Joel Brand Eugen Band. He cabled the Jewish Agency in Istanbul to say he was on his way, and arrived by German diplomatic plane on 19 May. Paul Rose writes that Brand had no idea at this point that the deportations to Auschwitz had already begun. Brand had been told by the Jewish Agency by return cable that "Chaim" would meet him in Istanbul. Convinced of the importance of his mission, he believed this was Chaim Weizmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, later the first president of Israel. In fact the man who had arranged to meet him was Chaim Barlas,
Weizmann House the Weizmanns were able to take residence in January 1937. The final sum after negotiations and construction was £14,832 6s 8d. Though this house was designed for the Weizmanns, they lived there after the Second World War, several years after it was ready for them. When the Weizmanns were not home the house was lived in by visiting world leaders, luminaries, and guests. After the house was completed some difficulties between the architect and clients continued: Chaim Weizmann was displeased with Mendelsohn over imperfections in the building such as dampness in the winter, and Vera Weizmann chose her own interior