The Australian Jewish Welfare Society (AJWS) was established in 1936, primarily as a support agency for Jewish pre-war and post-war migrants. Some Jewish children fleeing the Nazis in Germany and Austria immigrated to Australia, some being cared for at Frances Barkman House in Balwyn, Victoria. In 2001 the Australian Jewish Welfare Society was renamed Jewish Care after a merger with Montefiore Homes.
The Minute Books of the Australian Jewish Welfare Society from 1939 contain information about the running of Frances Barkman House and its residents and staff. Extracts from the minute books are published in the history by Rodney Benjamin, entitled A Serious Influx of Jews: A History of Jewish Welfare in Victoria.
1936 - 2001 Australian Jewish Welfare Society
2001 - Jewish Care (Victoria) Inc.
Sources used to compile this entry: Benjamin, Rodney, 'A Serious Influx of Jews': a history of Jewish welfare in Victoria, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, 1998; Children in the Frances Barkman House [Image].
Prepared by: Cate O'Neill
Created: 9 July 2009, Last modified: 8 November 2018