VOLumeAJR JOURNAL 12 NO.3 marchmarch 2012

Stamp collecting for grown-ups ostage stamps, it seems, have had selected combine to give a very particular the war of 1866 were the stamps of the a magical appeal to generations of historical insight into the experience of states of North Germany replaced by P schoolboys. While my father as a the refugees from the Nazis. those of the Prussian-dominated North boy in Vienna had specialised in collecting Postage stamps have always had German Confederation. That signalled the the stamps of the Austro-Hungarian the capacity to educate the attentive disappearance of the Kingdom of Saxony monarchy, I concentrated on the stamps collector. For the young, this can be a with its rare classical issue of stamps of of what was then still called the British simple matter of information. I remember 1850, and of the Kingdom of Hanover with Empire, as befitted a boy in London in my puzzlement at seeing an Irish stamp its issue featuring the image of the blind the 1950s. Disdaining the inflated flow celebrating the anniversary of the year king George V, among others. In 1871, of new issues flooding onto the market, 1916, which for a young British boy was following Prussia’s victorious war against I took no interest in any stamps issued subsumed into the war years of 1914-18, France, the remaining South German after the death of King George VI in states were also incorporated into 1952. What magic was evoked by the the new German Empire, which simple, almost austere images on issued its own stamps, including the stamps of bygone decades! The the series bearing the image of earliest, issued after the introduction Germania. of the modern postage stamp by the Of the three South German British Royal Mail in 1840, mostly states, only Bavaria was granted featured only the portrait of the the right to continue to control monarch of the issuing state, on its own postage after 1871. This the model of the profile of Queen reflected the skilful tactics of the Victoria that adorned the original German Chancellor, Bismarck, in Penny Black (and the much prized making apparent concessions to Two Penny Blue), or the coat of Bavarian autonomous sentiment, arms of that state. while ensuring that in matters of Letter to Warth Mill Internment Camp, 31 July 1940 Something of the same attraction real power control rested in Berlin, emanates from Fleeing from the Führer: a national narrative in which the Easter not in Munich. (Bavaria had control of its A Postal History of Refugees from the Rising of 1916 in Dublin played little part. own armed forces, for example, but only Nazis, written by Charmian Brinson and I remember my bafflement at seeing the in peacetime, which is rather like giving William Kaczynski and published by the unknown word ‘bilingual’ applied in the a young man access to a contraceptive History Press, Stroud, in 2011 (ISBN 978 catalogues of the stamp dealers Stanley vending machine, but only while he 0 7524 6195 3). The book is built around Gibbons to issues of South African stamps remains celibate.) Kaczynski’s remarkable collection of – until I realised that the wording on the The collapse of 1918 was reflected in stamps, postcards, envelopes, visas, stamps was in two languages, English Bavaria on the face of its postage stamps. certificates and other such apparently and Afrikaans, and gained an inkling of The revolution of November 1918 in ephemeral documents relating to the the deep historical divide between Briton Munich brought to power a radical left- experience of the vast numbers of refugees and Boer in that country. And I remember wing regime under Kurt Eisner, which and deportees whose lives were dislocated wondering why a Czech stamp of 1947 promptly overprinted the image of King as they were forced to flee the Nazis or bearing the image of a veiled woman Ludwig III with the words ‘Volksstaat were otherwise uprooted. in mourning should carry the name Bayern’, overtly designating Bavaria The book captivates the reader at the ‘Lidice’, until I found out about the atrocity a socialist ‘people’s state’. But when first sight of its images of stamps from a perpetrated by the Germans in that village the left-wing government was bloodily multitude of countries, of envelopes that in retribution for the assassination of overthrown in May 1919 by the right- once contained communications from Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. wing paramilitary forces that ‘cleansed’ refugees to relatives in far-away lands and Germany’s stamps, too, constitute a Munich of ‘Reds’, the overprinting on of the postmarks and censorship marks of visual record of its history. At first, the Bavarian stamps changed to ‘Freistaat various national authorities, including the various independent German states that Bayern’, the conservative slogan of the ominous eagle and swastika of the Nazis. made up the German Confederation new government of the right that was to In conjunction with the linking narrative until 1867 issued their own stamps; only preside over the launch of Adolf Hitler’s supplied by Charmian Brinson, the images after Prussia’s victory over Austria in continued overleaf

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Stamp collecting cont. from p1 Compensation programmes improved political career. Following negotiations with the German benefit survivors of the Budapest ghetto The history of Austria is also told government, the Claims Conference has as well as child survivors hidden in France, announced a series of improvements Belgium, Italy and Greece, and that an through its postage stamps. The stamps of in compensation programmes that additional 3,500 survivors will become the Austro-Hungarian monarchy initially they administer. These changes affect eligible as they reach the age of 75 over bore the imperial coat of arms, the double- applicants to the Article II and the Hardship the coming years. Funds. Also, there is now no deadline for headed eagle of the Habsburgs, or the Hardship Fund image of the Emperor Francis Joseph. As applications to the Ghetto Fund, which makes a one-time payment of €2,000 Also coming into force in 2012 is a befitted a proud empire, in 1908 Austria- (approximately £1,650) to people who widening of entitlement to the Hardship Hungary celebrated the sixtieth anniver- worked in Nazi-controlled ghettos. Fund, which now extends to Jewish sary of Francis Joseph’s accession to the ­victims of Nazism who live in Western Article II Fund Europe, provided they have never received throne with a series of stamps designed With effect from 1 January 2012, the any compensation for their suffering. by the noted artist Koloman Moser and minimum time period for persecution The Fund provides a one-time payment featuring images of the imperial palaces, (interned in a ghetto, in hiding or living of €2,556 (approximately £2,100) to the Hofburg and Schönbrunn. Austrian under false identity) is reduced to 12 certain Jewish victims of Nazism, including pretensions to power and influence in the months. The Claims Conference is re- many from former Soviet-Bloc countries examining applications that were not who emigrated to the West after 1969, eastern Mediterranean were underlined eligible on the basis of the applicant not which was the application deadline for by the stamps issued for the Austrian meeting the 18-month minimum criteria. the West German Indemnification Laws post offices maintained in the Ottoman The Fund makes monthly payments of (BEG). Empire (including one in Jerusalem) and €300 (approximately £250) and it is Application forms and further guidance exotically denominated in piasters, the thought that this change will make an are available from AJR Head Office and extra 8,000 survivors eligible for pensions. from the Claims Conference website local currency. Additionally, survivors aged 75 and at http://www.claimscon.org/index. But with the collapse of 1918, as Austria over who were in a ghetto for less than asp?url=compensation Separately, the was reduced to its German-speaking 12 months but for a minimum of three deadline to submit questionnaires to rump, the new republic issued stamps on months will be entitled to a special Project Heart at www.heartwebsite.org which the image of Emperor Charles, last monthly pension of €240 (approximately has been extended into 2012. £200). It is thought that this change will Michael Newman of the ruling Habsburgs, was overprinted with the word ‘Deutschösterreich’. Under the post-war peace settlement, the union and, following the outbreak of war, the of reaching their intended recipients, of ‘German’ Austria with neighbouring internment of Jews in camps in the were the only remaining link between Germany was forbidden by the victorious occupied countries of Western Europe. them. The amazing odysseys of some of Allies. Austria became a republic, whose Particularly well recorded are the British the letters in the book took them literally fragility was at first belied by the optimism internment camps: Huyton Camp near round the world, following their recipients of the images on its stamps: the parliament Liverpool, Warth Mill in Bury, and the as they were repeatedly displaced by the building, symbol of the new democracy, or various camps on the Isle of Man, where tides of war. Apart from the internment a kneeling man, symbolising the arising refugees were detained from summer camps in Canada and Australia, Fleeing of the new republic, all crafted in the Art 1940. William Kaczynski was himself from the Führer recovers the memory of Nouveau style of the Vienna Secession, interned with his mother and younger half-forgotten camps like Beau Bassin in the avant-garde movement that stood in brother in the family camp in Rushen, Isle Mauritius (for ‘illegal’ Jewish entrants opposition to official Habsburg aesthetic of Man, and it was a letter from his cousin to Palestine) and Somes Camp in New pomposity. Wolfgang Happ, who had been deported Zealand. Fleeing from the Führer, too, provides to Canada, that first interested him in The book includes chapters on refugee a visual accompaniment to the history of refugee postal history. life in China (Shanghai) and Japan (Kobe), the refugees from Nazism. The book is For, as Charmian Brinson states, postal on organisations that helped the refugees, arranged chronologically, charting the re- communication became a lifeline at a time especially the Red Cross with its system lentless intensification of the persecution when families were brutally torn apart and of postal messages, and on individuals of the Jews by the Nazis and the growing when letters, posted in the fragile hope who helped the defenceless Jews. One list of countries affected either by German can admire the illustrations of transit occupation or by an influx of refugees. The AJR Directors visas issued by Chiune Sugihara, Japanese first chapter depicts the­ impact of National Michael Newman Carol Rossen consul in Kaunas, Lithuania, or the famous Socialism on the Jews of Germany in the David Kaye ‘Schutzpässe’ (protective passes) issued 1930s, illustrated by such items as a 1938 AJR Heads of Department to Jews in Budapest by the Swede Raoul postcard from an inmate in Block 33 in Susie Kaufman Organiser, AJR Centre Sue Kurlander Social Services Wallenberg. Especially fascinating is the Buchenwald, or the children’s identity AJR Journal chapter on undercover mail in wartime, card (‘Kinderausweis’) issued to the three- Dr Anthony Grenville Consultant Editor which allowed communications from the year-old William Kaczynski and bearing Dr Howard Spier Executive Editor Andrea Goodmaker Secretarial/Advertisements ghettos in Poland to reach London via the name ‘Israel’, imposed by the Nazi undercover addresses in neutral Lisbon. authorities on all male Jews. A chapter on the displaced persons of the Subsequent chapters cover the Views expressed in the AJR Journal are not post-war years rounds off a rewarding emigration of increasingly desperate necessarily those of the Association of Jewish Refugees and should not be regarded as such. read. Jews to countries across the globe Anthony Grenville

