Information Issued by The

Volume XXI No. 3 March, 1966 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH RIFUCHS IN GREAT BRITAIN Home at Avenue Road, Highgate. The archi tect's plans had been finalised. They p'-^vided A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS for 48 one-room flatlets in a tower block, 4 two-room flats, 1 three-room flat, a caretaker Annual AJR Board Meeting flat, communal rooms and other amenities. Each flat would be a self-contained unit with On January 30, the AJR held its Annual for the four ordinary Homes with altogether kitchen, bath and w.c. The plans had gone out Board Meeting at Hannah Karminski House, 180 residents had amounted to £11,800, and for for tender and a decision on the building con ^t Was the first time that the Board met in the Osmond House with 37 more infirm residents tractors would be taken shortly. Altogether AJR's own premises. The timing of the Meet- to £16,000. Reserves had been set aside for the costs (purchase price of site, building costs '•ig Was also of historical importance under a limited number of years, but the maintenance and professional fees) would be in the neigh another aspect: 1966 is the 25th year since the of the Homes would have to be secured beyond bourhood of £320,000. It was hoped to obtain AJR Was founded. that period and precautionary measures would a mortgage of £200,000. Of the remaining The Meeting was attended by more than 60 have to be taken in time. £120,000 two-thirds would be defrayed by the °oard members from London and the Two further building projects were under C.B.F. and one-third by the AJR Charitable Provinces. In his opening address, Mr. A. S. consideration. One scheme consisted of the Trust. Presel, Chairman of the AJR, paid tribute to extension of Osmond House to provide accom The annual running expenditure for main 'ne Executive and Board Members who had modation for 12 to 14 further residents. This tenance, fuel and service on the mortgage was Passed away : Mr. Henry Bendhem, Dr. Hans would be highly desirable because, apart from estimated at about £21,500. Part of this would ^leischhacker, Mrs. Hannah Philipp and Mrs. new applicants, there were residents in the be covered by public subsidies. However, the Ruth Berlak. He also extended a special wel other Homes who would benefit from a trans actual extent of these subsidies would depend come to the new Board Members who were fer to Osmond House. It would be equally on the fate of the Housing Subsidies Bill 1965 elected at the latest General Meeting, and desirable to establish a special hostel for those which had had its Second Reading in the ^ngratulated Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a Board residents of the Homes who had lost their House. All necessary applications had been Member of long standing, on the award of a sense of orientation. Both schemes would, submitted to the authorities concerned, and Knighthood. however, have to be kept in abeyance until it although in viev; of the uncertainties involved In his general report. Dr. W. Rosenstock, is known, whether and to what extent further no definite timetable could be set up at this General ^^ecretary, stated that the year under funds become available. stage, everything would be done to speed up review had been marked by two outstanding The speaker paid tribute to the devoted the implementation of this important scheme. achievements : the opening of Hannah Karmin services of the staff and of the House Com The flatlets are meant for people over 60 ski House and the successful conclusion of mittees, all the members of which had come who can still manage their own household. the "Thank-You Britain" Fund. With the from the ranks of the AJR. It would, however, However, as the residents will require some establishment of Hannah Karminski Hou.se become increasingly necessary to enlist the kind of care, it is intended to engage a Matron. ^ith its beautiful Club Rooms the AJR co-operation of more members of the com Dr. E. A. Lomnitz, Deputy General Secretary, Club was enabled to expand its activities. paratively younger generation. He also stressed reported on the efforts aiming at the erection There were regular informal meetings in the the continued happy co-operation with the of Self-Supporting Homes for those who, due afternoons and evenings both for elderly C.B.F. to the assets at their disposal, do not qualify People and for middle-aged former refugees As before, AJR Information had rendered for admission to the existing Homes. At pre who were still working. Furthermore, indispensable services not only by informing sent a site in Stanmore for the erection of a functions of various kinds were arranged on members on current developments, but also by