An Effort of Individuals and Organizations

The British government waived all visa and immigration quota requirements for the children who succeeded in fleeing to England. But in the U.S.,  because of the Great Depression, significant anti-Semitism, and isolationist trends, all efforts to waive visa and quota limitations were defeated.

The rescue efforts in the United States were strictly non-governmental.  Through the organized efforts of a NETWORK OF COOPERATION of private American citizens and organizations (both in USA and Europe), rescue was accomplished in the face of powerful economic, social, political, religious and governmental constraints. This network consisted of agencies such as:

• German Jewish Children's Aid (GJCA)
• The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
• The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (The Joint)
• The Society Of Friends (The Quakers)
• The National Council of Jewish Women
• Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
• United States Committee for the Care of Refugee Children
• The National Coordinating Committee
• Oeuvres de Secours des Enfants (O.S.E)
• The Brith Sholom organization

and many heroic individuals involved with these organizations, including outstanding efforts by Kate Rosenheim and Cecilia Razovsky.

Significantly, all children were admitted in full accord with existing visa and immigrant quota regulations. As it was an all-private, non-government effort, the  rescue activities were kept very quiet and attempts were made to significantly reduce any publicity.