Photograph of Henry Morgenthau, Sr.

When war strangled the lifeline to the Jewish community in Ottoman-ruled Palestine, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau, Sr. implored New York philanthropist Jacob H. Schiff to secure immediate aid. Within days, $50,000 was on its way to the Yishuv and the mission of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) began to take shape.