Journal ^ Association of Jewish Refugees
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VOLUME 7 NO.S MAY 2007 journal ^ Association of Jewish Refugees How the Jewish refugees thanked Britain One of the most striking initiatives ever Jewish Congregation (Belsize Square mounted by the AJR was the 'Thank-You Synagogue), as well as representatives of the Britain' Fund, which evolved out of a Czech and Hungarian refugees. Among them proposal in 1963 that the Jewish refugees were AJR Chairman Alfred S. Dresel, Amold from Central Europe should make a public Horwell, Egon Larsen, Hans Blumenau, gestiire of thanks to their adopted homeland. Hans Jaeger and the indispensable Wemer The idea was the brainchild of Victor Ross, Rosenstock. Happily, two are still with us: a former refugee who had worked in Victor Ross and Carl Flesch, while Eric publishing and journalism and had written Gould's widow Katia has for years been one a humorous account of the refugee of this joumal's much valued proof-readers. experience, Basic British; as readers know, The Mall Room, British Academy The Fund proved an outstanding he still wields an elegant pen today. The which were to be used for the awarding of success. The organisers' target of £40-60,000 AJR, and in particular its chairman, Hans research fellowships and the holding of was easily exceeded; by the time the Fund Reichmann (who died in 1964), had been annual (later biennial) lectures, both under was handed over to the British Academy at thinking along similar lines. After the AJR the auspices of the British Academy, a a ceremony in the Saddlers' Hall on 8 took on the administration of the fund- highly respected institution that to this day November 1965, it had reached £96,000, raising, Ross became co-chairman of the plays a significant role in supporting and several hundred thousand pounds in today's Fund's organising committee, alongside promoting research and scholarship in the money and an astonishing sum for a Werner M. Behr, Vice-Chairman of the AJR. humanities. Intended to serve as 'a perpetual relatively small conmiimity not long settled AJR members were first informed about memorial of our gratitude', the research in Britain. There were over 3,000 the planned expression of thanks to Britain work sponsored by the Fund was to be contributors, ranging from Isaiah Berlin in a report on the Association's general devoted to the welfare of the inhabitants of (who sent his contribution via N. M. meeting that appeared in AJR Information the UK, on the model of the Beveridge Rothschild & Sons) to a lady who gave £102 in March 1963. In the autimm, the joumal Report that had laid the foundations of the 18s. in memory of her late hiKband, from made a fuller announcement, linking the post-war welfare state. the restitution money she received from proposal explicitly to the twenty-fifth The Fund's patrons could scarcely have Germany. anniversary of the arrival in Britain of the been more eminent. They were the bulk of the refugees from the German- The British Academy took over the speaking lands in 1938-39, following the distinguished economist Lord Robbins, administration of the Fund, which, adding Anschluss and the 'Crystal Night' pogrom: President of the British Academy and author gravitas, it renamed the 'Thank-offering to In November, 25 years will have elapsed of the Robbins Report that revolutionised Britain Fimd'. The first of the lectures held since the mass exodus of the Jews from higher education; Sir Isaiah Berlin, a imder its auspices was given in 1966 by Lord Central Europe started. During the few member of the Academy's Council and one Robbins; other lecturers included Roy months between the pogroms and the of the great intellectual figures of his day; Jenkins, Amold Goodman, Robert Blake, outbreak of war, this small island ... Professor (later Sir) Emest B. Chain and Sir Conor Cmise O'Brien, Ralf Dahrendorf and rescued more Jewish persecutees than any Hans Krebs, the two refugees from the Lord Woolf, as well as three former refugees, other single country. The Executive is Continent who had won Nobel Prizes by Arthur Koestler, Otto Kahn-Freund and, in considering ways of visibly expressing the 1964; and a third refugee, Professor (later 2004, Claus Moser. The first research gratitude of the former refugees to the Sir) Ludwig Guttmann, Director of the Stoke fellowship was awarded in 1967 to John British people, and it is hoped that details Mandeville Spinal Injuries Centre, where the Patmore, lecturer in geography at Liverpool, of an appropriate scheme will be Paralympic Games were founded. for research on countryside planning and announced shortly. The 19 members of the Fund's committee recreational facilities, the second in 1968 to The decision to establish the 'Thank-You included leading figures in the AJR and Robert Skidelsky, for his study of Oswald Britain' Fimd was communicated to AJR other