Information Issued by the — Association of Jewish Refugffs in Great Britain
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VOL. XX No. 6 June, 1965 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE — ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGFFS IN GREAT BRITAIN B FAIRFAX MANSIONS, FINCHLEY RO, (corner Fairfax Rd.), London. N.W,3 Office and Consulting Hours: Monday to Thursday lOa.m.—lp.m. 3—Sp.m. Telephone : MAIda Vale 90967 (General omce and Welfare for tha Aged), MAIda Vale 4449 (Employment Agency, annually licensed bv the L.C.C,, Friday lOa.m.—lp.m. and Social Services Dept,) Use Blumenthal-Weiss tact with linen and woollen factories in Silesian Wiistegiersdorf, factories that very soon became the sole property of the Reichenheims. MEMOIRS OF GERMAN JEWS Actually the whole undertaking was again dis posed of by 1888, and the administration of the trust funds and charities in Berlin was A Unique Collection of the Leo Baeck Institute only continued until 1904, but even decades later the effects of the Reichenheim's social As readers will see from a report published in this issue, the Leo Baeck Institute activities were still proving adv.antageous to recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of its foundation. During this period it has Jewish and non-Jewish German citizens. And initiated and sponsored the publication of more than 30 books relating to the history it was only Hitler's terrorist regime that finally of German Jeivry. The following article deals with another important aspect of the Institute's achievements: the establishment of a Cultural Centre in New York, whose destroyed the creative work of three genera comprehensive library of books and periodicals pertinent to German Jewish history tions. If specialised monographs were to be includes a unique and steadily grotoing collection of memoirs. written about the Silesian linen industry, or about Jewish philanthropy and philanthropists, The Leo Baeck Institute, with working tionships which were formed here or there valuable material would be found in the centres in Jerusalem, London and New York, between heads of states and Jewish citizens volumes of memoirs held by the L.B.I, For was founded in 1955 with the object of and which, as was then thought, gave reason the Institute also holds interesting material undertaking research into and presenting the for optimistic hopes for the future. dealing with the celebrated drapery firm of history of the Jews in Germany and other Ger Let us begin with the account of Jacob F. V. Griinfeld and the " royal merchant" Max man-speaking countries, with special emphasis Kaulla, which was written up by a teacher by Pinkus, intimate friend of Gerhart Hauptmann, on the period from the beginning of the eman the name of Spatz from " the posthumous The author of the Reichenheim memoirs cipation to the year of catastrophe, 1933, In papers of Oberlehrer Alexander Elsasser" in gives some incidental information about the a sense the L,B,I. has become the posthumous order to " honour the memory of a fine man social institutions established by the family, representative of German Jewry and is carry who served the German Fatherland outstand and extracts from the list are reproduced here : ing out a great task, for it is helping to estab ingly through his selfless patriotism, and who Establishment of an infants' school, six-form lish the continuity of German-Jewish existence by word and deed attempted to advance the elementary school, and a trade school for all despite dispersal and flight. Furthermore, educational standards of his co-religionists who the children of the factory employees in through that section of the New York Institute still lay within the coils of prejudices of the Wiistegiersdorf; Reichenheim Fund for the which is concerned with the collection of Middle Ages ". support of necessitous widows of merchants memoirs, it resuscitates names and the sub Jacob Kaulla was born in 1750 in the Wurt domiciled in the area of the Greater Berlin stance of a community that had apparently temberg township of Buchau am Federnsee, Chamber of Commerce; Reichenheim Girls' dissolved into anonymity. Although his parents lived in very humble Home ; Reichenheim Bequest for widows and circumstances the child received a good educa orphans of elementary school teachers Several Hundred Manuscripts tion, which at that time really meant instruc employed in the municipal schools, without tion in Biblical and rabbinic literature. Hence differentiation as to creed ; Ernst Reichenheim Some 300 manuscript sets of memoirs were Fund: " the award of two scholarships annually counted when the collection was last checked, there was one great gap in the boy's education which immediately evinced itself : he was not . , , to young, qualified pupils , . without hut in the meantime more have been received, differentiation as to religious adherence, at the whilst others are expected and have been completely at home in the German language. This difficulty was overcome with the help of College of Arts ", Jewish Community Orphan asked for. These memoirs refer