exterminate the Jews before
industrialization will come].
