June 1, 2009 / 9 Sivan 5769

Yehuda Dominitz served as the Director General of the Immigration and Absorption Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel from 1978-1986. He passed away on Shabbat (May 30). His funeral took place at the Givat Shaul cemetery in Jerusalem on Sunday, May 31st.

Yehuda Dominitz was born in Czechoslovakia in 1926. After the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, Yehuda’s parents sent him to Israel at the age of 13. His parents and family who perished in the Holocaust had the foresight to send Yehuda to Israel alone.

In the years 1946-49 he was sent back to Europe as an emissary on behalf of Youth Aliyah. He went to Italy and worked with the orphans of the Holocaust.

In the Forties he joined the Immigration and Absorption Department of the Jewish Agency and filled a number of key roles, amongst them:

• 1978-86, Director General of the Immigration and Absorption Department of the Jewish Agency.
• 1968-1978, Deputy Director of the Immigration and Absorption Department of the Jewish Agency, under the late Major General (ret .) Uzi Narkiss.

During his service in the Immigration Department he was involved in all the waves of immigration, both overt and covert, as well as rescue and resettlement of Jews from countries of distress. He was also a key player in the absorption of immigrants throughout Israel.

In 1994-1998 he served as the Director of the Israel Office of the UJA Federation of NY and was involved in initiating social projects all over Israel and specifically in project renewal in the Hatikva Neighborhood in Tel Aviv

In addition to his work at the Jewish Agency, he was involved in volunteer and public service.

For his many years of work he received the Jerusalem Award.