The Contribution to Industrial Social Work of Jewish Support for Displaced Persons in the Aftermath of World War II

Abstract

In the aftermath of World War II, American casework practices were introduced to social work efforts in Western Europe by social workers employed by the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and by the U.S. Army Occupation force. The casework practices taught to European social workers at the Paul Baerwald School for the technical training of social workers in Paris operated by the JDC revolutionized European social work and inaugurated modern industrial social work in Europe. Work with displaced persons by Jewish social workers in North America also had profound impact on occupational social work in the USA and Canada.

Key Words:

• Social work history
• displaced persons
• industrial social work in Europe