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ORT Archive documents relating to France.

ORT France was established in 1921. It has been supporting local Jewish communities and new arrivals with vocational, academic and technology education ever since. The ORT online archive currently holds documents covering some of these activities between 1939 and the 1950s. More information on activities in France can be found in the 1935-1998 reports submitted to World ORT's governing bodies and in the World ORT Report (formerly the ORT Yearbook). These can be found under World ORT. Our photo galleries include more from ORT France and a brief history of ORT's activities in the country is available here.

The letter describes the buildings, lists the area of the fields on the property, the animals and the yield from the fields. The sale price quoted in the letter is 350,000 francs.

Creator:Albert Cance
Extent:2 pages
Date:1 January 1939
Language:French
Location:Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France

Textual document.

Creator:L. Bramson
Extent:1 page
Date:Wednesday, February 22, 1939
Language:Russian
Location:France

Lists 38 participants, their working days, and their grants.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:April 1939
Language:German
Location:Chelles, France

Lists 31 names and the grant they were paid are listed.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:1 page
Date:June 1939
Language:German
Location:Chelles, France

Discusses the placement of Jewish Czech children (aged 12-14) with families in the countryside in France, with a view to sending them later to Palestine. Mentions payment of 200 Francs per child.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:27 June 1939
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Mentions the Chief Rabbi's interest in refugee retraining to acquire farming skills, as well as a piece of land given to the Chief Rabbi. The letter goes on to discuss arrangements for determining further plans for this land and its use for farming and farming training facilitated by ORT.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:30 June 1939
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

The meeting took place on 18-07-1939 in the home of Baron Robert Rothschild.  Concerns the establishment of an agricultural school in Lot-et-Garonne, France. Participants were: Baron Rothschild, Agronomists Bernhard & Brunswig of Alliance Israelite, Heilbronne of Central Refugee Committee, Agronomists Malkin and Klementinowski of ORT Union and Gamzou, General Secretary of ORT France. It was decided to establish an agricultural school in Lot et Garonne. Following some questions, Rothschild promises to support this venture and proposes that a special organisation should be created as support group.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:18 July 1939
Language:German
Location:Lot-et-Garonne, France

Reports that refugees from Germany have approached ORT Paris asking for help with settling in ORT's agricultural colony in Villeneuve-sur-Lot (France). Addressee is thanked for the generous support provided that will now enable ORT Paris to help these refugees. ORT Paris will also discuss with Albert Sareau the possibility of these refugees obtaining residency permits in an expedited fashion. ORT France will also ask François de Tessan to talk to the Minister of Agriculture. The hope is that this first resettlement experience will lead to a major Jewish settlement in the south of France. Also mentions assistance amounts provided by ORT Paris.

Creator:D. Lvovitch
Extent:2 pages
Date:Sunday, August 13, 1939
Language:Russian
Location:Paris, France

Describes how ORT Paris is having to adapt to the new realities due to the start of military action in Europe. ORT Paris has changed admission age criteria (under 18 and wives of drafted personnel) and is planning to change course offerings (specific course proposals are included), with the latter requiring considerable investments. The report also discusses loss of funding sources - wealthy people are leaving for the countryside and the Jewish organisations that used to subsidise Paris ORT are now allocating their resources to refugee aid.

Creator:ORT Paris
Extent:1 page
Date:Monday, November 06, 1939
Language:Russian
Location:Paris, France

Discusses the establishment of the Lord and Lady Marley Foundation, ORT Union and OSE Union involvement in it, and the destination of Baron de Gunzburg's 100,000 franc donation - 50,000 francs to the Farming School near Villeneuve-sur-Lot (ORT Union) and 50,000 francs to the School for Refugee Children in Gueret (OSE Union).

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:23 November 1939
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Confirms that the Jewish Reconstruction Fund has agreed to issue Mr Grinberg a loan of 1000 francs to pay for a new cow. Attached to the letter [but not included] is an IOU to be repaid within one year in two installments with 3% interest.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:1 page
Date:13 December 1939
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Confirms that the Jewish Reconstruction Fund has agreed to issue Mr Beretz a loan of 1000 francs to pay for the current year's rent on the farm. Attached to the letter [but not included] is an IOU to be repaid within one year in two installments with 3% interest. The letter also expresses surprise at the fact that Mr Beretz did not use the previous 2500-franc loan for the purposes of indicated in the loan application, i.e. to buy a cow. The letter serves as a reminder that loans are need- and purposes-based and expresses the hope that the cow will be purchased in the near future.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:1 page
Date:13 December 1939
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Describes the material and educational help of ORT to Jewish refugees in Europe.

