Volume XXIII No. 4 April, 1968 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN fiobert Wehsch Elly Heuss were present. They were waiting for an attack on Stolper's house that evening which, however, did not occur then (it took place three nights later). All were very pessi­ DATES TO REMEMBER mistic but did not know what to do. Miss Wiskemann was not in Berlin on the When the first great blow fell on German Jews a strong sense of destiny and of soli­ 1st of April and she does not mention that Jewry just 35 years ago, only very few people darity, but they also made possible an orderly spectacular date at all. She went back to realised that this was an event of universal emigration of a large part of the Jewish London on March 26 and was deeply dis­ importance which opened the floodgate to population. appointed when she noticed the apathy and destruction and chaos in the whole of Europe, This was by no means an easy job. It is incredulity of the public. Even such men ^^i indeed in the whole world. unnecessary to point out that emigration from as Sir Herbert Samuel and Colonel Wedgwood The 1st of April, 1933, remains inscribed a country where one had thought to be secure are said to have been unresponsive to her 5s a black day in the Jewish Calendar. Those is a shattering event, not only economically warnings. In London, she felt, " it was quite Who remember it know well that on that day and socially but also psychologically. Our extraordinary to be living a normal life again 5 whole world collapsed for the German Jews own experience of the sufierings connected and equally impossible to persuade this *no had been brought up for more than a with emigration and of being a refugee makes normal society to believe in the abnormalities hundred years in the trust of a progressing us all particularly sympathetic to similar cases of Nazi Germany". Some of us know how civilisation whose legal and constitutional which, alas, have become frequent in this intensely the brilliant correspondent of The toundations were unshakeable. Moreover, the disturbed world. In 1933 emigration was a Times, Norman Ebbut, tried at that time to Patriotism of the German Jews and their very difficult decision for most German Jews. convey to English readers an idea of what was helief of having been integrated into full Elderly people who had no relations abroad going on. But his articles were censored by "tizenship and inalienable participation in were scared of stepping into darkness. Where- his own editor, his messages were not taken 'Cultural and economic life received a bitter ever they went they would be dependent on at face value, and ultimately he was sacked. ^hock. in many cases tantamount to utter charity and forced to adapt themselves to That was in line with the appeasement policy ^espair. Psychologically, the sudden destruc­ completely unknown conditions. But it was of the 'thirties, in which the editor of The tion of the whole fabric of one's concepts is not only on this side of the fence that the Times played such a prominent role. an almost unbearable blow, though we know process seemed by no means simple. The today that much worse things were to come. question was also where to go. Since those British Jewry's Efforts anxious days 35 years ago we have had suffi­ Turning Point in Jewish History According to the British Cabinet papers, cient opportunity to leam and to understand now made accessible following the new thirty The 1st of April was a turning point in that nations are not, as a rule, prepared to years' rule, the question of Jewish refugees Jewish history, as well as the beginning of a accept masses of immigrants or refugees. from Germany was raised at a meeting of the lew barbaric age for mankind. But at the Times have changed since nineteenth-century Cabinet on April 5, 1933, i.e., only a few days ^ttie this was by no means clear to everybody. America welcomed the persecuted to its shores, after Boycott Day, but the special occurrences Even we Jews ourselves, though, of course, as inscribed on the Statue of Liberty; the of that day are not mentioned in the minutes. faced more directly than others with an new continent was then desperately in need Sir John Gilmour, the Home Secretary, Unbelievable affront, were not aware of the of workers for its expanding industries. In informed the Government that because of the ™11 implications. the 'thirties of the twentieth century, when persecution in Germany " there was an The majority of the German Jews lived up all countries were hit by a grave economic increase in the number of Jews entering this to the disastrous situation with courage and crisis and by large-scale unemployment, they country under the Aliens' Act". In two days, dignity; they were convinced—as later so were reluctant to open their gates, even to he said, there