Recha Freier was born in Germany in 1892. She studied religion and philology in university, married a rabbi, and raised four children while teaching high school. She was a poet and folklorist - and a committed Zionist.
The idea of Youth Aliyah came to Freier in 1932, when she was attempting to alleviate the plight of a group of anxious teens who had lost their jobs because they were Jews. Having experienced antisemitism first-hand herself, Freier was sensitive to its rising tide in Germany even before Hitler and the Nazis seized power and began formally persecuting and discriminating against Jews. With remarkable prescience, she sought to protect Jewish youth in Germany from impending doom by sending them to pioneer training camps in Palestine to be educated in agriculture and Hebrew and absorbed into kibbutzim, the Zionist farming communities. Freier thus saw Youth Aliyah as a calling, a “going up” consistent with Zionist ideals, with youthful Jewish pioneers providing assistance to a growing Jewish community in Palestine even as they were saved from tyranny and death. Already in her 70s, and against extraordinary odds, Freier was nevertheless instrumental in Youth Aliyah’s rescuing more than 5,000 Jewish children from the maws of the Nazis. Other children were smuggled out of occupied Europe during the war to Allied countries. Many more - approximately 15,000 child survivors of displaced persons camps - came to Palestine between the end of the war and the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. To be sure, Freier would experience significant opposition from the German Jewish community who thought her methods illegal, or were opposed to separating children from their parents, perhaps feeling that Nazism would abate. As well she had difficulties with the formidable founder of Hadassah, Henrietta Szold, who thought Freier’s plan to bring German children to Palestine was ill-conceived. Szold would have a change of heart and eventually take over the running of Youth Aliyah in Jerusalem, but not before Freier obtained an agreement from Siegfried Lehman, the founder of the Ben Shemen Youth Village, to take in 12 children himself. Ben Shemen took approximately 100 Youth Aliyah children in 1934. The kibbutz Ein Herod as well hosted 60 of these early Youth Aliyah pioneers.
Freier herself would eventually take up permanent residence in Palestine in 1941, taking a group of 40 teenagers with her. Here she worked with underprivileged children; wrote poetry; founded the Agricultural Training Center for Israel Children; established the Israel Composers Fund; wrote libretti for opera; and engaged in a host of other cultural pursuits. She wrote the story of the founding of Youth Aliyah, published in Great Britain in 1961 as Let the Children Come: The Early Story of Youth Aliyah. By the time of her writing, more than 100,000 children would have been wards of Youth Aliyah since its inception. She dedicated her book “…to those children who never reached the land of life.”
Freier would achieve well-deserved recognition for founding Youth Aliyah with an honorary doctorate from Hebrew University in 1975. In 1981 Freier was awarded Israel’s highest cultural honor - the Israel Prize - for her many contributions to Israeli culture, most notably her efforts in saving the lives of the imperiled Jewish children of Nazi Germany. Recha Freier died in 1984 in Jerusalem. An Israeli postage stamp was issued in her honor in 2018.
--Michael D. Bulmash, K1966
Browse the Bulmash Family Holocaust Collection.
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Henrietta Szold Typed Letter in Hebrew - Jewish Community of Palestine Letterhead
2015.2.78
Tan paper with Jewish Community of Palestine return address in left corner, Hebrew in the right. Both printed. Letter typewritten in Hebrew. Signature in lower left.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Szold was a Jewish Zionist from Baltimore, Maryland who founded the Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America. She immigrated to Palestine in 1933 where she helped run the Youth Aliyah, the organization founded by Recha Freier responsible for rescuing 30,000 Jewish children from Nazi Europe. She died in 1945 in the very hospital she helped build in Jerusalem.
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Postcards of Kibbutzim – Ben Shemen and Ain Harod – Taking in Wards of Youth Aliyah
2021.1.43ab
Postcards showing Jewish children in settlements. The first shows a small child standing on a hillside overlooking te settlement holding a wooden stick. The second shows a kindergarten class seated around a table.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Real-photo postcards of children of settlers in Palestine in Ben Shemen and Ain Harod around the time of arrival of the first Youth Aliyah children to these Kibbutzim.