Creator:ORT Paris?
Extent:5 pages
Date:c. 1940
Language:Yiddish
Location:Paris, France

By Mr Kementinovski, Manager of the Agricultural Section of ORT Union, and Mr John Asch, Administrator of farm schools for the Refugee Committee. The report recommends La Roche as ORT's farm school.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:9 pages
Date:25 February 1940
Language:English
Location:Lot-et-Garonne, France

The goal of the trip was to investigate issues facing ORT's institutions and to obtain a more favourable treatment from the authorities with a view to setting up professional training courses quickly in accordance with current laws and regulations. The report consists of three parts: I. General impressions of the situation in Vichy. Concludes that it is better to communicate with local authorities and prefects but recommends postponing raising fundamental issues for fear of making the existing situation worse. II. Report on meetings and responses. This includes: 1. advice on the solution for setting up ORT's courses quickly; 2. report of meeting at the Ministry of Labour; 3. report of meetings at the Ministry of Agriculture. III. General conclusions about further actions to be undertaken by ORT France.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:11 pages
Date:31 March 1941
Language:French
Location:Montpellier, France

Detailed (photocopy) report of the work accomplished by ORT. Covers professional education in various cities for youngsters and adults; help provided to interned people; agricultural work; and assistance to artisans by means of loans.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:6 pages
Date:1941
Language:French
Location:Marseilles, France

Report on a study tour of Rivesaltes, La Roche, Montpellier, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Vichy, Chabannes, Perigueux, Limoges, Toulouse and Marseilles undertaken between 6 November and 1 December 1941.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:4 pages
Date:2 December 1941
Language:French
Location:Marseilles, France

Textual document.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:1 April 1942
Language:French, Hebrew
Location:La-Roche, France

Description of the structure and procedures of the new organisation.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:1942
Language:French
Location:France

Describes the hardships suffered by French Jewry under German occupation and the difficulties for ORT in maintaining its programmes. The year 1943 is described as particularly difficult as students and interns were being arrested and deported, with others hiding to avoid deportation. The decision was made, however, to try to keep up ORT’s agricultural property in a functional state for as long as possible. Part I describes ORT schools and courses and statistics on students in different French cities (Paris, Perigeux, Limoges, Nice, Agde, Toulouse, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Clermond Ferrand, Grenoble). Part II describes workshops at OSE Homes for Children in Chabannes par St. Pierre de Fursac, Couret par la Jonchere-Saint Maurice, Montinin, and Chateau de Chervix. Part III is a partial text, describing the steps ORT took to investigate the conditions in detention centres, as well as a description of courses at some of ORT’s sites (Saint-Martin-de-Vesubie). Part IV describes activities in shelters and other centres for foreign workers in Douadic, Mayse, Clairfont par Portat, and Begue-Cazaubon. Finally, a description of ORT's agricultural activities in La Roche, Aux Angiroux, Camoes de Pugole, Carrieres, Megeve, and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:22 pages
Date:1943
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Report on the activities of ORT in France during 1942, which became more difficult with the political situation and the decisions taken against Jews during 1942.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:17 pages
Date:c. 1943
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

The report describes ORT France's activities over 5 months of its existence since the war, the state of affairs and whereabouts of ORT’s management and Aaron Zelikovich's suggestion to convene a meeting to restore ORT Union. 

Creator:ORT France
Extent:2 pages
Date:Wednesday, July 25, 1945
Language:Russian
Location:Paris, France

Textual document.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:1 folder
Date:21-23 December 1946
Language:French
Location:Voiron, France

Includes 4 pages of photos, including a portrait of M. Frenkiel.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:26 pages
Date:December 1946
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Includes 4 pages of photos.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:26 pages
Date:July 1947
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Includes 4 pages of photos.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:30 pages
Date:December 1948
Language:French
Location:Paris, France

Textual document.

Creator:ORT France
Extent:1 booklet
Date:c. 1950
Language:French
Location:Paris, France