Postcard commemorating the 20th anniversary of a Jewish family’s emigration from Austria

Postcard commissioned in 1958 commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Aliyah of a group of German Jews arranged by the Irgun, a Zionist paramilitary organization in Palestine, with the assistance of leaders of the Revisionist Organization in Vienna. On March 13, 1938, Germany annexed Austria and created new legislation that restricted Jewish life. The postcard depicts the route a group of Austrian Jews took to escape the country. The journey began in the town of Arnoldstein, located on the border of Austria and Italy. The town was a frequent waypoint for German and Austrian Jews attempting to flee Nazi oppression. The group left Arnoldstein by train, crossing the Reichsbrücke Bridge in Vienna and traveled down the Danube River to board the Draga, in Galati, Romania. The ship was disguised as the Libertad, a Spanish vessal, to avoid detection by British anti-immigration authorities from Palestine. The Draga departed Sulina, Romania on November 6, 1938 and traveled to Cyprus, which the ship circled several times until the passengers were able to transfer to another ship, the Elli. Once aboard the Elli, the passengers arrived in Palestine in December. In the face of strict British immigration quotas, Jewish Zionist organizations aided European Jewry in escaping Nazi persecution, and illegally brought them to Palestine to bolster their argument for the need of a Jewish state.