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‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ Holocaust Memorial Day, 2012 NEWTONS his year’s AJR Holocaust Day Taking up this year’s Holocaust SOLICITORS Memorial Service, held as on Memorial Day theme ‘Speak Up, Tprevious occasions at Belsize Speak Out’, Rabbi Wittenberg stressed Our experienced team Square Synagogue, was conducted by the importance of speaking up not will give you expert Jonathan Wittenberg, Rabbi of the New only on account of the passage of and personal advice North London Synagogue and Senior time and to negate the influence 22 Fitzjohn’s Avenue Rabbi of the Assembly of Masorti of the anti-Semites and Holocaust London NW3 5NB Synagogues UK. deniers, but also Tel: 020 7435 5351 AJR Co-Director to show honour Fax: 020 7435 8881 Michael Newman and respect to [email protected] welcomed guests, the victims of the among them the Holocaust.­ Refer- Mayor of Camden, ring to ­violence Cllr Abdul Quadir, inflicted on who- Thomas Schneider ever suffered spring grove and Rosemarie genocide - whether RETIREMENT HOME and Hanno Hille Jews, Muslims, from the German Rolf Penzias lights a candle with Lucie Bernheim Blacks, Asians or 214 Finchley Road Embassy, and and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg looking on. any other group – London NW3 Martin Reichard photo: michael j. ezra Rabbi Wittenberg London’s Most Luxurious from the Austrian Embassy. He drew said: ‘We abhor racism and hatred. Our  Entertainment  Activities attention to the fact that this year’s values compel us to speak out!’ ‘We  Stress Free Living Holocaust Memorial Day coincided must all try to prevent the next wave  24 House Staffing Excellent Cuisine with the 70th anniversary of the of violence,’ he concluded.  Full En-Suite Facilities Wannsee Conference, at which the Felicitas Weileder, a young volunteer Call for more information or a personal tour Nazis co-ordinated the ‘Final Solution’. from the Action Reconciliation Service 020 8446 2117 Rabbi Wittenberg invited six AJR for Peace, a German organisation set or 020 7794 4455 members to light memorial candles to up to confront the legacy of the Nazi [email protected] remember the lives of the six million regime and with which the AJR works Jewish people murdered by the Nazis closely, brought her own perspective and their collaborators. Jeremy Burko, to the event, insisting that ‘We must Cantor at the New North London speak out against fear and hate – who Synagogue, recited prayers. else will?’ JACKMAN . Further reports on AJR Holocaust Memorial Day events will appear in the next SILVERMAN issue of the Journal (Ed.). COMMERCIAL PROPERTY CONSULTANTS

International conference on the Holocaust at the Imperial War Museum n January this year, a three-day con- of the opening of the vast archives of ference entitled ‘Beyond Camps and the International Tracing Service at Bad Telephone: 020 7209 5532 Forced Labour: Current Inter­national Arolsen, Germany. The conference then I [email protected] Research on Survivors of Nazi ­Persecution’ divided into panels, grouping papers was held at the Imperial War ­Museum according to their subject areas. This in London. Org­anised by Professor meant that no one could hear more than ­Johannes-Dieter Steinert­ (University of a fraction of the papers given, but those I Wolverhampton), with Su­ zanne Bardg- attended were all of high quality. I spoke switch on electrics ett (Imperial War ­Museum), Professor on the settlement of the Jewish refugees Rewires and all household David Cesarani (Royal Holloway, Univer- from Germany and Austria in Britain after electrical work sity of London), and Dr Jessica Reinisch 1945, and AJR member Ruth Barnett (Birkbeck College ­London), this was the spoke on the legacy of Nazi persecution PHONE PAUL: 020 8200 3518 fourth such triennial conference to be as it affected Roma (Gypsies) and Jews. Mobile: 0795 614 8566 held at the IWM since 2003. Now known Outstanding among many thought- as one of the most important confer- provoking speakers was Professor James ences on the immediate aftermath of Waller (Keene State College, USA), whose the Holocaust, this multi-disciplinary chilling title, ‘Becoming Evil’, prefaced a Annely Juda gathering attracted a large number penetrating psychological analysis of how Fine Art of scholars from many countries who ‘ordinary men’ – the title of Christopher 23 Dering Street (off New Bond Street) delivered well over 100 papers on a Browning’s acclaimed study of the role Tel: 020 7629 7578 great variety of aspects of its subject. of Reserve Police Battalion 101 as an Fax: 020 7491 2139 The conference opened with a vivid ­Einsatzkommando behind the Eastern CONTEMPORARY PAINTING account by Paul A. Shapiro (United Front – become participants in genocide. AND SCULPTURE States Holocaust Memorial Museum) Anthony Grenville

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To England via Uganda

n my teens during the Nazi era, friendly to me. At parties I took coats; car batteries and our radio. We had walking in our town of Heilbronn once the king and queen of Greece our own milking cows and grew our Iam Neckar near Stuttgart, I heard came. The governor’s English aide- own vegetables. Two servants spent all the voices of people being beaten. Then de-camp and a housekeeper were the day carrying water from a stream uphill our synagogue was burned down and only other white persons on the staff. to our house in four-gallon tin cans. on Kristallnacht my father was arrested I had almost no contact with the black Another young servant chopped wood and taken to Dachau. employees: one just didn’t befriend all day for my stove. My Uncle David, a Swiss national black people. My first child, Charles, was born who lived in Basle, came to our rescue. On my monthly day off, I went in 1943. Three more followed and His son had an affair with the daughter to Kampala, a 45-minute ride from the house was no longer big enough, of a German consular official. Making Entebbe. A Jewish couple introduced so we chopped down trees to build use of the affair, Uncle David bribed me to Abe Dokelman, who became an addition. By then, I had a prima this official, getting us visas for East my husband. His parents were born in stove, imported from England, to cook Africa, and my father was released from Russia and had immigrated to Palestine porridge for the children. Dachau (he said that if you had bruises, I had no contact with the miners, the Nazis put ointment on them before who lived in the valley. We had a you were released as they didn’t want watchman and I had a large Alsatian anyone to see them). dog. The Africans didn’t like this dog We left Germany in February 1939 and I walked outside without fear. That with just three suitcases. My father was how it was in Africa in those days. gave a Heilbronn man valuable jewellery Once a fortnight we got together to forward our household goods, but with another Jewish couple, who lived that never happened: all our things an hour or two away, and with Abe’s disappeared. We stopped in Basle to brother-in-law, who also ran a mine. see our relatives before proceeding to During the war Jewish soldiers would Genoa. There we boarded a boat for come to stay with us. I was always Mombasa, Kenya, from where we took busy. Charles, our oldest, was a boarder a train to Nairobi. Ladies from the Kenya at a mission school in Kabali. I home- Council for Jewry took us to a Jewish taught our other three children with boarding house. the help of correspondence courses. For To remain in Kenya, British regulations vaccinations and medical check-ups I required a cash deposit. We didn’t have took them to Kampala. My parents came enough for this so we travelled to to visit once or twice a year. British-governed Uganda, a two-day In 1954 Abe gave up the mines train trip, where the deposit was lower Ilse Dokelman so the children could have proper and our visa was also valid. In Kampala a before coming to Uganda. Abe was nine schooling. Members of our family built Jewish family helped us rent a big house years older than I and was in mining us a house outside Kampala. I still had and Mutti took in boarders. My father up-country. We were married at the no running water, but now there was got a job in the local bus station doing registry office with only my parents, electricity. their accounts and I worked as a live-in their employers, my father-in-law and We opened a shop selling uniforms, child-minder. two of Abe’s brothers present. I was 22. children’s clothes and blankets, a When war broke out in September I would have liked a Jewish wedding but big item for Africans. We had four 1939, Jews and Germans alike were it was 1942 and it was Africa. employees and an Indian tailor. My interned by the British. When we were My husband rented two mines, a father kept the accounts. We imported released, my father found work keeping gold mine and one that produced iron goods from Israel, India, England and books on a large plantation owned by ore, from the government land office Germany. I drove a Bedford delivery missionaries. Important people came in Entebbe. He had passed an exam van to pick up the merchandise from to the tea plantation, including the qualifying him to manage mines. the railway depot. Because we paid Kabaka, the king of Buganda, a large, Government inspectors came regularly cash we were able to sell more cheaply heavily populated area of Uganda. to see they were being run safely. Abe than our competitors. Ours was the only I became the lady’s maid to the supervised 200 miners. Still, the gold privately-run store in Kampala. wife of the governor of Uganda in miners stole a lot of the precious metal. We moved twice more, to a house in Entebbe. Government House had a This is what living up-country in Kampala, then to a beautiful house we view of Lake Victoria and a wonderful Uganda meant. Entebbe was 400-500 built overlooking Lake Victoria. It had garden. I earned the equivalent of five miles away. Umbrana, the nearest a patio and a badminton court. Our marks per month and had to wear a village, was 40 miles away. I learned to furniture was made of imported wood. maid’s uniform, had to curtsy to my drive a van, which was hard as none of Kampala had a small Jewish com­ employer and was allowed to speak the roads was paved. Our house was on munity. I had Jewish friends from Poland, only when spoken to. She belittled me top of a hill. I had no gas, no electricity, Egypt and England. We celebrated Rosh as I was only a German-Jewish refugee. no running water, no telephone. We Hashanah and observed Yom Kippur in The governor, on the other hand, was did have a wind turbine to charge our continued opposite

