At the end of WWII there were refugees and displaced persons of many nations, numbering close to eight million people. At first, the refugee camps which were established acrossEurope were not intended especially for Jews. However, an investigative committee set up in August 1945 by the American president Truman, claimed that this should be changed, and that camps intended for the Jews of Europe should be set up in Germany and Austria. The Jewish refugee camps were maintained by the UNWRA and Joint organizations, and although the conditions were very harsh, they were better than in the other camps. There was no work, food was minimal and the chances of leaving the camp and being rehabilitated were slim. In spite of this the Jews tried to lead a normal life in the camps: they established educational and professional training systems, organized conferences of youth movements and political parties, held parties, put on cultural shows and did everything possible to return to “normal” life.
The stories in this section deal with the various activities of the survivors and their attempts at rehabilitation after the years of persecution. Here one can read of an organization which searched for children who were hidden during the Holocaust, acts of revenge against the Nazis, and other stories of the post-war era.
