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.
Letter from estate agent Mr Cance describing the La Roche estate, 1 January 1939.
Describes the buildings and the farm area.
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 |
Order to issue loans to settlers in Villeneuve, February 1939.
Order to issue loans to settlers in Villeneuve, February 1939.
Textual document.
Creator: | L. Bramson |
Extent: | 1 page |
Date: | Wednesday, February 22, 1939 |
Language: | Russian |
Location: | France |
List of participants in the ORT gardening course in Chelles, France, 6-30 April 1939.
List of participants in the ORT gardening course in Chelles, France, 6-30 April 1939.
Lists 38 participants, their working days, and their grants.
Creator: | ORT France |
Extent: | 2 pages |
Date: | April 1939 |
Language: | German |
Location: | Chelles, France |
List of participants in the ORT gardening course in Chelles, France, June 1939.
List of participants in the ORT gardening course in Chelles, France, June 1939.
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 |
Letter from French Wizo on behalf of ORT to B. Kahn, re Czech children, 27 June 1939.
Letter from French Wizo on behalf of ORT to B. Kahn, re Czech children, 27 June 1939.
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 |
Letter from ORT Union Central Board to the Chief Rabbi of Gironde, 30 June 1939.
Letter from ORT Union Central Board to the Chief Rabbi of Gironde, 30 June 1939.
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 |
Notes of meeting about an agricultural school in Lot-et-Garonne, France, July 1939.
Notes of meeting about an agricultural school in Lot-et-Garonne, France, July 1939.
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 |
Letter from Lvovitch regarding ORT Paris' support of German refugees, 13 August 1939.
Letter from Lvovitch regarding ORT Paris' support of German refugees, 13 August 1939.
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 |
L. V. Frenkel's presentation about the work of French ORT in Paris, 6 November 1939.
L. V. Frenkel's presentation about the work of French ORT in Paris, 6 November 1939.
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 |
Letter from Bramson to Baron de Gunzburg concerning donations, 23 November 1939.
Letter from Bramson to Baron de Gunzburg concerning donations, 23 November 1939.
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 |
Letter from ORT Union Central Board to Mr Grinberg re loan, 13 December 1939.
Letter from ORT Union Central Board to Mr Grinberg re loan, 13 December 1939.
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 |
Letter from ORT Union Central Board to Mr Beretz re loan, 13 December 1939.
Letter from ORT Union Central Board to Mr Beretz re loan, 13 December 1939.
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 |
Help Through Work, a report from Paris correspondent A. Alperin, c. 1940.
Help Through Work, a report from Paris correspondent A. Alperin, c. 1940.
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 |
Report on a study tour of agricultural locations in south-west France, February 1940.
Report on a study tour of agricultural locations in south-west France, February 1940.
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 |
Trip Report to Vichy 25-28 March 1941, 31 March 1941.
Trip Report to Vichy 25-28 March 1941, 31 March 1941.
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 |
Summary of ORT activities in France for the period January to June 1941.
Summary of ORT activities in France for the period January to June 1941.
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 the Mission of Mr Pierre Paraf, Marseilles, 2 December 1941.
Report on the Mission of Mr Pierre Paraf, Marseilles, 2 December 1941.
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 |
Menu for a Passover Seder at the ORT farm school in La Roche, France, 1 April 1942.
Menu for a Passover Seder at the ORT farm school in La Roche, France, 1 April 1942.
Textual document.
Creator: | ORT France |
Extent: | 2 pages |
Date: | 1 April 1942 |
Language: | French, Hebrew |
Location: | La-Roche, France |
Letter from the director of the new French ORT organisation Mr Cremer, 21 May 1942.
Letter from the director of the new French ORT organisation Mr Cremer, 21 May 1942.
Description of the structure and procedures of the new organisation.
Creator: | ORT France |
Extent: | 2 pages |
Date: | 1942 |
Language: | French |
Location: | France |
Report on ORT's activities in France, 1943.
Report on ORT's activities in France, 1943.
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 |
Training Institutions and Professional Training in France, c. 1943.
Training Institutions and Professional Training in France, c. 1943.
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 |
Letter from ORT France to Lvovitch reporting on its post-war efforts, 25 July 1945.
Letter from ORT France to Lvovitch reporting on its post-war efforts, 25 July 1945.
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 |
Minutes of the first ORT France conference after liberation, Voiron, December 1946.
Minutes of the first ORT France conference after liberation, Voiron, December 1946.
Textual document.
Creator: | ORT France |
Extent: | 1 folder |
Date: | 21-23 December 1946 |
Language: | French |
Location: | Voiron, France |
ORT Français - Bulletin d'Information, December 1946.
ORT Français - Bulletin d'Information, December 1946.
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 |
ORT Français - Bulletin d'Information, July 1947.
ORT Français - Bulletin d'Information, July 1947.
Includes 4 pages of photos.
Creator: | ORT France |
Extent: | 26 pages |
Date: | July 1947 |
Language: | French |
Location: | Paris, France |
ORT Français - Bulletin d'Information, December 1948.
ORT Français - Bulletin d'Information, December 1948.
Includes 4 pages of photos.
Creator: | ORT France |
Extent: | 30 pages |
Date: | December 1948 |
Language: | French |
Location: | Paris, France |
ORT Français - Son Activité en 1950 - [ORT France - Activities in 1950].
ORT Français - Son Activité en 1950 - [ORT France - Activities in 1950].
Textual document.
Creator: | ORT France |
Extent: | 1 booklet |
Date: | c. 1950 |
Language: | French |
Location: | Paris, France |