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Tunnels of the past Perceptions of second generation ‘outsiders’ o many of us, the children of Jewishness varied profoundly. Only There is no room in this article to the refugees from Nazism, feel one person stated that their faith was go into the many other patterns which Soverwhelmed by our parents’ the most important part of them; for emerged. Mental health issues, on experiences. Ask a member of the others, being Jewish was one among occasion explicitly connected to the ‘second generation’ about themselves other attributes; and for some what families’ traumatic past, cropped up in and they will tell you about their being Jewish meant was unclear. many of the interviews. Parents’ country parents. ‘But I want to know about Here is the reply of one person when of origin was linked to whether anybody you,’ I insist, and the reply will come asked whether his persistent and heart- in their families had survived and back: ‘Oh, but it’s my parents who are breaking search for any record of his therefore made a profound difference interesting.’ So I decided to find out grandparents was to do with his search to the second generation’s sense of about the second generation in their for Jewishness: dis/location and otherness. Many of the own right. Yes, I think it was. It was about I interviewees felt a deep attachment Indeed, I discovered that the second have a right to this stuff .… At that time to the few belongings they had of generation had never been systematically too, it felt quite ideological ..... Very their murdered families, though a few studied in the UK. I interviewed 12 little of it was about finding out about expressed the opposite sentiment: people whose parents had as adults Jewishness as a religion or a cultural that mere objects would not bring the fled Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia tradition …. For me, it was a moral issue lost ones back to them. Almost none .... I could not swallow this idea that and Hungary. Did the people born to of the male interviewees had been you suppress your Jewishness because refugee parents from Nazism have circumcised. Almost nobody felt they it is too dangerous to be different .... shared experiences? I suppose the Holocaust was were English/British. ‘Outsider’ is how What rapidly emerged from the inter- something in which 6 million people many described themselves. views was the importance of the died but in which there was hardly any Sometimes it is almost unbearable for ­absence of grandparents, the refugees’ concept of my own grandparents .... the children of refugees from Nazism to parents, and sometimes the parents’ The fact that they [the grandparents] enter those tunnels of the past without other relatives. For almost everybody, died in their 40s looms as the one large feeling we will be crushed into oblivion. the absence, and too often murder, of fact about their lives …. I don’t think At least, our parents knew more than their grandparents, even though they I could tell you one story about either we did. We may find names and dates never knew them, was of profound of them …. and places but we will never find our – even ­overriding – concern. Almost Unexpectedly, most (though not grandparents or hear their stories. nobody’s parents had told their children all) of the second generation’s parents Though our parents struggled hard in in any ­detail about their grandparents, who had fled anti-Semitism were also order that we should feel secure, even a silence which ­intensified the second political. But what was noticeable was assimilated in the country of our birth, generation’s sense of disjuncture and that the second generation children of Nazism’s long arm still bears down on loss. the committed ‘politico’ parents, who our sense of who we are. Another issue which emerged was the had chosen to oppose the Nazis rather Merilyn Moos very different meanings and significance than fleeing because they were being The author’s study of the second of Jewishness. Though the majority of persecuted for an ascribed and insane generation, ‘Breaking the Silence’, the sample’s parents had fled because ‘eugenic’ reason, did generally appear to is currently being considered for of anti-Semitism, the meaning of be a bit surer of who they were. publication.

To England via Uganda continued various people’s homes. Charles had returned to Heilbronn, but Abe and his Bar Mitzvah in Nairobi. When Israel I came to England. We had become was friendly with Uganda, I entertained British citizens long before. Perhaps a PAUL members of the trade commission and dozen other Jewish refugees came to the Israeli ambassador at our home. We London as we did. Many other white LEDERMAN were doing well and my father thought people went to Kenya and Mombasa. DMS FCA FCMI MInstPI one of his grandsons would take over In England Abe became a salesman. our business. I ran a canteen and worked in an CHARTERED But it was not to be. Once more we office. The Jewish people I knew in ACCOUNTANT had to move. We had had burglaries Kampala are my friends to this day. throughout our time in Kampala. With We speak to each other often and 40 years’ experience Uganda’s independence the problems we meet. I’m 91 and widowed now. I became much worse. Only the Bugan- have six grandchildren and five great- Bilingual (with French) dans were honest and polite. Ugandans grandchildren. Looking back on Africa, came into our shop refusing to pay but I’m not sure how I did it. I can only say 18 Wheatley Close wanting to have everything. Uganda just it wasn’t easy. Life was what it was and Hendon, London NW4 4LG wasn’t safe any longer. you got on with it. Telephone +44 (0)20 8202 0091 In 1964 we sold the house and the Ilse Dokelman business, both at a loss. My father (abridged by Eve R. Kugler)

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would bark comments such as ‘The old imperialists want something again!’ But Miss Rogers had learned how to handle the officers and to ignore such comments and, when they were in good humour, it was possible to get them to sign exit papers without any trouble. Nancy Mayo, London NW3

FROM MITTELEUROPA TO ENGLAND Sir – The Jewish Chronicle recently had an intriguing book review entitled ‘From NO SMALL AMOUNT OF CONFUSION POT LUCK Mitteleuropa to Finchley Strasse’ with Sir – In response to Edith Argy’s letter Sir – In her recent article ‘“Winter in an accompanying photograph entitled in your February issue (‘Has Austria Prague”: The humanitarian mission of ‘Jewish refugees arrive at Harwich to take really changed?’), the matter of the Doreen Warriner’, Susan Cohen mentioned their first steps in Britain in 1938’, showing Pensionsversicherungsanstalt’s new a Miss Rogers. It is thanks to Miss Rogers, women walking down a gangway. My residence requirement has given rise to of the British consulate in Prague, that my understanding of how my grandparents, no small amount of confusion among father was released from a Gestapo jail, great-grandmother and great-aunt arrived recipients of Austrian pensions. To days before the outbreak of war. from Germany on 31 July 1939 was be sure, this is to be regretted. The My father, from a known Communist completely transformed at the 73rd Foreign Ministry in Vienna and the family, was held at the Gestapo jail in memorial of Kristallnacht at the New Pensionsversicherungsanstalt are fully Mlada Boleslav during 1939. While there, North London Synagogue. Rabbi Jonathan aware of the matter and a solution is being his mother visited the British consulate Wittenberg spoke movingly about the sought with urgency. The problem has in Prague, where she met Miss Rogers in role played by the British consul, Robert arisen due to Austrian tax regulations of a order to ask her to do whatever she could Smallbones, and his deputy, Mr Dowden, general nature, including data protection to assist my father to join the rest of his in Frankfurt-am-Main in facilitating his requirements. At the Austrian Embassy, family in England. In June 1939 he was mother and grandparents, among other we are working hard for a quick and clear transferred from Mlada Boleslav to the jail Jews, leaving Frankfurt. And his mother solution for the benefit of the victims of at Reichenberg (now Liberec) as he was an gave her chilling testimony about how Nazi persecution. They have already had to ethnic German. While there, he succeeded they lived during this time, had to leave suffer too much in their long lives. When in maintaining a low profile and, after and how they flew to England. this matter reached my desk shortly before several weeks, was released. We have now checked our grandparents’ Christmas, an urgent cable was sent off to He was then sent to work at the ­German passports and discovered that they too Vienna within an hour. I am confident that military field post office in Reichenberg.­ flew – from Cologne airport to Manchester in the Austria of old, things would have He managed to obtain a visa to travel to Ringway at the end of July 1939. We taken longer! Mlada Boleslav on the pretext of collecting cannot easily find out how this happened Martin Reichard his belongings from the prison there. He did and who organised and paid for them. Counsellor (Press and Information), not go to Mlada Boleslav but bought a train Surely passenger flights were not easily Austrian Embassy, London ticket to Prague with the 28 Czech koruna available before the war and were costly? See page 15, ‘Recipients of an Austrian which fortuitously had not been confiscated We do know that after the war, child pension’ (Ed.). by the Nazis while he had been in jail. refugees from Terezin and Auschwitz flew On arrival at the British consulate on to the UK but they were in RAF bomber ONE-OFF PAYMENT 31 August 1939, he asked for Miss Rog- planes from Prague to Carlisle (see Sarah Sir – Following your recent notice in the ers, who recalled the conversation with Moskovitz, Love Despite Hate (1983), AJR Journal, this is to tell you that the his mother and told him to return the pp. 4-5 and Chasing Shadows, the film German Government Treasury has, at long following day, also giving him 100 Czech about Rabbi Hugo Gryn). Is there any last, paid £1,655 into my account. koruna to buy a shirt and tie and smarten research or other evidence available about On 7 June 2003, Paul Kling, with whom up. He did this and returned the next these different means of arrival of Jewish I shared accommodation in Theresienstadt day, to be greeted by Miss Rogers with refugees from Mitteleuropa, as we had 68 years ago, phoned me from Vancouver signed exit papers and instructions to go always assumed that the picture presented and asked whether I had heard of a Ghetto straight to the railway station, where a was how my father and most German Jews Pension. I had not heard of it and he gave train was scheduled to depart for the Hook had arrived? Miriam E. David me the name and address of the lawyer in of Holland. He arrived just as the train was Professor Emerita of Education, Cologne who represented him. That was about to depart, the last person to board University of London 8 years and 5 months, three thick folders the last carriage. Unknown to him it was of correspondence, rejections, appeals a Kindertransport, and also the very last NO CONFLICT BETWEEN BEING and copies of many forms ago. Inflation Kindertransport. War was declared the day JEWISH AND ENGLISH here has gone up and down – usually up after his arrival in England. Sir – It seems that I did not make myself – and now stands at 5.0 per cent. If I take My father and his family met Miss as clear as I thought I had in responding an average of 4 per cent, then the local Rogers a year later at the Queen’s Hotel to Peter Phillips’s rant in an earlier edition purchasing power of this one-off payment in Manchester. He was puzzled about how of the AJR Journal and for this I must has been reduced by one-third between she had been able to obtain a Gestapo apologise. By the way, I’m not going to hearing about it and actually receiving signature for his exit papers. She explained get into a discussion about the examples I it. When they were confiscating our that it had been pot luck and that she used to illustrate our students’ Englishness accounts, savings, life policies, valuables, had succeeded in obtaining a signature even though Mr Phillips has chosen to every kind of property and in the end because it was a Friday and a nice day and quote selectively. He has also, incidentally, emptied our flats of everything, they went the officer had been keen to get home to chosen to remain silent on which school(s) about it more speedily and with less fuss. his family. At other times, the officers were he was basing his evidence. Truth to tell, Frank Bright, Martlesham Heath, Suffolk very rude to the British consulate staff and having been successfully provoked by Mr

