Jewish Colonization Association (JCA), Turkey (Sign. JCA/TR)

The Jewish Colonisation Association (JCA) was created on September 11, 1891 by Baron Maurice de Hirsch. The most prominent of JCA activities was the resettling of Jews from Eastern Europe in agricultural colonies on lands purchased by the committee, particularly in North America (Canada and the United States), and South America (Argentina and Brazil). Historical background: In 1897, at the request of the British government, JCA transferred 33 Russian refugee families from England to Cyprus, establishing three small colonies there. This venture failed and after a few years the settlers re-emigrated. In 1891 JCA bought land near Smyrna in Turkey, and established an agricultural training center, Or Yehudah, on an area totaling 3,000 hectares by 1902. Owing to numerous difficulties the center was closed in 1926. A group of Romanian Jews in Anatolia were assisted by JCA in the early 20th century, and a small-scale Russian immigration led JCA to establish an immigration bureau in Constantinople in 1910. JCA also bought land in Anatolia and Thrace, and founded Mesillah Ḥadashah and two other agricultural settlements for several hundred families. During World War I the settlers were forced to leave, and in 1928 the colonies were practically liquidated, only the immigration bureau remaining to assist migrants in transit for Ereẓ Israel.