The Haavara (Transfer) Agreement was signed on August 25, 1933, between Nazi Germany and Zionist organizations, including the Jewish Agency. The agreement facilitated the emigration of German Jews to Mandatory Palestine by allowing them to transfer a portion of their assets in the form of German goods exported to Palestine. Emigrants deposited funds in Germany, which were used to purchase German products; the goods were then sold in Palestine, and the proceeds were paid to the emigrants upon arrival.
The agreement operated from 1933 until 1939 and enabled approximately 50,000 German Jews to emigrate, transferring an estimated 100 million Reichsmarks in assets. It also helped Germany increase exports at a time of international economic pressure and partial Jewish-led boycott efforts against German goods. The Haavara Agreement was controversial among Jewish communities, as it intersected with broader debates over boycotts, emigration policy, and responses to Nazi persecution.