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Phillips’s prejudices, I think I was trying to ‘GODLESS’ NAZI PARTY error when she describes Eid al-Adha, say too much and threw in items which Sir – In his letter in January’s AJR Journal, the Muslim Festival of the Sacrifice, as may not have been directly relevant and, Peter Landsborough refers to the Nazi commemorating Abraham’s non-sacrifice although bringing some sadly lacking Party as ‘godless’. This is a common error. of Isaac. Surely not Isaac! Muslims do not authority to the discussion, obscured what The leadership often referred to God and recognise Isaac but their ancestor Ishmael, I wanted my main thrust to be. recruits to the Waffen SS had to recite the and they celebrate his non-sacrifice as So, let me simplify and clarify. My following in their induction ceremony: mentioned in the Qur’an. point is that the Jewish school in which I Ich glaube an Gott, der mich gemacht hat, Dorothea asks why Jews don’t com- work neither teaches nor encourages its Der uns Deutschland gegeben hat, memorate it. We don’t commemorate it students to become isolated from their Und der uns Adolf Hitler geschickt hat. but mention the Akedah (Binding of Isaac) English environment. For our students, (I believe in God, who has made me, in our Torah reading on the second day of there is no conflict between being Jewish Who has given us Germany, Rosh Hashanah. Also in our liturgy of that and being English. This is what they And who has sent us Adolf Hitler.) day we recite ‘Oh remember this day the are taught and this is what they see in It is an important point for those who, binding of Isaac in mercy unto his seed.’ the role-modelling presented by their like me, are irreligious, but resent the We live among Muslims in Israel, as she teachers, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. implication that this in itself can be a cause goes on to mention in her letter. We ought They graduate from their school aware of, for dereliction. to be familiar with their religion and, of and confident in, their roles as Jews and as Peter Jordan, Manchester course, ours as well. citizens of the United Kingdom; they are Max Sulzbacher, Jerusalem not defensive and they have no hang-ups. REFUGEES ON THE ENGLISH STAGE And, judged by his correspondence, they Sir – I refer to Anthony Grenville’s article MISINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY? are considerably more comfortable with (December 2011) on Club 43 and the Sir – Fred Stern (‘Information – true or this than Mr Phillips is. Out of the mouths 150th anniversary of the death of Friedrich false?’, January) sought, but failed, to of babes and sucklings, eh, Mr P? Schiller, celebrated in 1955, at which the prove that we are misinformed and that David Harris, Harrow, Middx actors Lilly Kann and Frederick Valk recited all the forecasts are incorrect. He states from Schiller’s works. I happened to know that ‘you chose a political system which MOVING WITH THE TIMES both of them well. allows your money to be taken from you Sir – As usual, Henry Schragenheim is look- It had been my mother, who, on a visit without your permission!’ But how? Then ing at life from a very Orthodox point of to Darmstadt, had persuaded the then he grumbles about inequalities in our view – and from a very old-fashioned point teenage Fritz Valk’s parents to let their son system. But what system is he advocating? of view too. I mentioned in my article that follow his ambition to become an a­ ctor, for He does not believe in the official rate of I believed that shechita may cause anti- which he remained ­eternally grateful to her. inflation either (‘It’s all lies’). Semitism. I believe it does because of the After leaving Nazi Germany­ , he first settled His economic knowledge is shaky too. cruelty it shows to animals, by not stunning in Prague, where he found employment He writes: ‘When British and foreign them before killing them. Christians and, at the German theatre. Later, in England, bankers … sank fortunes into American indeed, many Jews find this obnoxious and before finding roles in the English theatre, bogus ventures ... the worldwide disaster I personally abhor it. Mr Schragenheim then he tried to earn a living by readings from erupted.’ Our banks did not, in fact, sink compares my views, rather confusedly, to German classics at his boarding house in fortunes into American ventures and asking a Jew to wash his car on Shabbat Dartmouth Road, Willesden Green, which this was certainly not the cause of the rather than on a Sunday in case washing on used to take place on Sunday afternoons ‘disaster’. a Sunday offends his Christian neighbour. before a small ­circle of refugees. I can still And what to think about his doomsday First, may I point out that most remember him shouting out dramatically prediction: ‘The misinformation and the Christians do, in fact, wash their cars ‘Mehr Brot, mehr Brot!’ (More bread, hidden truth on the disaster that is envel- and mow their lawns on a Sunday. (I am more bread). He later landed roles on the oping this nation will eventually sink in … surprised Mr Schragenheim does not know English stage, including Thunder Rock, The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon this – obviously he does not live anywhere after switching to the English language. their sons (emphasis in original).’ And near Christians.) Second, the Lord’s Day During the Blitz, he installed his elderly what about this statement? ‘The country Observance Society, which might have mother in a hotel facing Tring Station, is now passing through a cloud in which objected to car washing and lawn mowing, which he had recommended to us and much information is hidden from view.’ no longer exists. The Christian religion where we were to stay for three years. Perhaps we should dissipate the clouds has moved with the times. Perhaps Mr There one evening, Mrs Valk’s nightie for Mr Stern and then he will see that no Schragenheim should too. caught fire. She died ten days later in information is lurking behind them. Peter Phillips, Loudwater, Herts hospital aged 78, if I remember correctly. Nothing in his article seems to make any Fritz seemed to get over his mother’s sense. The writer was apparently involved AN ABSURD NOTION death remarkably quickly. He eventually in information technology. Now he has Sir – Anthony Grenville, whose erudition married his non-Jewish English girlfriend, got involved in misinformation technology. and style I greatly admire, writes in his many years his junior. Nicholas Marton, Bromley ‘Double Exposure’ project in Vienna of Quite a number of actors seemed to ‘former victims of Nazi persecution’, as well find a haven at that hotel at the time, Sir – Mr Fred Stern of Wembley, a man of as of ‘former refugees’ and of interviews including the middle-aged Lilly Kann. She little faith in this country, has forgotten with ‘former Austrians’. too found work on the English stage. the stand this country took during the dark ‘Former Austrians’ I can take: They She was an excellent actress. She had a days of the 1940s, when he says ‘Britain, are no doubt Austrians no longer. But daughter who was at boarding school and a political pariah on the Continent, is ‘former refugees’ I personally find an visited her in the holidays. now all at sea and nobody will be there absurd notion, as my experience of being (Mrs) Margarete Stern, London NW3 to rescue it.’ a refugee is perhaps the most important May I suggest he gets himself a good psychological influence on me apart from A GRAVE ERROR textbook on the history of the war years birth itself: I’m a marked man. And ‘former Sir – I always enjoy reading Dorothea and post-war period, when the USA victims of Nazi persecution’? IMPOSSIBLE. Shefer-Vanson’s ‘Letter from Israel’ in your supplied this country through Lend-Lease Peter Zander, London W1 journal. She does, however, make a grave continued on page 16

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to reconcile. I preferred his view of the Grand Canyon – a bitter, brilliant vermilion REVIEWs broken with rigid, bright green cacti, and his earlier, more surreal touches, like ‘Homecoming to a two people resembling American Indians foreign country’ walking serenely through a landscape, or RETURN TO VIENNA: A JOURNAL others where you can really feel the wind by Hilde Spiel t was the tribute of a Bradford lad to blowing through the wheat-fields. translated by Christine Shuttleworth; the Yorkshire Wold of his childhood Hockney sees winter as chopped down Riverside, CA: Ariadne Press 2011, 128 pp. that made David Hockney revisit his logs. The logs, however, are not deathly eturn to Vienna is a short book, I but a notable one. In January 1946 memories in blocks of primary colours. He grey or brown but lie there in all the the Austrian writer Hilde Spiel put the trees and landscapes on his iPad vitality of bright orange – perhaps a notion R returned to Vienna after an absence of and turned everything into vibrant hues. It of timelessness, rather than demise. ten years. This was no ordinary return: led to his being both praised and criticised The question is: does Hockney really she went back in British army uniform for having used modern technology in his inhabit these landscapes? His layered as an accredited correspondent for exhibition David Hockney: A Bigger memories are too robust to be nuanced the New Statesman. She recorded her thoughts and impressions in a journal Picture at the Royal Academy (to 9 by maturity. But they ring truer in his which she later revised and expanded April). charcoal sketches of the trees – no colour, for publication: Rückkehr nach Wien was These huge, lush landscapes joined no design, just the movement again of published in Germany in 1968. together in squares and rectangles wind through dense foliage. Here, like his Spiel returned to Vienna with mem­ evoke nothing of the so-called bleakness portraits of loved ones, such as his mother, ories of her own past, but was quickly or depths of Yorkshire, but they fill is where Hockney is really at his best. forced to acknowledge that the city she remembered no longer existed. The the gallery with the light of lost years. Shrouded in mystery and sacrifice present was another country where Hockney is less like a seasoned, mature and once fraught with real danger, they did things differently. Vienna was now an occupied city, divided into four sectors in which the wartime allies each pursued their own political aspirations. The fabric of the city was damaged, often beyond repair, but the damage was more than structural – it was also social and psychological. Spiel visits an impoverished aristocratic couple, living in one room of a ruined house, but her sympathy for them is tempered by the reflection that ‘this couple … have lived shoulder to shoulder with barbarity, except that their own barbarians were softly spoken, quite capable of discussing Goethe or Mozart in well bred tones.’ David Hockney, Woldgate Woods, 21, 23 and 29 November 2006 Re-entering the sanctuary of the Café painter here than a young artist on Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, Herrenhof, once the foremost literary the brink of discovery. But what is he at the British Museum (to 15 April), café in Vienna, she is recognised by the head waiter, who, moved by his own self- conveying? Is it magic realism? Super- was never going to be an inclusive event. pity, rewrites her own bitter experience of realism? It’s certainly not Expressionism The Museum has treated the greatest exile: ‘The Frau Doktor was right to leave. and, if anything, it has the touch of the spiritual journey a Muslim can make with The air raids alone – three times they set master designer rather than the rapture sensitivity and imagination, showing maps the whole city ablaze.’ of memory. Hockney takes the landscape of the journey and including individual She also renews acquaintance with seriously and portrays it in all its seasons Muslim voices extolling Mecca’s spiritual former friends, whose conversation reveals the deep compromises they have – but, colours apart, it is linear, static and power. You can see video footage of the made to negotiate life under the Nazis. uncompromising. In earlier works, he experience and some interesting modern Visiting the journalist Stefan B., she plays – like Hogarth and the Surrealist art on the magnetic pull of Mecca, using learns the fate of mutual friends, who Escher before him – with ideas of thousands of iron filings. Traditional work ‘were not willing or able to spend the war perspective, offering a map, a jumbled includes sacred textiles, richly ornamental abroad.’ Stefan B., on the other hand, is a view of signposts, an empty fallen tin covers for the Ka’ba, the black stone survivor: ‘Here is a man who had come to terms with the powers who took control can – the detritus of the road traveller. said to have been built by Abraham with of his country in 1938. An opponent of Forget the Ipad. Vermeer too Ishmael, who, Islam considers, was the their ideology, he nevertheless edited a experimented with camera obscura. But son nearly sacrificed by his father. The daily newspaper.’ Later she learns that, Hockney’s attempt to fuse childhood Hajj attracts three million pilgrims to out of ‘prudence’ and ‘to protect friends’, memory with adult realism is difficult Mecca every year. Stefan B. had even joined the Nazi Party.