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German Jewish Refugee in Palestine
2016.1.39
Front: Image of young man with agricultural equipment; Back: In addition to handstamps and handwritten notes, the following text is adhered: “A GERMAN REFUGEE IN PALESTINE- This young boy is one of more than 30,000 Jewish Refugees from Germany who have found a haven of safety and security in the Jewish National Home in Palestine. Agricultural training is provided these youngsters between the ages of fifteen and seventeen so that they may take their proper place on the Jewish farms in Palestine. Funds to accelerate the rebuilding of Palestine so that ever greater numbers of the Jews of Germany, Poland and other Central and Eastern European lands may be absorbed, are sought by the United Palestine Appeal, combining the Palestine Foundation Fund and the Jewish National Fund, which asks $3,500,000 from American Jewry during 1936. (Copyright – 1936 by United Palestine Appeal).
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: According to press release, this youth is one of more than 30,000 Jewish refugees from Germany who have found safe haven in Palestine. He is receiving agricultural training in order to be integrated into Palestine kibbutz system.
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J-Stamped Passport for Fritz Schlesinger
2022.1.40
32 pages; red ‘J’ stamp at top left of page 1; photo stapled on top left of page 2; interior pages have become detached from cover; pages 17-back cover have been hole punched twice;
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Fritz Schlesinger’s passport is stamped with the letter J. The handwritten “Israel” displayed on his passport to further distinguish him as a Jew was required on letters and documents in 1938 by Nazi executive order. Fritz had been a “landwirtschafat praktikant” and “agriculture intern” completing his training in farming practices and technology. Such training was commonly associated with the Halutz movement and inspired by Zionist ideology with the goal to create Jewish settlements in Palestine. Mr. Schlesinger, however, went through his training in a distinctly non-Zionist program formed by the Union of Jews in Germany (under supervision of the SS) on land at Gross-Breesen, near Trebnitz. To be sure, agricultural training was no less important here, but its inspiration was to help graduates secure jobs in any country as part of training for emigrating from Germany. While Mr. Schlesinger’s program was not specifically Zionist-inspired, it was no less urgent to help adolescents find gainful employment in countries like the UK, the Netherlands, South America and the United States. This became especially true after the Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938. Indeed, almost 120 participants were able to leave Germany after Kristallnacht from Mr. Schlesinger’s program.
Fritz graduated at the end of July 1939 and applied for a British visa in Berlin on August 7. He exited Germany on the 27th and entered the UK at Harwich on August 28th. There were instructions that upon completion of his training he will emigrate from the UK.
Just days later World War II began.
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Dr. George Landauer Letter
2014.1.382
Typed letter in Hebrew, typewritten date, '13.6.45' at top left.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Dr. Landauer was an ardent Zionist, playing an active role in the Zionist movement in Germany and Palestine. He was one of the founders of the Youth Aliyah in 1935. After World War II he was head of the Jewish Agency office in Munich.
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Youth Aliyah Commemoration Envelope
2014.1.372
Front: Image of hand holding seedling with words '20 yrs. Youth Aliyah 1954' as border; various hand stamps Back: Typed information, 'The Executive of the Jewish Agency' in Tel-Aviv.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Youth Aliyah was founded by Recha Freier on January 30, 1933, the day Hitler took power. With remarkable prescience, she sought to protect German youth from impending doom by sending them to pioneer training camps in Palestine to be educated and absorbed into kibbutzim, the indigenous farming communities. She helped 5,000 Jewish children escape from Germany. Others were smuggled out of Europe during the war to Palestine, the U.K., and other countries. Many more came to Palestine between the end of the war and the establishment of the state of Israel. Youth Aliyah also helped Jewish child survivors in D.P. camps. Frier herself experienced significant opposition from the German Jewish community who thought her methods illegal. She eventually fled to Palestine herself, taking a group of 40 teenagers with her.
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Let the Children Come: The Early Story of Youth Aliyah by Recha Freier
2021.1.44
Small book with blue and yellow cover. Illustration of five children on cover, titled “Let the Children Come: the early story of youth aliyah”
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Recha Freier’s own story of the early history of Youth Aliyah.
