INFORMATION ISSUED by the ASSOOATMH of Mwia Rffuebs « Oleat BRITAH
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Volume XXXVI No. 3 March 1981 1981 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOOATMH OF MWia RffUeBS « OlEAT BRITAH members were contributing between £10 and £50 —but this was still not enough. LOOKING AHEAD In the recruitment of the younger generation it had been agreed to create a new term "Friends Constructive AJR Board Meeting of the AJR" for those people who had no wish to think of themselves as or to be called refugees, as This year's AJR Board Meeting, which was held administered with the CBF/World Jewish Relief. well as for those who were children and grand on 25 January at Hannah Karminski Hall, differed In addition, the AJR owned three houses which children of refugees and any other people who from previous occasions in a twofold way. At the offered sheltered accommodation. Altogether, we wish to support the AJR. The privileges of the suggestion of the Executive, several Board mem have more than 260 people to look after. The need "Friends" would be the same as those of members, bers brought interested relatives and friends with for maintaining these homes for refugees, the and further details would be announced in one of them, who attended the meeting as guests. The speaker stated, would continue for the rest of the the next issues of the AJR Information. second departure from the usual routine was that century. The average age—in the fifties under 70— Referring to the front page article in the '"Stead of a number of special reports, one sum was now the mid-80s, most of them already frail January issue of AJR Information the Chairman marising address on the salient points of AJR when entering the Homes. There were also grow stressed anew the need for voluntary helpers policy was presented by the Chairman, Mr. C. T. ing financial difficulties. The funds recovered in especially by Board members, their familes and f^arx, as the introduction of the discussion, which Germany by the Jewish Trust Corporation were friends. turned out to be more lively than it used to be shrinking; the amount of subsidies by the local ouring the past years. authorities was affected by the general situation, In opening the meeting, Mr. Marx first paid and at the same time, the German pensions had Organisational Alignments tribute to the memory of an old and valued Board lost their previous value due to the present ex At the end, Mr. Marx reported on organis member, Dr. WUly Selig. He also announced that change rates. Lastly a stage would soon be ational alignments of the AJR, Self Aid and the mere were three newly elected Board members, reached, where new residents belonged to an age AJR Charitable Trust. While retaining their Dr- Alice Apt and Dr. Hans Freund, who were group, which no longer qualified for German or identity, their amalgamation had proved most present, and Mr. Richard Fisher, who had sent his Austrian pensions. effective in the day-to-day work. Equally, the apologies. Lastly, he referred to the recent 90th The speaker then summarised the other welfare Hon. Officers had become more involved in the birthday of the AJR President, Mr. A. S. Dresel, activities of the AJR which included the work of day-to-day work, and although there were some which had been celebrated with him in excellent the AJR Social Services Department, the Meals- times disagreements and arguments, the co-oper health and strength. on-Wheels Service (with about 1,000 meals per ation with the loyal and long serving staff was In his stimulating survey of the wide range of month) and the AJR Club. Self-Aid, now closely harmonious and hearty thanks were due to all. activities, Mr. Marx first dealt with our efforts to co-operating with the AJR, provided regular help The Report was followed by a discussion, to wiff"^'^'' the material interests of our community. for more than 120 people; this year's concert had which the following Board members and guests con Whilst matters of restitution and compensation raised £5,700. tributed: Dr. R. Lehmann, Miss J. Lee, Dr. H. G. nad to a certain extent come to a conclusion, there Francken, Mrs. D. Segall, Mrs. A. Schwab, Mrs. ^h^r ^'"^ ^'arious questions concerning the tax- M. Casson, Dr. A. Rosenstrauch (Reading), Mrs. °'hty of German payments. In this respect, our Financial Situation M. Pottlitzer, Mrs. A. Marx, Dr. L. Nelken, Dr. Vice-Chairman, Dr. F. E. Falk, had been success- Dealing with problems, which have to be tackled A. Horwell, Mr. G. Selby, Mrs. Margaret Jacoby th I ^^'"^ during the past decades, and one of in the immediate future, the Chairman first re and Mrs. E. Trent. One of the subjects raised by e latest achievements consisted in the stipulation ported about the financial situation. The