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It is Spiel’s first – but not last – experience in Vienna, Holland and Germany. here by her parents and other family of the gulf between those who had Through the influence of a Romanian members. Her and her family’s upward emigrated and those who had not – ‘a admirer, whom she later married, Rosl mobility via a succession of homes chasm … that would never close again’ and her daughter were able to spend of varying quality, ending up in the (The Dark and the Bright). the war years in luxury and comparative prosperous north London suburb of Not all is darkness. Spiel meets city safety in Bucharest, although first hav- Golders Green, is retraced with varying councillor Viktor Matejka and takes part ing to convert to Orthodox Christianity. degrees of nostalgia. in one of his weekly ‘get-togethers’. Liesl had her first real love affair with a Recurrent themes of this book are the Later, she meets the editors of a new Romanian officer, but there was always author’s love of animals and resultant arts magazine, whose efforts to renew a fear that her Jewish background would vegetarianism, a passion for music, and a connection with the rest of Europe are be discovered as anti-Semitic influences what seems a near-obsession, inherited ‘as touching as they are praiseworthy’. intensified. There are detailed accounts from her parents, with smells of all kinds Spiel’s ‘homecoming to a foreign of the functions attended by Liesl and – objects, food, animals and people (and country’ references a particular historical her mother, including descriptions of certainly not excluding her own). moment, but it also prompts the question the clothes worn, but readers will be Perhaps the most interesting feature of she never escaped: where did she belong? disappointed if they wish to know more the book is the author’s uncompromising Years later, Welche Welt ist meine Welt? about the political background as the atheism, expressed on its very first (Which World Is My World?) became the war progresses:­ the end of the war, the pages and to which she returns again title of her (second) volume of memoirs. departure of the Germans and the estab- and again. Above all, she cannot make When Spiel returned­ permanently to lishment of Allied Control Commissions sense of her own survival: ‘[W]hy, why Vienna in 1963, her daughter remained are described in just three sentences. me?’ ‘Whatever term you may choose,’ in London. Last year (Spiel’s centenary Even more surprising is that her she writes in anguish, ‘fate is one that year) C­ hristine Shuttleworth prepared an introduction to an RAF officer stationed springs to mind unless you bring in English version of her mother’s journal: in Bucharest, her falling in love with God which from where I stand would the reader senses it was a labour of love. him and their eventual marriage are be an aberration and a gross insult­ to Richard Dove covered in the last five pages of the book. the millions God deserted – then really Richard Dove is Professor Emeritus, Nevertheless, it was a happy marriage, there are no words for the bizarre destiny University of Greenwich. which lasted until his death in 2006. of the blessed few who scarred or not, Liesl’s own career as a successful cabaret reeled anaesthetised from Germany or the A happy childhood in singer and recording artiste is summed ghettos or camps to blink once more into inter-war Vienna up in the epilogue as ‘But that’s another the sunlight alive.’ story.’ The author evidently has a literary ROSL’S DAUGHTER: CABARET AND There is a useful glossary after the gift and there are many passages here CHILDHOOD IN 1920S VIENNA epilogue describing all the main charac- bordering on the poetic. Yet her book, by Liesl Müller-Johnson ters in the book. as the above passage shows, betrays a Book Guild (tel 01273 720900), 2011, Hopefully I didn’t miss anything of poor copy-editing standard, allowing hardback 188 pp. importance in the review copy I received: time and again bizarre instances of lthough most AJR members will pages 59-90 were missing – compensated ‘deutschglish’ together with a host of be too young to have been able for by having pages 91-122 twice! incorrect spellings (the London district of Ato appreciate the cabaret scene in George Vulkan ‘White Chapel’ for instance) which could, Vienna in the 1920s, this book may well and should, have been avoided. trigger names of places and entertainers Why me? Howard Spier familiar to them. A CHILDHOOD MEMOIR Liesl Müller was born in 1922 and so by Melanie Lowy was also only a teenager in the 1930s, A conspiracy of conspirators but the first part of the book is more Bloomington, IN: Authorhouse (www. THE PRAGUE CEMETERY concerned with the glamorous life of her authorhouse.com) 2011, paperback by Umberto Eco mother, Rosl Berndt, a singer and cabaret 284 pp. translated by Richard Dixon; London: artiste known throughout Europe. She his is an exceptionally honest book, Harvill Secker, 2011,435 pp. had been a child prodigy: ‘Die Kleine an Anne Frank-style self-scrutiny mberto Eco is Italy’s top Rosl’, who even at the age of 11 had Tthe author of which, detailing her intellectual. His first novel, The been invited to sing before the last numerous growing-up pains, spares UName of the Rose, was written Austrian emperor. Her career was helped herself least of all. At the same time, it is in 1980 when he was 48 and, with the by marrying the owner of the Cabaret an autobiography only too typical of that complicated philosophical discussions Simpl and later by friendships with other of other refugees to this country with its carefully omitted, was turned into a wealthy admirers. The author is clearly account of imposed loneliness, problems film starring Sean Connery. His second proud of her mother’s achievements and flowing from lack of fluent, if any, novel, Foucault’s Pendulum, concerns describes her adventures and travels in English, and the reconstituting of one’s three underemployed editors who amuse considerable detail. The main influence life in exceptionally harsh circumstances themselves by inventing a conspiracy in her early life, however, was her Jewish in a foreign environment. theory about the takeover of the world grandmother Omi, who looked after Born into a large, well-to-do Munich by a group descended from the Knights her while her mother was away. Liesl’s family, Melanie Lowy enjoyed an idyllic Templar. Details of the imagined plot leak childhood was a strange contrast of early life. She was devoted to her parents, out and produce violent reactions from life in modest surroundings in a Jewish especially her father, a devotee of Yiddish outsiders who believe in the conspiracy. part of Vienna, and being educated at poetry and culture, whom she idolised. The Prague Cemetery develops Eco’s expensive schools and tasting a life of Having arrived in England on the interest in conspiracy theories in a luxury when travelling with her mother Kindertransport, Melanie was followed continued on page 10

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has never met a Jew but his grandfather they allegedly sucked. Simonini decides reviews continued from page 9 (who actually existed) once did. His to present his forgery as the minutes sort of history of The Protocols of the trade is forgery – initially he created (protocols) of a meeting of the heads of Elders of Zion. The Protocols is an anti- documents such as title deeds or the the ‘Jewish conspiracy’ in the old Jewish Semitic text describing plans for Jewish wills that the deceased would surely cemetery in Prague. world domination. It was proved to have written had they thought about it He is briefed on matters Jewish by be fraudulent in 1921, having been in time. Subsequently his work expands Jacob Brafmann, a Jew who had tactically plagiarised from Maurice Joly, a French to encompass much of late 19th-century converted to Orthodoxy but was, in fact, satirist and lawyer, who had written European history. a spy for the police and the Russians. Dialogue in Hell (1864), a thinly-veiled Simonini is present at Garibaldi’s He later published several successful attack on the political ambitions of capture of Sicily in 1860 and betrays books alleging a Jewish conspiracy. At Napoleon III. Joly, in turn, had copied the revolution. He goes into exile in this point, I realised that almost all the from Eugène Sue, a French novelist. Paris and lives in a shadowy world of characters in Eco’s book had actually Sue did not mention Jews either but forgery and espionage, murdering his existed and done the things attributed attributed an anti-Napoleonic conspiracy enemies enthusiastically and his friends to them. My gratification at realising to the Jesuits. Sergei Nilus published regretfully. He observes the 1870 Franco- this was punctured by Eco’s declaring the Protocols in Russia in 1905 and it Prussian War, the 1871 Paris Commune it outright in an appendix. has remained a bestseller ever since. and the Dreyfus case of the 1890s. He The theme of Eco’s book is the Declining sales in Europe since 1945 forges the bordereau (memorandum) idea of a 19th-century conspiracy of have been more than compensated by that leads to Dreyfus’s conviction and conspirators, linked by Simonini. All sales in Arab and Muslim countries. It is further documents that incriminate is explained by the machinations of endorsed in the Hamas Charter and anti- Dreyfus’s defender Picquart. the Freemasons, the Templars, the Israel activists such as John Mearsheimer In the 1860s, Simonini feels the need Jesuits and the Jews. Eco has been and Stephen Walt still write about Jewish for a substantial forgery that will make criticised for allowing his protagonist to (or Zionist) conspiracies. him financially secure. He is doubtful that spout anti-Semitic lies, but Simonini is Eco’s protagonist is Simone Simonini, documents against the Jesuits will be never presented as anything other than who has an alter ego, the Very Reverend saleable and he has no point of contact loathsome and degraded. Similar libels, Abbé Dalla Piccola, who may or not be with the Freemasons. Joly and Sue have as Eco points out, are commonplace on the same person, and who sometimes saturated the republican anti-Napoleon the internet and are claimed as truth. takes over the narrative. He hates more market. That leaves the anti-Jewish Eco’s book is a scintillating exhibition or less everyone: French, Germans, market. The Jews could be presented of historical scholarship. It is a complex Italians, Jesuits, Freemasons, women not only as enemies of the church but read, but worth it. and … weasels. And, of course, Jews. He also of ordinary people, whose blood Bryan Reuben

