Schloss family.

Moses Schloss was born in 1892 in Baltimore. He quit school at the age of sixteen and began buying and selling used shipping rope from ships docked in Baltimore's harbor. After a time, he began buying and selling other types of scrap materials, including scrap metal, and grew his business into Industrial Sales Co., a marine salvage business. Schloss married Sophia Bugatch. Sophia was born in 1894 in Russia. Moses and Sophia began helping refugees after World War I by sending food and clothing to refugee centers. Sophia would often sew letters into the pockets of the clothing suggesting that recipients contact the Schlosses directly if they needed further assistance. After World War II the Schloss' work ballooned. Sophia and some friends started sending packages to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc. After the committee's work ended, the Schlosses continued to send packages. Clothing was collected at the Schlosses' home. Schloss put the clothing into good repair and packaged it for shipment in accordance with postal regulations. The Schlosses bore the cost of shipments themselves. Schloss continued to insert notes into the clothing. The notes were written in Polish, Russian, Yiddish, English and Hebrew and expressed hope and friendship. Recipients were encouraged to contact the Schlosses with information about specific needs. Over the years, Sophia received more than 30,000 responses to her letters. Refugees in need not only expressed their appreciation, but advised of their specific needs. Sophia devised a way for respondents to measure themselves so she could send correct sizes. In this way she outfitted families, and dressed brides and expectant mothers. In total, the Schlosses shipped more than a half a million pounds of clothing and food. Sophia's respondents thought of her as a mother or other family member, and continued corresponding with her even after their needs were met. The great majority of the recipients of the Schlosses help subsequently went to Israel. They also helped many refugees by financing their trips to America and providing a temporary home for them. The recipients of aid continued to keep in touch with the Schlosses. Moses Schloss was able to help outfit the Governor Warfield, later renamed the Exodus, which carried refugees to Israel in 1947. Moses died in Sept. 1971 at the age of seventy-nine. Sophia continued her work after her husband's death. She moved into an apartment and used her house to refurbish and package clothing. She died in Mar. 1988 at the age of ninety-three.

From the description of Schloss family papers, 1917-1972 and undated. (Jewish Historical Society of Maryland Library). WorldCat record id: 71129821