The Blue Card was established by the Jewish community in the early 1930s, in Germany, to help Jews already being affected by Nazi persecution through loss of jobs and other forms of oppression.

In 1939, The Blue Card was reestablished in the United States to continue aiding refugees of Nazi persecution resettling in America. To this day, many of our Board members are the children and grandchildren of The Blue Card's original founders.

After the Holocaust, the mission of the organization was expanded to helping survivors of the Shoah from all European countries. It continues its work to this very day.

Most of the Holocaust survivors served by The Blue Card live at or near the Federal poverty level. Many of these survivors never received any restitutions or pensions, or were not "qualified" to receive any of the other payments administered by The Claims Conference. Some live on small Social Security payments and, though they may be insured under Medicare, they are unable to pay for Medigap coverage and prescription drugs. Those who qualify for Medicaid often need the care of specialists or drugs not covered by Medicaid, and are frequently desperate for uncovered services such as dental care. It is impossible for Holocaust survivors to receive such services and assistance without our help.