200th anniversary of birth of Ludwig Philippson celebrated in Magdeburg y great-great-uncle Ludwig found them all keen and well prepared Philippson had his 200th birthday to ask questions about such matters as, Mlast December! Ludwig was an for instance, the Philippson family, my important figure in German Judaism: parents’ experiences under the Nazis, and not only did he translate the Bible into my thoughts about Judaism today. German but he founded, and edited All in all, I had a real sense that until his death in 1889, the first German everybody was keen to bring Jews back newspaper for non-Orthodox Jews, the into the history of Magdeburg. They Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums. considered Jews an important part of For almost 30 years, he was the rabbi that history, which fitted well with Ludwig of the Jewish community of the city of Philippson’s concerns. Magdeburg (preaching in German) and Interestingly, I discovered that Ludwig it was there that this important date was popular a figure he was. Dr Trümper also invited the bishop to attend his services, celebrated shortly before Christmas. I was drew attention to Ludwig’s interest in which the latter did until prevented invited to take part in the celebrations and politics and human rights as he took a from doing so by the king. Ludwig also to speak on the theme ‘What it feels like prominent part in the revolutionary events contacted the tsar to plead the cause of to be a Philippson’. of 1848. Russian Jews. The celebrations took place in the Old The historian Dr Andreas Braemer spoke On this visit to Magdeburg, as on two Town Hall. There were several speeches in about ‘Ludwig Philippson and Jewry’s previous occasions, I was most impressed addition to mine. The Oberbürgermeister position in society’; a representative of by the warmth and generosity shown to (Lord Mayor), Dr Lutz Trümper, said that the Magdeburg congregation spoke; and me by several non-Jewish people. Two Ludwig Philippson ‘contributed not only I, being a psychotherapist, mentioned of them head the committee which is to the history of the city of Magdeburg in my contribution that Sigmund Freud trying to raise money from churches and but also to the history of German Jewry’. had been given the ‘Philippson Bible’ the city for building a new synagogue He outlined Ludwig’s many interests and by his father and had used some of its and another is in charge of arranging referred to his appointment as rabbi in illustrations in his book The Interpretation for the laying of Stolpersteine, indicating Magdeburg at the age of only 22 and his of Dreams. where former Jewish citizens such as my election as a city councillor and president Besides taking part in the celebrations, grandparents and uncle, who perished in of the Saxon Teachers’ Association, I had been asked to speak to about the Holocaust, used to live. positions which, he said, showed how 80 young people (aged about 18) and Peter Philippson

10 A very special lady Susie Kaufman retires after 22 years' devoted service usie Kaufman, the Organiser of the reception for Susie at the London Jewish AJR Paul Balint Centre, has retired Cultural Centre, her close friend Eleanor Safter 22 years of devoted service to Angel, an AJR Trustee and member of the AJR. Her retirement coincides with the Management Committee, described the relocation of the AJR Centre from her as ‘a very special lady’. Susie, she Cleve Road, West Hampstead, to Belsize said, was ‘the kindest, most caring Square Synagogue (see last month’s person I know’. issue of the Journal). In response, Susie declared that it had Susie started off at Cleve Road in been ‘an absolute privilege’ to work at 1990 as a twice-a-week volunteer, the Centre: ‘I’ve loved every single day serving lunches. of my life there.’ She promised everyone In 1998 she took over as Catering she would still be around to help out Manager and reinstated Meals-on- from time to time. Wheels. In 2005 she succeeded Sylvia Susie’s retirement coincides with an Matus, who retired as Centre Organiser. especially happy event: the birth of a Speaking at a surprise farewell third grandchild, Sophia Amelie.

Exhibition on Jewish refugees in South Wales n exhibition on Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe who came to live in South Wales before the Second World War was held in Swansea’s Civic Centre from 10 January to 5 February this year and is due to run at Swansea’s National AWaterfront Museum from 21 April to 30 June 2012. The exhibition was organised by the West Glamorgan Archive Service as part of Swansea Council’s commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day. A grant from the Welsh Government helped make it possible. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the Kindertransport. Another part describes the contribution of Jewish refugees to the economy of South Wales, telling the story of some of the Jewish entrepreneurs encouraged by the British Government to establish factories on the Treforest Industrial Estate near Pontypridd and how these firms created jobs in an area of mass unemployment. The exhibition also celebrates the contribution of refugees who worked as doctors, dentists and nurses in South Wales. These refugees helped raise the standard of health care in Wales following the creation of the NHS in George Schoenmann, aged 5 months, with A sleeping refugee girl during the Kinder- 1948. transport in December 1938 (by kind grandmother Clara Schoenmann, who was The influence of émigré artists such murdered in 1942, 1935 ­permission of the Wiener Library, London) as Josef Herman and Heinz Koppel on the artistic community of South Wales is also explored.

The Management Team of Aero Zip Fasteners Joseph Herman In the Pit 1952/53, water- Portrait of Dr Kurt Guttman (Kenneth Ltd. Mr Benjamin Glazer is on the far right colour and ink (by kind permission of David Goodwin), 1941 (by kind permission of (by kind permission of Anthony Glaser) Herman) Gerald Goodwin)

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service in France! Two a week – which St John’s Wood Group my men told me was fine for those single (formerly Cleve Road) chaps but not what the married men Wednesday 14 March 2012, 10.30 am were used to! at St John’s Wood Synagogue Hazel Beiny Next meeting: Social get-together, date Nick Scudamore tba ‘London in Cinema’ St Johns Wood Join us for a fascinating talk ALSO MEETING IN MARCH First AJR group meeting At our first meeting at St John’s Wood including film clips Ilford 7 March. Helen Fry on her book Synagogue, Evelyn Friedlander spoke ‘Music and Men: The Life and Loves about the 1564 Czech Memorial Scrolls, of Harriet Cohen which by a miracle survived the war and Bath and Bristol 8 March. Trevor were brought to England in 1964 before Nick Scudamore is a lecturer in the history Bedeman, ‘Risk Assessor – Travels and being given a second life in communities and theory of cinema. In the 1980s Other Stories’ here and abroad. he was a manager in a number of London David Lang Birmingham 14 March. Mozart cinema art houses, the Screen on Concert Next meeting: 14 March. Nick Scudamore, the Green in Islington and the Paris ‘London in Cinema’ (see box) ­Pullman in Chelsea to name but two. He Norfolk 15 March. Social Get- together and Lunch HGS A most stimulating discussion evolved into a film teacher for Birkbeck We had a most stimulating discussion, College, University of London and is the Cardiff 19 March. Mark Davies, led by Charles Emanuel, Emeritus Rabbi former Director of Studies at Edinburgh ‘Oxford University and the Welsh’ University for their film courses held of Alyth Gardens Synagogue, about (inter Wessex 20 March. David Barnett, annually to coincide with the Edinburgh alia) the significance of a Jewish group for ‘London’s First Hotels’ people who have no faith or synagogue Film Festival. affiliation. For further details, please call Hazel Laszlo Roman Beiny on 020 8385 3077 Oxford Alice in Waterland? Next meeting: 12 March. Marilyn Green, Mark Davies of the Lewis Carroll Society ‘The Jewish Art Collection at the V&A diary with documents she kept through considers that Alice in Wonderland should Museum’ the war, while Ceska brought her mother’s have been called Alice in Waterland as it pearls. An interesting morning. describes the journey along the Thames Ealing Excellent presentation Ceska Abrahams near their home. by AJR intern Next meeting: 19 March. David Barnett, Anne Selinger Lilli Meinck, who is attached to the AJR for ‘Jewish Trades in Regency London’ Next meeting: 13 March. Professor Prawer: a year as an intern, gave us an excellent His Life presentation about her organisation, Edgware A family which survived the German-based Action Reconciliation difficult times Wembley Looking forward to an Service for Peace, which sends volunteers Again we enjoyed a pleasant talk by David interesting few days to various countries to work with Jewish Lawson about a family which survived very We gathered together at our comfortable organisations. difficult times in the war and are now venue to hear from Myrna about Leslie Sommer settled in Israel, living a happy life and forthcoming events, in particular the Next meeting: 6 March. Evelyn Friedlander, contributing their share to the wellbeing annual London trip. This encouraged me ‘The Czech Memorial Scrolls’ of the country. Felix Winkler to book and I look forward to reporting Next meeting: 20 March. Julia Samuel of back to the group on what I am sure will Essex (Westcliff) the Anglo-Jewish Society be an interesting few days. A matter of memorabilia Ruth Pearson We each brought along an item of Radlett A heart-warming morning Next meeting: 21 March. Social get- memorabilia and spoke about what it Lilli Meinck, working with the AJR under together meant to us. One member brought a shawl the auspices of the Action Reconciliation she had worn at the age of ten months on Service for Peace, gave us an account of North London 80 years of arriving in this country. A most enjoyable her work as a volunteer with great charm the film industry meeting. and in excellent English. An unusual and Howard Lanning told us about his and his Linda Fisher heart-warming morning. Fritz Starer family’s involvement in the film industry Next meeting: 13 March. Details to follow Next meeting: 21 March. David Lawson, over 80 years. A most absorbing morning: ‘Escape Story – Eva Erben’s Holocaust the family’s activities stretched from the Pinner Teasing out treasured details Autobiography’ days of silent movies right up to some of Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen read extracts from the great hits of the recent past. his book Genesis in Poetry. His elegant Welwyn GC Herbert Haberberg oratory and humorous delivery enhanced A lovely morning chatter Next meeting: 22 March (NB: a week an enjoyable afternoon as we listened A lovely morning chatter on numerous earlier). Val Alliez, ‘Southwark and the intently to his teasing out treasured subjects, swimming in particular. The Globe’ details left to our imagination in the meeting could have run on all day – for so original Bible stories. few we had so much to say. A delightful Glasgow Book Club Walter Weg get-together once again at Monica’s. The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Next meeting: 8 March. Sheila Kennedy, Hazel Beiny Farahad Zama got the thumbs up from ‘High Times at Heathrow – Life at the Next meeting: 15 March. Screening of everyone. Arranged marriages in India Airport’ Watermarks were inevitably closely compared with those of our own matchmakers. While Brighton & Hove Sarid Café Imperial A party of merry men most of us preferred love marriages, Something cherished The collective age of the eight veterans many agreed that a wish list of tall, dark Leon passed around a silver spoon with present came to 906, not counting myself and handsome, or wealthy and educated, his name engraved on it which was given and Howard Livingstone’s daughter Jackie wasn’t such a bad thing. A very enjoyable, to him in his childhood. Shirley brought from Connecticut, who joined our party light-hearted afternoon with a delicious photos and a letter of her sister-in-law of merry men. Our discussion centred on spread hosted by Anthea Berg. mysteriously found. Scarlet brought a the condom allowance of men in active Agnes Isaacs

