The Bolshevik Revolution and it's aftermath wreaked havoc on the Jewish communities - both exiled and established - across the great expanse of the former Russian Empire. The Russian Civil War destroyed lives, property and entire communities. Following the establishment of Communist rule, Jewish religious, cultural and political life were quickly snuffed out. The Balfour Declaration hailed a new beginning for Jewish settlement in Palestine. This was followed by the Third Aliya which brought a new wave of immigration settle the land. The Old Yishuv had suffered greatly during the war, as the entire Chaluka system of funding had been completely cutoff. Finally, the American Jewish community emerged during and after the war with a new sense of identity and mission. Charitable projects on behalf of their brethren suffering from the ravages of war, started at the grassroots level. These eventually were dwarfed by massive philanthropic organizations such as the Central Relief and the Joint. The Jewish People emerged bruised and battered from the Great War, but were able to rebuild and flourish on an even larger scale than before.

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