Self-Supporting Old Age Home is under con Sundays. The Meeting Hall and the kitchen making personalities and organisations in this sideration, but further developments depend facilities were also available for other organ country and abroad aware of our special hopes on the decision of the planning authorities. As isations and for private parties. and demands. a first step towards the establishment of a Self- The "Thank-You Britain" Fund had raised Turning to Finances, the speaker reported Supporting Flatlet Home, a Housing Society pliout £92,000 among 4,500 contributors. The that in 1965 the expenses (including those for has been founded under the name of " Even individual donations ranged from £1 to £2,000. the production of AJR Information and the tide Housing Society ". As in the case of the Although all major organisations of former maintenance of the AJR Club) had amounted Old Age Home, it is not easy to find a suitable refugees had been associated with the scheme. to about £15,000 of which only about £8,000 site, but several offers have been followed up. Its success was due mainly to the AJR which was covered by subscriptions and donations, Dr. F. Goldschmidt, Chief Legal Adviser to "ad put its administrative facilities at the dis leaving a deficit of £7,000. A scrutiny of URO and representative of the Council on posal of the Appeal. A brochure carrying the subscription payments had revealed that the Legal Committee of the Claims Confer addresses delivered by Professor Sir Hans A. about 33 per cent of the members paid the ence, reported on the negotiations carried out Krebs and Lord Robbins at the Handing-Over standard rate of £2, 18 per cent less than £2, by Dr. W. Breslauer and himself in connection "eremony at Saddlers' Hall under the Chair- 38 per cent between £3 and £5 and only 11 per with the "Haushaltssicherungsgesetz". (Details 'iianship of Mr. W. M. Behr, would be sent to cent more than £5. Both at the previous have been published in recent issues of AJR all contributors. The special committee set up Board Meeting and at the latest Annual Information—Ed.) He also dealt with the "y the British Academy for the awards of General Meeting speakers from the floor had negotiations about a new Implementary Order •"esearch fellowships would commence their expressed their amazement at this low to the Federal Indemnification Law. One of *ork in the course of the next weeks. level and pressed for measures by which the the main demands of the Council was an Turning to the activities of the AJR proper, deficit could be substantially reduced. Accord increase of the minimum " Renten " for per ^ne speaker stated that the services of the ingly, the Executive had decided to increase secutees who had been employees. ^•^R Social Services Department and the AJR the standard rate from £2 to £3 from 1966 Dr. Goldschmidt reported that, contrary to ^'Hiployment Agency were used not only by onwards, and at the same time to ask members previous Federal Parliaments, the present Pre-war refugees, but also by new arrivals. for a voluntary assessment beyond the mini Parliament had no special committee on As far as the work for the Homes was con mum rate, wherever possible. Individual restitution and compensation. These tasks cerned. Dr. Rosenstock reported that one of letters to that effect were being sent to all were now dealt with by a larger committee in ^"c general tasks which had come into the members. charge of all questions arising from war and foreground was the creation of more facilities Mr. A. S. Dresel, Chairman, reported that persecution. Rechtsanwalt Martin Hirsch, who Jo keep the residents active. With regard decisive progress had been made in the pre was the chairman of the Indemnification Com- '0 finances, he stated that in 1964 the deficit paratory work for the erection of a Flatlet Continued on page 2, column 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION March, 1966 AJR A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS NEWS FROM GERMANY AND AUSTRIA Continued from page 1 ATONEMENT TO JEWISH PEOPLE AUSTRIA mittee of the previous Parliament, had been appointed Vice-Chairman of this new Com Main Object of Dr. Adenauer's Policy Sympathy for Nazis mittee. In an interview on the occasion of his 90th Summing up the general position Dr. Gold birthday. Dr. Adenauer stated that reconcilia The acquittal of some Nazi war criminals schmidt pointed out that quite understandably tion with France and atonement to the and neo-Nazis and the light sentences imposed the promulgation of the Budget Law had had Jewish people had been the two main objec on others in Austrian jury trials has been a most disquieting effect on all persecutees. tives of his policy when he became Chancellor.

Load more