Caravan of Hope photograph
The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Caravan of Hope was a national railway tour organized by the United Jewish Appeal in support of its $250 million fundraising campaign to resettle Jewish refugees from Europe following World War II and to assist the new State of Israel. The Caravan of Hope was a speaker’s bureau traveling on a seven-car train outfitted with exhibits and displays.
The 150-city tour included a stop in Pittsburgh on April 8-10, 1949. In addition to making the train available for visitors, the tour included interviews with local media, meetings with United Jewish Fund divisions, and various dinners and brunches. The local tour was arranged by United Jewish Fund Campaign Chair Herman Fineberg and Samuel M. Levinson with help from Stanley J. Kann, Leonard H. Krieger, and Harry Rom.
