Starving Jewish refugees take shelter in Krakow. In addition to the widespread displacement, famine, disease, and economic hardship that existed in the aftermath of World War I, the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war created new suffering for Jewish populations in Eastern Europe. Rowne, a commercial hub with a large Jewish population, was among the towns visited by the first team of field representatives, including social workers, physicians, and teachers, sent to Poland by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (“the Joint”).