History

JRRC was established by Mr harry Goodman straight after the war as an arm of Agudas Israel Worldwide Organisation to offer material and spiritual aid to people in Displaced Persons Camps. Mr Shcweid joined JRRC in 1963, later to take over the chairmanship and running of the organisation in 1969. By that time the key focus of JRRC was to help yidden in the soviet Union. Mr Alexander Schweid a survivor of Auschwitz undertook this as a lifelong mission, and treated it as his obligation to do whatever he could to help those who were not as fortune as him, to live in a western democratic country were religious and general freedoms were offered. At the age of 40 gave up his day -to-day business dealings and devoted his life to helping the Jews trapped behind the iron curtain of communist Russia.

Mr Schweid was a personal example of selflessness and courage and there are countless stories of his heroism and resourcefulness during the holocaust and later in his relief work for the Jews in the Soviet block.

Historically the appeals were made before Pesach and the packages were called “paketen” consisting of Matzos and other kosher items that were not attainable because of the general ban on religious practices. These packages is what allowed the “refuseniks” as the religious Jews were known, to cling onto their beliefs knowing that the Jewish works outside The Soviet Union were helping them. L

The appeals were made by Mr Schweid in Shuls on Shabbos and he would call upon the members of the congregation to ask them how much they would pledge. This encouraged others to give respectable pledges.

Mr Schweid passed away in the 1989 coinciding with the raise of Glasnost and Perestroika. It was as if it was divine sign that his lifelong mission was accepted. The relief work were taken over by his son Mr Yissy Reich and son-in-law; Mr Alexander Strom but the style assistance changed to sending over western goods that would be able to be sold for inflated prices on the Russian black market and thereby provide financial assistance during the post communist scarcity. More recently JRRC aid in touch with a network of dedicated Regional jewish leaders and provides financial assistance for their growing communal needs. Following Mr Reich’s recent passing the appeals are made almost exclusively by Mr Alex Strom and he has continued this despite having suffered a stroke that has left him with the loss of his hearing and is wheelchair bound and. His dedication and selflessness is what defines the organisation and continues to inspire.

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