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Youth Aliyah Commemoration Stamps
2014.1.371
Front: Five stamps with 'Essen '84' printed over them. Back: Image with 'Jews from Germany disembark at Jaffa (1933)' caption above a reproduced stamp with caption, 'The stamp depicted here was issued in 1983, in honour of 50 years of "Aliya" (immigration) of Jews from Germany.'
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Youth Aliyah was founded by Recha Freier on January 30, 1933, the day Hitler took power. With remarkable prescience, she sought to protect German youth from impending doom by sending them to pioneer training camps in Palestine to be educated and absorbed into kibbutzim, the indigenous farming communities. She helped 5,000 Jewish children escape from Germany. Others were smuggled out of Europe during the war to Palestine, the U.K., and other countries. Many more came to Palestine between the end of the war and the establishment of the state of Israel. Youth Aliyah also helped Jewish child survivors in D.P. camps. Frier herself experienced significant opposition from the German Jewish community who thought her methods illegal. She eventually fled to Palestine herself, taking a group of 40 teenagers with her.
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Recha Freier Israeli Commemorative First Day Cover
2019.2.245
Envelope with image of fields and pastures on left side, includes postage stamp of woman and postage stamp of three children on right side, stamped with image of boy and girl and “Recha Freier” in black ink.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Youth Aliyah was founded by Recha Freier on January 30, 1933, the day Hitler took power. With remarkable prescience, she sought to protect German youth from impending doom by sending them to pioneer training camps in Palestine to be educated and absorbed into kibbutzim, the indigenous farming communities. Against extraordinary odds, she helped more than 5,000 Jewish children escape from Germany. Others were smuggled out of Europe during the war to Palestine, the UK, and other countries. Many more came to Palestine between the end of the war and the establishment of the state of Israel. Youth Aliyah also helped Jewish child survivors in DP camps. Freier herself experienced significant opposition from the German Jewish community who thought her methods illegal. She eventually fled to Palestine herself, taking a group of 40 teenagers with her. She was awarded the Israel Prize in 1981 for her efforts in saving the imperiled Jewish children of Nazi Germany and founding Youth Aliyah.
[Related items: 2019.2.246 and 2019.2.247]
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Recha Freier Israeli Commemorative Postcard
2019.2.246
Postcard with black and white portrait of Recha Freier on front, two postage stamps on left side.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Youth Aliyah was founded by Recha Freier on January 30, 1933, the day Hitler took power. With remarkable prescience, she sought to protect German youth from impending doom by sending them to pioneer training camps in Palestine to be educated and absorbed into kibbutzim, the indigenous farming communities. Against extraordinary odds, she helped more than 5,000 Jewish children escape from Germany. Others were smuggled out of Europe during the war to Palestine, the UK, and other countries. Many more came to Palestine between the end of the war and the establishment of the state of Israel. Youth Aliyah also helped Jewish child survivors in DP camps. Freier herself experienced significant opposition from the German Jewish community who thought her methods illegal. She eventually fled to Palestine herself, taking a group of 40 teenagers with her. She was awarded the Israel Prize in 1981 for her efforts in saving the imperiled Jewish children of Nazi Germany and founding Youth Aliyah.
[Related items: 2019.2.245 and 2019.2.247]
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Recha Freier Israeli Commemorative Postcard
2019.2.247
Postcard with black and white image of people dancing together in large circle on front, two postage stamps on left side.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Youth Aliyah was founded by Recha Freier on January 30, 1933, the day Hitler took power. With remarkable prescience, she sought to protect German youth from impending doom by sending them to pioneer training camps in Palestine to be educated and absorbed into kibbutzim, the indigenous farming communities. Against extraordinary odds, she helped more than 5,000 Jewish children escape from Germany. Others were smuggled out of Europe during the war to Palestine, the UK, and other countries. Many more came to Palestine between the end of the war and the establishment of the state of Israel. Youth Aliyah also helped Jewish child survivors in DP camps. Freier herself experienced significant opposition from the German Jewish community who thought her methods illegal. She eventually fled to Palestine herself, taking a group of 40 teenagers with her. She was awarded the Israel Prize in 1981 for her efforts in saving the imperiled Jewish children of Nazi Germany and founding Youth Aliyah.
[Related items: 2019.2.245 and 2019.2.246]