were about 100 admittances, many other erroneously were—that " the human beings fleeing from hell. Above all, most of them professional people on a tempor­ World " would not for long tolerate such things they did not realise what was really going on ary visit, but also some entries of Jews who going on in the heart of Europe. In any case, in Germany and what was still in store. were completely destitute. The Jewish com­ nobody at that time thought of wholesale munity had submitted a scheme for providing annihilation. The prevailing feeling was one of Germany 1933 money and work for these people. These the imminence of a—possibly extended— For those who lived through these three representatives (of British Jews) assumed that Period of discrimination and even persecution formidable decades it is sometimes in hind­ the number of arrivals might be as high as which would eventually lead to some kind of sight difficult to understand how little the real 3.000-4,000. new relationship and status. It was assumed extent of the catastrophe was diagnosed at The Cabinet appointed a committee which that a temporary form of existence could be the time. We are reminded of it by a new reported on April 12. They pointed to the attained for the Jews while they would find book by Elizabeth Wiskemann,* one of the danger implied either in adopting a policy of comfort in a strengthened loyalty to Jewish­ few British journalists who made an efiort to new restrictions or in relieving the existing ness. With this aim in mind, and relying on gather information on the spot in Germany restrictions (as the Jewish community the prospect of restoring Jewish peoplehood and to open the eyes of her countrymen. She demanded). It was decided to leave the regu­ in Palestine, some of us then tried to boost was in Berlin in March. 1933. when the famous lations unchanged but to order the refugees to Jewish morale. It was comparatively easy, last general election took place on March 5, register with the police. On this occasion even in this state of collective and individual and she describes a visit at the office of an the Home Secretary told the Cabinet that niiserv-. to evoke a feeling of moral superiority unnamed " Jewish Anwalt" who took the risk oyer the vulgarity of the cruel and almost " proposals were made to the Cabinet that of submitting evidence to a group of British it would be in the public interest to try to ridiculous oppressors. This was important journalists about the beating and torturing because it helped many people maintain their secure for this country prominent Jews that was going on in Columbia House. The who were expelled from Germany and who pride and strengthen their will to survive. lawver, she savs. was never heard of again. had achieved distinction in pure science, Today we understand that it was a short-lived In the same week she had a ghostly dinner or applied science such as medicine or illusion. Nevertheless, the five years which with the " Austrian Jew", Gustav Stolper, technical industries, music and art. This Were allowed to the German Jews before the where among others, the Jewish musician, would not only obtain for this country the regime with all its organisational efficiency Emst Toch, and his wife and Theodor and advantage of their knowledge and experi­ and omnipotence was consolidated, were not ence, but it would also create a very • EUzabeth WisVemann : The Europe I Saw. in vain. Not only did they give the German CoUins, London, 1968. 255 pp. 30s. Continued on page 2, column 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION April, 196^ DATES TO REMEMBER SOZIALVERSICHERUNGS­ RENTE Continued from page 1 of November 9. It is difficult today to recall Anrechnung auf beamtenrechtliche favourable impression in the world, the gloom which fell over the whole of Europe Versorgungsbezuege especially if our hospitality would be after the Anschluss, when all small nations Wie bereits fmeher bemerkt, rechnet das offered with some warmth. While fully east of Austria began to realise that they were Bundesverwaltungsamt in Koeln auf die y^ ' realising the importance of not permitting potential victims of Hitler's onslaught and sorgungsbezuege juedischer Gemeindebedieo' this country to be swamped with foreign practically helpless. No wonder they sought steter auch den Anteil von deutschen Sozia • refugees who before long would either salvation by jumping on to the band-wagon. versicherungsrenten an, der auf die Ersatz­ become a burden on the community or Anybody who had the opportunity of visiting zeiten nationalsozialistischer Verfolgung en- replace other workers who then would those countries after March, 1938, found the faellt, ein Standpunkt, den ich nach wie vor become a burden, the Cabinet was anxious Jews there in a state of utter perplexity and fuer falsch halte.