The Galveston Movement, also known as the Galveston Plan,[1] was a U.S. immigration assistance program operated by several Jewish organizations between 1907 and 1914. The program diverted Jewish immigrants, fleeing Russia and eastern Europe, away from East Coast cities, particularly New York. During its operation, ten thousand Jewish immigrants passed through the port of Galveston, Texas, about a third the number that emigrated to Palestine during the same period. New York financier and philanthropist Jacob Schiff was the driving force behind the effort, which he supported with nearly $500,000 ($16.4 million in 2023 dollars) of his personal fortune. B'nai Israel's Rabbi Henry Cohen was the humanitarian face of the movement, meeting ships at the Galveston docks and helping guide the immigrants through the cumbersome arrival and distribution process, and on into the countryside.[2]
- ^ Hasia Diner, The Jews of the United States 1654 to 2000 (2004), p.185
- ^ Manaster, Jane (15 June 2010). "Galveston Movement". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 25 May 2020.