Skills training for Palestine
Graduation at the Jewish Professional School for Seamstresses in Hamburg
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Hamburg
When the Halutz (Pioneer) Movement first began to establish itself in Germany in the 1920s, it had a hard time gaining traction among the country’s mostly assimilated Jews, who saw themselves as “German citizens of Jewish faith.” The Movement, which aimed to prepare young Jews for life in Palestine by teaching the Hebrew language as well as agricultural and artisanal skills, got its first boost during the Great Depression (from 1929), which made emigration more attractive as an opportunity for economic improvement. But even more significant growth took place after the Nazis’ rise to power: so-called “Hachscharot” sprung up all over Germany, instilling young Jews with a meaningful Jewish identity and imparting valuable skills. The photo presented here shows graduates of the Jewish Professional School for Seamstresses on Heimhuderstraße.
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SOURCE
Institution:
Institut für die Geschichte der deutschen Juden (IGdJ)
Original:
Picture database of the Institute for the History of the German Jews, Collection Ursula Randt, with kind permission of Rahel Calm ; 21-015/105