refugee organisations like the Leo Mosley, and the third to Rita McWilliams members in late 1964. They were invited to Baeck B'nai B'rith Lodge, Self-Aid of of Cambridge, for her work on university contribute to the Fund, the proceeds of Refugees, Club 1943 and the New Liberal continued on page 2 A|RJOURNAL MAY 2007 A salute to Wolf Suschitzky The appearance of a handsome volume. pre-Hitier period, which brought a new End society or working-class slums, Wolf Suschitzky Photos, edited by spirit of socially conscious realism to evoke the atmosphere of bygone Michael Omasta and Brigitte Mayr of photography. Emigres like Suschitzky decades with the almost palpable SYNEMA, the society for film and media, and his sister Edith Tudor-Hart, also a intensity that is the hallmark of true art. and Ursula Seeber of the Osterreichische photographer, imported this new Anthony Grenville Exilbibliothek at the Literaturhaus in approach into Britain. Vienna (Vienna: SYNEMA, 2006, ISBN 3- Suschitzky is equally well known for 901644-18-0), reminds us of the his work in film. He was the cameraman impressive contribution Wolfgang for an acclaimed film version of Ulysses ANNUAL GENERAL Suschitzky has made to the art of (1967), which conveyed the atmosphere MEETING photography in Britain. Born in Vienna of Joyce's Dublin to near-perfection, and of in 1912 to a bookseller father - his for Mike Hodges's 1971 gangster classic THE ASSOCIATION OF cousin was Joseph Suschitzky, who ran Get Carter - hence the nutshell version JEWISH REFUGEES the fabled Libris bookshop on Boundary of his life story: 'Fled Hitler, Loved Lenin, TUESDAY 5 JUNE 2007, 11.30 AM Road, London NW8 - Wolf Suschitzky Shot Michael Caine'. now lives in Maida Vale. at the Suschitzky, a modest man who lets Paul Balint AJR Centre The book charts the career of his achievements speak for themselves, 15 Cleve Road, London NW6 Suschitzky - who left Vienna when the never allows his personality and views Lunch, If required, £5 Austrian government suppressed the to intervene directly in his photographs, payable In advance left in 1934, coming via Holland to yet they breathe an unmistakable air of Agenda Britain - with a marvellously evocative humanity, of egalitarian interest in the Annual Report 2006 selection of his photos, including such everyday life of ordinary people, of Hon. Treasurer's Report favourites as those of the pre-war compassion for the downtrodden. Today, Discussion Charing Cross Road, of St Paul's his photos of London, whether of West Election of Committee of Management Cathedral in 1942, shot through the All questions for the chair should be shattered window of a bombed house, continued from page 1 submitted by Wed 16 May to the Head of and the later portraits that range from Administration at Jubilee House, Merrion Avenue, Stanmore, Middx. HA7 4RL. Alexander Fleming and Aldous Huxley education for women. Among those short to Guy the Gorilla (of London Zoo). The listed for the first award was Michael ELECTION OF COMMITTEE OF expert essays that accompany the MANAGEMENT photographs make this book a must for Meacher, but he withdrew to follow an The following members will be those whose interest in Suschitzky has altemative career. proposed for election or re-election to the Committee at the AGM been whetted by the recent exhibition The Fund has richly fulfilled the aims of Wolf Suschitzky Cameraman at the on Tuesday 5 June 2007: its founders, who would surely be proud of Austrian Cultural Forum. Mr A C Kaufman, Chairman* its function within the British Academy. Mr W D Rothenberg Alongside publishing and psycho Vice Chairman & Hon. Treasurer analysis, photography was one of the Sadly, though, the link with the AJR has Mrs E S Angel, Secretary* areas of British life that was most become obscured over the decades, and the Mr P Dannenberg significantly influenced by the refugees conditions goveming the fellowships could Mr C W Dunston, Trustee Mrs D Franklin, Trustee from Central Europe. Major figures like do with updating. At the outset, some Mrs G R Glassman, Trustee* Laszio Moholy-Nagy of the Bauhaus and refugees objected that the expression of Mrs J Mlllan John Heartfield, creator of photo Mr E Reich montage, spent some years in exile in gratitude to Britain was overstated, Mr A Spiro Britain, while Stefan Lorant founded the especially as the community had amply *Committee members retiring by rotation phenomenally successful Picture Post, repaid its debt to Britain by service in both and being proposed for re-election working with the photographer Felix H. war and peacetime; Britain, others felt, had Anyone wishing to propose any other member Man. Germany and Central Europe had for election as Hon Officer, Trustee, or been far ahead of Britain in this field, hardly gone out of its way to welcome those Committee member must submit to AJR's Head thanks to the technically advanced fleeing Nazi persecution.