to widely age ; Adolf Reichenheim Endowment for an differing periods and environments. They instruction from a Christian teacher, and so describe, either autobiographically or through the exceptionally gifted pupil very quickly (Continued on page 2, column 1) the pens of persons directly related, the lives managed to master both written and spoken and endeavours of well-known and unknown German, KauUa's later career amply fulfilled people, and within the framework of personal all expectations. In partnership with his recollection they reflect the rise or decline sister he established a wholesale firm dealing The Association of Jewish Refugees in ot famihes and undertakings. This personal in jewels and jewellery, and very rapidly Great Britain felationship between the writer and his sub acquired a first-class reputation in the highest herewith invites members to its ject makes these memoirs particularly attrac quarters ; he started supplying various mem tive, for the intimate private knowledge of bers ot the nobility and eventually, because of life-stories lends such accounts an authenticity his ability and integrity, was proposed as head GENERAL MEETING that is hardly attainable by scientific research. of the army commissariat. on Thursday, June 17, at 8 p.m. It is both fascinating and moving to trace Patriot and faithful subject, Kaulla also dis at Zion House, 57 Eton Ave., N.W.S the life of the Jews in Germany through the tinguished himself as a philanthropist, and ienerations as presented in these memoirs. despite his true attachment to Judaism made AGENDA Each one of them is witness to a particular no distinction of religion in the award of his kind of relationship between German and benevolence. Reports on AJR Activities German Jew, since differences either attracted The manuscript entitled " N. Reichenheim Treasurer's Report or repelled and common action opened up & Son, the History of a Firm and Family " is very promising perspectives. As every his not only enthraUing because it describes the Report on Restitution and Compen tory contains periods of light and shadow, so amazing rise of a family striving upwards from sation these memoirs contain many examples of very humble beginnings ; the actual achieve Election of Executive and Board happy relationships. For instance, there are ments of the Reichenheims are overshadowed descriptions in the collection of the really by the ethical inspiration of their lives and (The list of candidates submitted by the satisfying living conditions of Jewish families activities. Executive is published on page 15, with several children in rural areas, and of the further nominations should reach the undisturbed schooltime of these children, some Members of the Reichenheim family can AJR office by June 10.) already be found in the Anhalt district about of whom occupied important positions later No further notice will be given. on. In other records we learn of the success the year 1700, But the impressive rise of the house and firm of N, Reichenheim & Son Non-members are not entitled to vote, but ful careers of Jewish politicians or men of are welcome as guests at the meeting. learning, of social events and amicable rela only began in 1830. when a branch of the family settled in Berlin and established con Page 2 AJR INFORMATION June, 1965 "Memoirs of German Jews** DURCHFUEHRUNGS-V.O. ZUM (Continued from page 1) BUNDESRUECKERSTATTUNGS-GESETZ extension of the Jewish Community's old age institution in Berlin. Die lang erwartete Durchfuehrungs-Verord anzuwenden ist, sollten fuer beide Faelle Looking back at the development of nung zur Novelle des Bundesrueckerstattungs durch Rechtsverordnung bezeichnet werden. the German Jews in the post-assimilation gesetzes (l.D.V.-BRueG) ist nunmehr vom Dies ist durch die jetzt verabschiedete Rechts- period, which reached its zenith in the Bundesrat angenommen worden und wird veiordnung geschehen. 'twenties, we recall those agitated times when demnaechst im Bundesgesetzblatt veroeffent Ausserdem sollte fuer die bisher nicbt Jewish people eagerly tried to adopt and trans licht werden. Ihr Wortlaut steht bereits fest. angemeldeten und daher nur zum Haerteaus mit anything attainable in the way of spiritual Zum Verstaendnis wird auf die im Septem gleich anmeldbaren Ansprueche durch Rechts or cultural values. Various documents of this ber 1964 als Sonderbeilage zu " AJR Informa verordnung bestimmt werden, welche halcyon period of German Jewry are to be tion " veroeffentlichte Darstellung der BRueG- Behoerde fuer die Entgegennahme der found in the L.B,I,'s memoir collection, Novelle verwiesen und zwar auf deren Antraege und zur Entscheidung ueber den writings that on the one hand reflect that Abschnitt III (S. 4-6). Ferner wird auf die Haerteausgleich zustaendig ist. Auch dies ist climactic situation, and, on the other, the sad Bekanntmachung im Novemberheft 1964 S.2 durch die jetzt verabschiedete Rechtsverord confirmation of the fact that German Jews (Novelle zum BRueG) verwiesen und zwar auf nung geschehen. Dieser letzte Punkt sei hier invariably swaddled themselves in illusions.