total several speakers was the possibility of recruiting o' the Finance Act 1974 by which of those pay outgoings now amounted to £100,000, of which members of the younger generation as voluntary ments to victims of Nazi persecution which were £50,000 were used for salaries and £25,000 for helpers. Some members expressed the view that "f*' f"''""^'y exempted from taxation, only one-half AJR Information. Of these, just under £50,000 many younger people had not sufficient time for 01 the received amounts was subject to UK tax. were covered by subscriptions, and a further taking on extra duties because they had to look pother material issue, which now stood in the £25,000 came from the Allocations Committee for after their households and their children. Others foreground, was the recently established German AJR and Self Aid together. The balance was made quoted examples which showed that both fields of Hardship Fund ("Abschlussgesle Wiedergutma- up in various ways but it was obvious that the activities could very well be combined. With chung"). Whilst the regulations of this Fund books could not continue to be balanced in this regard to the Homes, it was suggested that the njainly provided individual payments to individual way without further income. Legacies formed a lives of the residents should not only be enhanced victims who could not submit their claims in time, very important part of this income and deep by concerts, talks and other kinds of entertain attempts were being made to obtain a share in the thanks were due to our former Deputy Secretary, ment, but that quite a few residents needed help per cent of the Fund which was to be allocated Mr. E. A. Lomnitz, who had helped very much to in dealing with clerical work, especially for the to organisations for their welfare work. encourage the making of legacies which were of completion of forms required by German auth A further essential task of the AJR was the enormous assistance in building up the AJR orities. There was also a need for a visitor to production of AJR Information, now in its 36th Charitable Trust. members of the AJR Club, who were in hospital. UK. ^' '"yolved at present three main problems: Membership was still at approximately 4,100. Mrs. Margaret Jacoby appealed to Board members .^ame increasingly urgent to relieve the editor The Membership Drive which had taken place to attend the "Silver Wedding" Bring-and-Buy Sale rer*f ^°'* responsibility for the job and to find during 1980 had brought in a further 262 mem of the AJR Club on 22 February. She also re se H^"'' eventually a successor for him. The bers and another 39 new members had been en ported that the ccmgregation "Habonim" (New- cond set of problems concerned the contents of rolled apart from the Drive. The losses had been York) had sent a donation to the Club. bm ^?"™^'- which must not only relive the past 206, making a net increase of 95 new members. At the request of the Chairman, Dr. F. E. Falk, JJt clearly indicate the role we wish to—and can Subscriptions from 1979 had amounted to £41,000 Vice-Chairman of the AJR, reported that during ^^Play m the eighties and beyond. Lastly, for and for 1980 to approximately £47,000. This sub the past year he had made strong efforts to have tiif^'^"^ beyond our control, the journal was get- stantial increase was very much welcomed but still pensions, of which at present one-half was taxable, ^ '""«asingly expensive and took up almost a insufficient. Age would eventually make great totally exempted from tax. He had met with some TTi °^ °^^ operating costs. losses in our membership but the Membership degree of success at least in having the problem ^ he third point raised by the speaker was Committee under the leadership of the Hon. noted and a promise that it would be kept in A ^f^ for the Homes. There were three Old Treasurer, Mr. L. Spiro, would continue its work mind by the Treasury. Further endeavours were in Fl Osmond House and the Flatlets to improve this situation. Publicity was available •Eleanor Rathbone House, which were jointly as always through AJR Information and new Continued at column I page 2 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION March 1981 LOOKING AHEAD Egon Larsen Continued from page 1 being made in connection with the preparation of LEST WE FORGET the new Budget with the added ground that The more questions about Germany's past are Munich's special characteristic was that many pensions were now very much reduced in value being answered, the more are still being asked. of its citizens had come from other parts of because of the strength of the English Pound. Recently there has been a spate of new publi Germany, Central and eastern Europe—all In answer to several questions about AJR cations which attempt to fill the gaps.