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Hendon Fleeing from the Führer Reception at the Meals-on-Wheels William Kaczynski spoke about his new To order Meals-on-Wheels please book Fleeing from the Führer: A Postal Wiener Library’s new home telephone 020 8385 3075. This number History of Refugees from the Nazis, which As part of our three-day annual trip to is manned on Wednesdays only. tells the tale of what befell Jewish refugees London (see p.12), we will be holding in many different places. Besides the Isle of a reception at the new premises of Man, the British government maintained the Wiener Library on Wednesday 28 The AJR internment camps in distant parts of the March 2012. Paul Balint Centre at Empire and they also ran a postal service The evening will begin at 7pm and for people in Displaced Persons’ Camps transport will be available. Belsize Square Synagogue during the war. 51 Belsize Square, London NW3 4HX Shirley Rodwell Among highlights will be: Next meeting: 26 March. Anne Holve, • An address from a prominent figure Tel 020 7431 2744 ‘Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy’ in the Jewish community • An introduction to the Library and its Glasgow CF Cinema Club new facilities AJR LUNCHEON CLUB The Iron Lady, about the life of Margaret Thatcher, was enjoyed by all and brought • A guided tour of the Library Thursday 15 March 2012 back memories of that time. By popular • Reception with refreshments Howard Manning demand, the Cinema Club will meet every • The opportunity to meet members month or two for trips to the cinema (and from across the country ’My Family in the concerts, plays, etc). Places are limited for this very special Film Business‘ Agnes Isaacs evening. For further details, please PLEASE NOTE THAT SPEAKERS call Susan Harrod on 020 8385 3078 START AT 12 NOON Temple Fortune Fourth anniversary or email [email protected] Please be aware that members should not We celebrated our fourth anniversary automatically assume that they are on the Luncheon with a very interesting meeting. We had Club list. It is now necessary, on receipt of your all brought along an object that meant copy of the AJR Journal, to phone the Centre on Edinburgh CF 020 7431 2744 to book your place. much to us and told the story behind it. Getting a word in edgeways Our meeting ended with an informal chat Members spent a most pleasant afternoon KT-AJR over coffee and cake. reminiscing about holidays taken around David Lang Kindertransport special Next meeting: 20 March (NB: a week the world. As usual, the age gap between interest group earlier). Michael Newman, ‘AJR Update’ first- and second-generation members was no barrier and at times it was hard to get Tuesday 6 March 2012 a word in edgeways. A wonderful tea was Martin Reichard provided by our host, Tim Willis. AJR GROUP CONTACTS Counsellor, Press and Information, Agnes Isaacs Austrian Embassy, London Bradford Continental Friends Next meeting: 7 March. A visit to the Rev Lilly and Albert Waxman 01274 581189 Levy Exhibition ‘Austria Today’ Brighton & Hove (Sussex Region) Esther Rinkoff 020 8385 3070 please NOTE THAT LUNCH Bristol/Bath WILL BE SERVED AT 12.30 PM Myrna Glass 020 8385 3070 Reservations required Cambridge North London Please telephone 020 7431 2744 Hazel Beiny 020 8385 3070 Ruth Jacobs 020 8445 3366 Cardiff Oxford march activities Myrna Glass 020 8385 3077 Susie Bates 01235 526 702 Cleve Road, AJR Centre Pinner (HA Postal District) BOOK CLUB, with Ruth Sands, Thursday Myrna Glass 020 8385 3077 Vera Gellman 020 8866 4833 1 March and Thursday 22 March Dundee Radlett ART CLUB, with Lauren Rotenberg, Agnes Isaacs 0755 1968 593 Esther Rinkoff 020 8385 3077 Thursday 8 March Ealing Sheffield Esther Rinkoff 020 8385 3077 Steve Mendelsson 0114 2630666 COMPUTER CLUB, with Lilli Meinck, every East Midlands (Nottingham) South London Tuesday morning Bob Norton 01159 212 494 Lore Robinson 020 8670 7926 All activities begin at 10.30 am Edgware South West Midlands (Worcester area) Hazel Beiny 020 8385 3077 Myrna Glass 020 8385 3070 march entertainment Edinburgh Surrey Françoise Robertson 0131 337 3406 Edmée Barta 01372 727 412 Thur 1 William Smith Essex (Westcliff) Temple Fortune Miriam Kleinman 01702 713884 Esther Rinkoff 020 8385 3077 Tue 6 KT LUNCH Glasgow Weald of Kent Thur 8 Jen Gould Claire Singerman 0141 649 4620 Janet Weston 01959 564 520 Tue 13 Michael Heaton Harrogate Welwyn Garden City Inge Little 01423 886254 Hazel Beiny 020 8385 3070 Thur 15 LUNCHEON CLUB Hendon Wembley Tue 20 Douglas Poster Hazel Beiny 020 8385 3070 Laura Levy 020 8904 5527 Thur 22 Margaret Opdahl HGS Wessex (Bournemouth) Gerda Torrence 020 8883 9425 Mark Goldfinger 01202 552 434 Tue 27 Nicki Brough Hull West Midlands (Birmingham) Thur 29 Ronnie Goldberg Susanne Green 0151 291 5734 Fred Austin 01384 252310 Ilford Meta Rosenell 020 8505 0063 Leeds HSFA Hazel Beiny, Southern Groups Co-ordinator Agnes Isaacs, Scotland and Newcastle Trude Silman 0113 237 1872 020 8385 3070 Co-ordinator Liverpool 0755 1968 593 Susanne Green 0151 291 5734 Myrna Glass, London South and Midlands Groups Co-ordinator Esther Rinkoff, Southern Region Co-ordinator Manchester 020 8385 3077 020 8385 3077 Werner Lachs 0161 773 4091 Susanne Green, Northern Groups Co-ordinator KT-AJR (Kindertransport) Newcastle Andrea Goodmaker 020 8385 3070 Walter Knoblauch 0191 2855339 0151 291 5734 Norfolk (Norwich) Susan Harrod, Groups’ Administrator Child Survivors Association–AJR Myrna Glass 020 8385 3077 020 8385 3070 Henri Obstfeld 020 8954 5298

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family announcements Model Seder Death Robert Schon Nathan, Regine Vienna 14 January Lunch Tax Solicitor 1915-London 12 January 2012. Beloved Tuesday 3 April 2012 Member of Solicitors mother of daughters Frances and Jacky, at the AJR Centre, for the Elderly grandmother of Deborah, Nicholas, Belsize Square Synagogue I specialise in: Moishe and Nicola, and great-grandmother 11.30 am for a prompt Estate Planning to nine great-grandsons. She was the heart 12 noon start Powers of Attorney and and soul of our family and has left an Deputyship applications Rabbi Stuart Altshuler will be enormous gap in all our lives. Living wills leading the service. Tax and non domicile issues In Memoriam We are kosher for Pesach including helping to bring 3-4 March 1943 Reichenbach, Martin undeclared offshore funds to Please book early the attention of HMRC and Lotte and the other 281 Dresden to avoid disappointment Tel 020 7267 5010 Jews deported from Hellerberg camp and Cost £7* murdered in Auschwitz that very night. Email: [email protected] Tel 020 7431 2744 West Hill House, 6 Swains Lane, classified *An anonymous donor has kindly London N6 6QS AJR PAUL BALINT CENTRE made a sum of money available The Chiropodist will be at the Centre on to the AJR so that we can offer 6 March. Please book an appointment on members outings and special events at a reduced price. 020 7431 2744. Home Care ColvinCare through quality and professionalism Operatic Afternoon CUMBERLAND HOTEL Celebrating our 25th Anniversary BOURNEMOUTH 25 years of experience in providing the and Cream Tea Sunday 20 May to Friday 25 May 2012 highest standards of care in the comfort of your own home Come and join us for 5 days Make new friends and meet up with old friends Price £400 plus £30 single room Sunday 10 June 2012 supplement. Sea View rooms an 2.45-5.15 pm additional £10.00 per person per night 1 hour to 24 hours care ’ Registered through the National Care Standard Commission at The Grim s Dyke Hotel Price includes transport to and from Mansion House, Old Redding, Bournemouth from Jubilee House, Harrow, Middx HA3 6SH Merrion Avenue, Stanmore Middx Call our 24 hour tel 020 7794 9323 HA7 4RL; sandwich lunch on journey www.colvin-nursing.co.uk Private tour of hotel and gardens to Bournemouth; dinner, bed and Home-made cream tea breakfast; outing, cards A selection of songs from and entertainment Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe We already have a lot of interest so wanted to buy £29.50 per person please book early Transport will be available For further details, please contact German and at an additional cost Carol Rossen or Lorna Moss on English Books Tickets must be booked and paid 020 8385 3070 for by beginning of April 2012 For further details, please contact Bookdealer, AJR member, welcomes invitations to view Susan Harrod on 020 8385 3070 PillarCare and purchase valuable books. or at [email protected] Quality support and care at home

