Such a comfortable situation existed for several reasons. First, JEWCOM was a well-organized group that had its primary goal from 1940 to 1941 as the procuring of food, shelter, and security for every Jew in Kobe. This was made possible by ample funding from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or the JDC, a group that funded rescue efforts for Jews throughout the war. Additional funding supplemented that of the JDC from the Vaad Hatzala, a relief organization similar to the JDC but only focusing on Orthodox Jews.