Card Catalogs and Personal Files
Card catalogs and personal files of immigrants and candidates for immigration (S6C/S6P)
The Central Zionist Archives preserves about 200 drawers containing more than 650,000 cards, arranged alphabetically (in Hebrew), of candidates for immigration and immigrants to Palestine/Israel during the years 1920-1964. The card catalog was created when thousands of residents of Palestine/Israel approached the Jewish Agency and asked to allow relatives to immigrate to Palestine/Israel. Eventually, only some of the candidates immigrated.
The card catalog is arranged according to the name of the candidate or the immigrant. Each card usually contains the name of the candidate or the immigrant, the country of origin, age/year of birth, as well as the name and address of the relative making the application. The information is handwritten in Hebrew.
In 2002, the Central Zionist Archives began creating a computerized database based on these cards. This database contains more than 370,000 records.
Usually, there is a reference from the card of the immigration candidate or immigrant to a personal file. This series of files is also preserved at the Zionist Archives. The contents of the files are not uniform: sometimes they contain only the original immigration application form, and sometimes, they contain general correspondence regarding the possibility of immigration of the candidate and documents relating to his actual immigration.
Access restrictionsThe card catalog is accessible to the public only by application to the CZA Family Research SectionRelatives wishing to receive the complete data of the card and to browse the personal file can approach the CZA Family Research Section in conformity with the guidelines specified in the information sheet of the Family Research Department.