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Coversheet for Thesis in Sussex Research Online A University of Sussex DPhil thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details German Rabbis in British Exile and their influence on Judaism in Britain Astrid Zajdband Doctor of Philosophy University of Sussex 2014 II Submitted to the Graduate School In fulfilment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of History December 2014 III Declaration I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be submitted in whole or in part to another University for the award of any other degree. Signature……………………………………………………………………. Astrid Zajdband IV University of Sussex Astrid Zajdband Doctor of Philosophy German Rabbis in British Exile and their Influence on Judaism in Britain Summary This thesis identifies the German rabbinate in British exile as a distinct refugee sub-group and traces its experiences from the onset of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s to those in Britain, ending in 1956 It argues that the rabbinate rose to unprecedented prominence under the Nazi regime as it was part of the communal leadership structure within German Jewry and maintained this role in the early years in exile. It was found that the end of the war and the vanishing of outside pressures impacted on the German rabbinate changing it into a different, modern, Anglo-Jewish institution, with German roots and influences. With the changed demands of the Anglo-Jewish population on their rabbis and the ageing German rabbis passing on, the heritage was transferred into Anglo-Jewish institutions such as newly founded synagogues and the Leo Baeck College. This had been facilitated through the rigorous training and the powerful experiences of the immigrant rabbis which gave the impact for religious expansion in Britain. Their influence turned the progressive but also the orthodox movement into a powerful force in the Anglo-Jewish landscape today. On a personal level the study uncovered that despite their prominence, the experiences of the German rabbinate in British exile unfolded along the same lines as that of the general refugee population fleeing Nazism. In their leadership capacity however most rabbis were able to reclaim their position in the midst of the refugees, the remnants of their former communities now in exile. With that they held responsibility and power. Their attempts of transplanting and maintaining the German Jewish heritage in Britain was a desperate and only marginally successful undertaking with only few traces still recognizable today. Their attempts had a dramatic influence on the course and future of Anglo-Jewry. ~ V Table of Contents German Rabbis in British Exile ....................................................................................................... I Declaration ................................................................................................................................ III Summary .................................................................................................................................. IV Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... V Figures, Tables and Graphs .................................................................................................... VII Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. X Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................... XI Dedication ............................................................................................................................... XIII Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................ 5 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 11 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................. 15 Ethnicity, Identity, Exile, and its Impact on Religion ............................................................. 15 Rabbinic Authority and Pastoral Care under Duress ............................................................ 19 Dissertation Structure ........................................................................................................... 22 Serving and Preaching until 1938 ................................................................................................ 23 The Modern Rabbinate ............................................................................................................. 25 Outside Pressure and Inner Strength ....................................................................................... 32 Shifting Rabbinic Duties ........................................................................................................... 39 Concentration Camp ................................................................................................................. 44 Release..................................................................................................................................... 52 Moral Dilemma ......................................................................................................................... 56 Leaving ..................................................................................................................................... 64 Leaving and Arriving 1938 - 1939 ................................................................................................ 72 Anglo-Jewry .............................................................................................................................. 74 Rescue Efforts .......................................................................................................................... 81 Unsuccessful Rescue Efforts.................................................................................................... 92 Arriving and Settling 1938 - 1945 ............................................................................................... 100 Support and Maintenance ...................................................................................................... 102 Employment and Assistance .................................................................................................. 104 Activities, Networks and Commemorative Work .................................................................... 109 VI Obstacles to settlement .......................................................................................................... 119 Kitchener Camp .................................................................................................................. 120 Internment ........................................................................................................................... 125 Australia, Canada or Release ............................................................................................. 132 The War Effort ..................................................................................................................... 136 New Beginnings on the Home Front ...................................................................................... 140 Expanding and Uniting ........................................................................................................... 145 Ending and Beginning 1945 - 1956 ............................................................................................ 157 Post-War Relief in Germany ................................................................................................... 159 Post-War Britain ..................................................................................................................... 166 Jewish Learning ...................................................................................................................... 167 Consolidation and Expansion ................................................................................................. 174 The Refugee Rabbinate ......................................................................................................... 180 Changes in the Pulpit ............................................................................................................. 183 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................. 189 Three Ketarim of Jewish Leadership ...................................................................................... 196 Communal Reaction to Disaster ............................................................................................
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