War Orphans
Nearly 1.5 million Jewish children were killed during the Holocaust. Those who survived were often the only members of their family left. Tens of thousands of children lost their parents in the Holocaust. They lived in orphanages and displaced persons (DP) camps for years after the Second World War. In 1947, the Canadian Jewish Congress convinced the Canadian government to open its doors to some Jewish orphans. The program was called the War Orphans Project.
Canadian representatives went to Europe to look for Jewish orphans under the age of 15. When the representatives arrived, they found greater devastation than they expected. Very few young children had survived the Holocaust. Because of this, the age limit for the War Orphans Project had to be raised from 15 to 18 years old.
The health of each orphan was tested before being accepted to the program. The children also had to demonstrate they could adjust to life in Canada. In the end, 1,128 orphans were chosen to travel by boat and train to new homes in Canada. The children were placed with Jewish foster families or in group homes in 38 cities across the country.
Most of the orphans were teenagers used to taking care of themselves. They found it hard to follow the rules set by their new foster parents. Life in small-town Canada was also challenging for them. Foster parents struggled to understand the horrible experiences the children had gone through. As a result, the orphans developed close bonds with each other. These ties were critical during their early years in Canada. In time, the orphans integrated into Canadian society with great success. Many of these children became pillars of their new communities.
