Recha Freier, a rabbi's wife, founded Youth Aliyah in Berlin on the same day that Adolf Hitler took power, Monday 30 January 1933.

Szold met her and explained the decision to initiate the major effort of Youth Aliyah and that Mrs de Sola Pool must convince Hadassah to accept it as an important project.

With Hitler's rise to power the Nuremberg Racial Laws were enacted in 1935 and on 31 March 1936 German elementary schools were closed to Jewish children.

Jewish immigration facilitated by the United Kingdom became increasingly difficult and complicated as the Italian-Abyssinian war affected Britain's relationship with Palestine.

Out of the approximately 10,000 children who migrated to Great Britain under the auspices of the Kindertransport program, some intended to reach Palestine with Youth Aliyah at a later time.

[5] After this British policy was formulated in November 1938, it facilitated not only thousands of Jewish children settling in the United Kingdom on a permanent basis, but also 3,400 staying there temporarily on the way to Palestine.

Britain would continue to allow foreign policy to affect their support of the Youth Aliyah program which resulted in the organization saving less children from Nazi tyranny and violence.

The cynical foreign policy from Great Britain held the program back and failed to save thousands of children from the Nazi regime.

[7] Over the years, the organization has brought young people to Israel from North Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Soviet Union and Ethiopia.

[7] Youth Aliyah Child Rescue continues to play a role in the absorption of young newcomers to Israel, particularly from the former Soviet Union and Africa.

The villages include schools, dorms, clubhouses and playgrounds, and offer emotional support, education, developmental training and extra-curricular activity.

Torah o'Mikzoah, south of Hadera, caters specifically to religious teenage boys unable to fit into a high school yeshiva environment.

[8] Directors of Youth Aliyah after the establishment of the State of Israel include Moshe Kol, Meir Gottesmann (1978–1984), Uri Gordon and Eli Amir.