** Webmaster Note: The following is a translation from Hebrew by Laia Ben-Dov as sponsored by George Zilbergeld. Additional clarifications are provided in parenthesis ( ).

THE OPERATION OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE LOAN FUND

Before the end of World War II and immediately afterwards, several residents of Israel, émigrés from Vladimirets, began assistance activities for the remnants and survivors from our town who had succeeded in arriving at safe locations, such as Russia, Italy, Cyprus and more.  In a general meeting that was held, it was decided to make a collection among the émigrés from Vladimirets in Israel, for the purpose of assisting the survivors who were abroad, as well as those who had then already begun to arrive in Israel.

With the money that was collected in Israel, along with money that was sent from the U.S., from Detroit, Washington, and other places, an Assistance and Loan Fund was established.  Among the first people who were active in establishing and managing this Fund was Knesset Member Eliezer Shostak, who served as Chairman of the Committee until the arrival of Sender Tscherniak from America.  The other members were Penina Tscherniak, David Burko, Dov Chizi, Eliyahu Garmarnik and Chaim Schwartzberg.  Member Sender Tscherniak served throughout all the years as the contact between the Committees in America and the Israeli Committee, and he constitutes the living spirit of the operation of the Fund and the Committee.

The purpose of the Fund at first was to give monetary grants to the new immigrants who had just arrived in the Land.  The amount of the grant depended upon the situation of the family and its size.  Loans were also given.  After a time, with the increase and broadening of the Fund's activities, it also began to give loans and grants to those people from Vladimirets who had been in Israel for some time who needed this assistance.  In addition, care packages were sent to our friends in Russia, Cyprus and Poland.

Small deductions, such as fees, which were deducted from the loans, paid the on-going costs of the Loan Fund, as did the annual tax collected from all of the émigrés from our town in Israel – all without harming the principal, which was used only for purposes of assistance, grants and loans.

Shares that were bought by people from our town in Israel served as the principal for the Loan Fund.  In accordance with the decision of the chosen Committee, the first condition for receiving a loan from the Fund was the purchase of at least one share.

During the years of operation of the Fund, moneys were received from America, which are, to this very day, used mainly for granting assistance and loans to residents of Israel – new immigrants and veterans alike. 

In the Registry of Olim [émigrés to Israel] from Vladimirets, there are presently listed over 200 families, many of whom are already the second generation in Israel, and all these are in addition to certain families who have not yet registered with us.  A high percentage of these families holds loans from the Fund and makes regular payments.  The Committee is chosen annually or bi-annually at a general meeting of all of the people from Vladimiretz, and it supervises the operations of the Fund.  There is also a Control Committee, which checks and approves the Fund's activities.  The Committee gives a report on its activities at every general meeting.  The members of the Committee are:  Yosef Brill, Eliyahu Garmarnik, Sarah Prust, Penina Tscherniak, Yitzchak Kamin, Shlomo Reznik, Chaim Schwartzberg.  The members of the Committee represent all of the areas of the country.  The Committee gathers at set times for meetings and decides on the course of action and the future operation of the Fund, and solves problems that arise occasionally.  The Committees in America receive statements and copies of the annual and periodic reports that are published from time to time.

There is no doubt that there is great blessing and encouragement in the activities of the Committee and the Loan Fund, the likes of which are few among the "Landsmanschaften" in Israel.  Receiving a loan from a bank involves a lot of running around and many difficulties, but in our Fund – there are almost no formalities and whoever is from Vladimirets and needs a loan receives it, with no difficulty.