Robert Hornung  LEO BAECK HOUSING Hourly Care from 4 hours – 24 hours 10 Mount View, Ealing, ASSOCIATION  Live-In/Night Duty/Sleepover Care London W5 1PR Email: [email protected] CLARA NEHAB HOUSE  Convalescent and Personal Health Care RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME Tel: 020 8998 0546 Small caring residential home with large attractive  Compassionate and Affordable Service gardens close to local shops and public transport 25 single rooms with full en suite facilities  Professional, Qualified, Kind Care Staff 24 hour Permanent and Respite Care Entertainment & Activities provided  Registered with the CQC and UKHCA Ground Floor Lounge and Dining Room ‘DROP IN’ ADVICE SERVICE Lift access to all floors. Call us on Freephone 0800 028 4645 Members requiring benefit advice please telephone For further information please contact: PILLARCARE Linda Kasmir on 020 8385 3070 to make an The Manager, Clara Nehab House THE BUSINESS CENTRE · 36 GLOUCESTER AVENUE · LONDON NW1 7BB appointment at AJR, Jubilee House, Merrion Avenue, 13-19 Leeside Crescent, London NW11 0DA PHONE: 020 7482 2188 · FAX: 020 7900 2308 Telephone: 020 8455 2286 www.pillarcare.co.uk Stanmore, Middx HA7 4RL

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Obituary Hans Neumann, 5 August 1929-23 August 2011 orn in Berlin, my father Hans passed them to UNRRA. Hans was taken was the younger of two boys. His to the Kloster Indersdorf International Bparents provided a happy family Children’s Centre, where he was looked life for him and his brother Leo until in after by the sisters of mercy. 1939 his mother passed away and they Once he was fit and healthy, Hans were sent to the country to live. Eventually came to England, where he spent time in they decided to come home to look for London before beginning work on the their father, but sadly in 1941 they were barges in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. There he rounded up and sent to Theresienstadt. met the man who was to become his father- On their arrival in Theresienstadt, Leo in-law. Hans and Joyce married in April ensured that his younger brother stayed 1951. They had two children, five grand- with him. They were put into work parties children and two ­great-grandchildren. and remained in the camp until it was seeking to escape, Hans lost contact with Hans will be very much missed by his liberated by the Russians in May 1945, his brother and, a day or two later, he and a family and the many friends he made on when all prisoners, including the brothers, friend decided to return to the camp. They his long journeys. fled in fear of continued torture. While were taken in by the American forces, who Linda Fisher

Recipients of an Feo celebrates 102nd birthday Austrian pension Last month we published a notice about a letter sent to some AJR members who receive an Austrian state pension. The letter required the recipient to complete a ‘confirmation of residency’ form in accordance with the Double Tax Convention between Great Britain and Austria and stated that an interim tax would be deducted from the January 2012 pension payment. Following the intervention of the AJR and others, the Austrian pension authority (PVA) intends as a matter of priority to refund this tax to Holocaust survivors and refugees. The rebate should be included in the February or March Max Rubinsohn, Hedy Orchudesch and Trudy Basto were among Wembley CF members pension payment. It is also now not who helped Feo Kahn (in armchair) celebrate her 102nd birthday necessary to complete the ‘confirmation of residency’ form. One of our members reports having received a confirmation – with regrets ARTS AND EVENTS DIARY – from Barbara Prammer, Speaker of march First Night Seder the Austrian National Assembly, who confirms that the original letter was a Sun 4 Open Day at the new home of the Friday 6 April at mistake, which has now been corrected. Wiener Library, 1.00-4.00 pm. A chance Belsize Square Synagogue Other members have also received letters to take a tour around the Library’s first- of apology from the PVA and we do not ever exhibition about childhood under after the service, which expect any further letters to be sent to the Nazis and an opportunity to view the commences at 6.45 pm anyone else. new Reading Room. Attendance is free It appears that the letter was sent to but please tel 020 7636 7247 to reserve Join Rabbi Stuart Altshuler to certain pensioners in countries, such as a space. celebrate first-night Seder! There the UK, with which Austria has double Fri 17 A pot luck dinner with Gershon will be time for a traditional Pesach taxation agreements. In practice, the Baskin Gershon Baskin, Israeli CEO and with discussion, good questions and pension is exempt from income tax in founder of the Israel/Palestine Centre for the UK. plenty of singing. This year’s Pesach Research and Information, played a key As the Austrian Embassy in London will look at ‘Freedom – to be Jewish: role in the release of Gilad Shalit through writes in this issue of the Journal (see his ‘back-channel’ direct conversations Be proud of our Jewish heritage’ page 6), all competent tax authorities with Hamas. At Belsize Square Synagogue. Members £35.00 are fully aware of the problem and are Please contact Justyn Trenner at jtrenner@ continuing to work for a clear solution. clientknowledge.com or Neil Nerva at Non-members £40.00 Ambassador Brix has let us know that he [email protected]. Children under 13 £20.00 sincerely regrets the confusion caused. Anyone who received the residency Tue-Wed 17-18 April ‘Karen’s Way: A To book places, please letter or would like further information Kindertransport Life’ A new play by telephone the Synagogue Office should contact the AJR. Members who Vanessa Rosenthal. A dramatisation with did not receive the letter can ignore this live music of the story of Kindertransport on 020 7794 3949 survivor and poet Karen Gershon. At York notice. Booking will close on Friday 30 March Michael Newman Theatre Royal Studio (details to follow).

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Letter from ‘otherness’ that a Jew cannot avoid feeling, no matter where he or she happens to Israel be living. By extension, this also appears to be the role that Israel is destined to play within the community of nations. Israel cannot, and perhaps never will, be A strange juxtaposition accepted as a ‘normal’ country because it finished reading Howard Jacobson’s non-Jews to Israel and Zionism. is judged by different standards, just as The Finkler Question and was still Jacobson ventures to poke fun at diaspora Jews, no matter how successful, Ipondering its manifold messages in all those well-meaning and misguided can never feel that they are fully accepted the evening as I attended a performance Jews (I’m happy to see that he seems to by their adopted country, because of some of Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. agree with me on that point) who seek innate ‘otherness’ that all Jews share – at This was given in Jerusalem by an amateur to distance themselves from the Israel of least according to Jacobson. troupe composed mainly of immigrants today. Jacobson uses not-so-gentle irony The device of viewing the essence from English-speaking countries. to put those individuals – many of them of being Jewish through the eyes of a Friends had tried to deter me from household names – firmly in their place, Gentile who is a ‘wannabe’ Jew is elegant reading the book, saying it was boring, showing them up for the hypocrites they and entertaining and gives rise to some difficult to get into, etc. I grant that the are. And he despatches the Holocaust- really funny passages in the book. The beginning is somewhat slow, and the deniers and belittlers in short order, to reader is almost convinced that such a idea of an 80-year-old man learning to boot. situation could actually arise, and that play Schubert’s Impromptu No.3 is utterly But to get back to H.M.S. Pinafore, someone who is not Jewish by birth would ludicrous. I say this as someone who which targets jingoistic British nationalism seek to enter that supposedly clannish, has been struggling for years to master as well as the class system and Victorian esoteric world in order to become part Impromptu No.1, so you can take my mores in general. The performance I of what might be interpreted as an word for it! went to was attended by H.E. the British anthropologically exotic tribe. But I found that as I persevered with Ambassador to Israel, which gave the Reality prevails finally, however, and the book, which is undeniably well- atmosphere that evening an extra fillip. at the close of the book the characters written, it became increasingly gripping. There we were, a theatre full to bursting are dispatched to their various ends. The characters came alive for me and I felt with mainly expatriate Jews from the And that, I suppose, is the ultimate they were real people. What surprised me UK, America, South Africa, Australia and message of the book. Meanwhile, here in most, however, was the book’s principal sundry outposts of the English-speaking Jerusalem, the Jewish audience at Pinafore theme, which is essentially the question world, all of whom had chosen to live – possibly even with the participation of of Jewish identity in England today and elsewhere but apparently still harboured the ambassador – joined enthusiastically what it means to be a Jew in the diaspora. a yearning for the culture of our past. in the encore, which was a rousing chorus In addition, the book tackles the thorny In his book Jacobson seems to be of ‘For he is an Englishman!’ subject of the attitude of both Jews and seeking to underline that sense of Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

letters to the editor continued from page 7 and the Marshall Plan. community, which, it appears, had a false men and women. One sees beautiful As far as Mr Stern’s prediction that the dawn after the fall of the Communist children growing up to become good men Coalition is on the point of break-up is regime. The lies spread by Jobbik about and women. concerned, I fear he will have a long wait, Israel and Jews would make Goebbels Somehow it’s so arranged that the for the Conservatives as well as the Liberals proud. I am grateful not to live in Hungary biggest industry in the world is the will continue to share power even if they any more. armaments industry. I have nothing to do hate each other’s guts! Janos Fisher, Bushey Heath with ‘pacifism’ but, as a quite ordinary Ernest G. Kolman, Greenford, Middx person, I would not pay one penny for ‘A MISREPRESENTATION OF EVIL’ a nuclear bomb. People are not vermin. VICIOUS ANTI-SEMITIC VIEWS Sir – Yes, I believe in God. Is God good? After our experience at the hands of the Sir – Jobbik, the ultra-nationalist party No, God is not good. National Socialists, it is of vital importance of Hungary, which has many members in At the age of 82 years, I have a truly to point out to the nation-states of parliament and some members even in wonderful life behind me. And today, even the world that the word ‘defence’ is a the European Parliament, is now openly as I write, life is very, very good. misrepresentation of pure evil. voicing its vicious anti-Semitic views. I As one goes through life, one comes Hans Hammerschmidt, fear for the substantial Hungarian Jewish into contact with thousands of different Oxford

Published by the Association of Jewish Refugees in Great Britain, Jubilee House, Merrion Avenue, Stanmore, Middx HA7 4RL Telephone 020 8385 3070 Fax 020 8385 3080 e-mail [email protected] For the latest AJR news, including details of forthcoming events and information about our services, visit www.ajr.org.uk Printed by FBprinters LLP, 26 St Albans Lane, London NW11 7QB Tel: 020 8458 3220 Email: [email protected]

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