In 1939, people interested in Hachshara training, i.e. professional, ideological, and practical training for life in Palestine, filled in questionnaires at the Hehalutz office. These questionnaires contain detailed personal information that can be used to form an analysis of Hachshara activities and the participants. By mapping the places where Hachsharot training centers were held, this new EHRI Document Blog post offers insight to changes in the Jewish geography of interwar Chzechoslavakia and the very limited possibilities for emigration in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

"We worked for food only. It began in 1939-40. We had various problems, the Jews never worked in agriculture, there was hard work, and we also had problems from the landlords who did not give us enough food. There were also problems with the fact that Jews were no longer allowed to travel. I had permission to travel once per month, but I traveled every week. After the assassination of Heydrich in 1942, landlords began to fear to employ Jews. I drove from one to the other and asked if they would still employ Jews – they didn’t want to.”

Read the blog post by Daniela Bartáková.