Jewish war sufferers: shall they plead in vain?

The image depicts a Jewish woman and child sitting amidst rubble in a war-torn area. The Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) sponsored the creation of this poster. In a sweeping nationwide campaign, JDC leaders brought home the breadth of Jewish suffering abroad and the unparalleled scope of the wartime agency’s relief effort. These early campaigns also employed newspaper notices, brochures, passionate speeches, public gatherings in urban spaces, and informational materials which were intended to evoke not just sympathy for the plight of Jewish communities and individuals abroad, but also to serve as a compelling reminder to American Jewry that they had a responsibility to make use of America’s bounty to help sustain their Jewish brethren. With their stark visual imagery, posters played a vital role in illustrating the depth of the crisis to the American Jewish public. The message resonated raising unprecedented sums and gathering nearly universal support among American Jews.