Volume XXVIII No. 3 March, 1973 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOaAnON OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN CREAT BRITAIN question of the future of the AJR as such. Would the organisation be required for only LOOKING AHEAD a limited period, or would it be necessary to embark on a long-term policy? Whilst thc AJR Board Meetini' process of integration should not be slowed down, experience had shown tihat it would take more time than a limited number of 2e at If^'^^^'s Board Meeting, held on January ordinary homes who !had become senile dn the years. Some may think that even thc children Wit), *h ""^h Karminski House, not only dealt course of time presented a special problem of refugees who were born in this country Ajjj r** widespread present activities of the for which, so far, no adequate solution has (age group 25-35) are still in a special position !*olic'v ^^ raised thc questions of long-term been foumd. because their home background differs from ing I ^'^^ of the second generation. The meet- The two welfare workers of the AJR in that of their environment. Others may take of ^J^l opened by Mr. A. S. Dresel (Chairman charge of the homes (Mrs. M. Williams and the view that, as the book by Karen Gershon !ile^? ^JR) who first paid tribute to the Board Mrs. R. Seidman) were constantly faced with reaffirmed, those who came here as children Paw ^'^ who had passed away during the complicated problems, especially if there was (age group now about 45) are still within the Df ^<^.ar:^Mr. Z. M. Reid, Dr. Fanny Spitzer, a need for urgent admission of an applicant fold, especially if their emigration also up­ He J^'^ Gould and Mr. Ludwig Loewenthal. who was to be discharged from hospital and rooted them from itheir families. In any case, Who )f° *^lcomed the new Boaird Members could not return to his home, but for whom however, it could not be denied that people ^tinal,'^ctiei^i ^^^^'^een elected at the la/teslatest Annual no immediate vacancy was available. In tlie who were 20 years old when they came over Lehma Meeting: Dr. F. Gumpert, Dr. Rita course of tiheir work both welfare workers in 1938 (age group now about 55) have re­ ^'epn *' ^s- M. Mautner and Miss Renate had established contacts with the hospitals, mained aware of the impact of their origin. 'he ATW'"^ conveyed the congratulations of the authorities and other organisations. These age classifications showed that, wherever "le r^J-^ Dr. F. H. Kroch on the award of Turning to A.JR Information the speaker one draws the line, the AJR will have to em­ In • first paid tribute to the memory of PEM, a bark on la long-term policy. (Gene^? 2^°cral report Dr. W. Rosenstock good friend of many in our midst and a fine As far as the tasks were concerned, the • "^e.E Secretary) stated that the flatlet craftsman in his profession; his death was an care for the aged would certainly keep the "1 exiat ^^"""^ Rathbone House, had now been irreplaceable loss because nobody else would AJR active for a very lomg time to come. ^^cre J;^"*^6 for three years; special thanks be able to continue his "Old Acquaintances" Beyond this, however, people who consider "littee ^^^^^ the members of the House Com- colunm. As the AJR comprised members of themselves as members of a community which Jld lii'pJ^- R- Anderman, Mrs. M. Mautner all shades of Jewish opinion the contents of went through the same fate would retain the 'Joijig ^- E. Trent, who regularly visiited the the paper were usually concentrated on articles desire to stand togetlior. In the course of the I'Oside^p'J looked after the welfare of the and news, wlhereas views on controversial 31 years of existence the AJR had always 111 ^itich'i ^"***^r R3.ilet home, Norman Court matters could be expressed in the name of the been faced with new tasks, and this would I Ajp ^^' ^^'^^ indirectly connected with AJR only in exceptional cases. certainly have to be expected in the future. f- A. T ^^^ to the preparatory work of Mr. In the field of Restitution and Compensation ""= AT^!""^'Z (Deputy General Secretary of a new problem had arisen in connection with Organisational Strength frea..^^) and the members of a specially the recognition of the German Democratic As far as the organisational strength was 7ciet. Rousing society (Eventide Housing Republic by Western countries and its forth­ concerned, the AJR was in a very fortunate ^^ EY ^'^ under the Chairmanship of the coming admission to the United Nations. Thc position. It had a membership of about 4,000 r 'he t ^"^ive Member, Mr. 0. E. Franklyn; situation was at present being explored by thc and thc paper was published in 4,500 copies. "^ei- ? ,^ of 53 flats, 21 were occupied by AJR and the Council of Jews from Gennany The decrease in membership, mainly by Tur^.^efugccs, in conjunction with the other major organisa­ death, could be made up by new enrolments. ''5«aker f ^^ '^he residential homes, the tions concerned. Thc fact that at this stage many people decided "'the ^"^st paid tribute to the splendid work As an integral part of Anglo-Jewry the AJR to associate themselves with the AJR testified il foiin!i '^^^rnmittec members in Manchester had also appealed to its members to contribute thc standing the organisation liad achieved c Gern! Morris Feinmann Home before to thc Royal Silver Wedding Forest in Israel. among the former refugees. ^•^le a^?,'^ funds from heirless property bc- The fact that the Royal Family had expressed Due ito their devotion and the experienced '"liver^^^'^Jc; on the occasion of the 25th its bonds with Israel by accepting thc offer gathered through many years of service, a 5utnjj^iy celebration of the Home last of the Forest was an additional reason for small number of staff members had been able •s^i^an » ^"^R '^^^s represented by its Vice- helping to make the scheme a success. to cope with a great volume of work. At the ^etary'^^- ^' ^^- ^'^^^- ^^^ ^^ General Change of Name? same time the AJR could enlist from its ranks the co-operation of a great number of active h Lotifi^^ '^^ four ordinary residential homes The speaker also reported that the Executive voluntary workers. gouse R^ (Otto Schiff House, Leo Baeck would like to know the views of the Board In view of the importance of the activities, j'OUse') ^^"irich Stahl House and Otto Hirsch about the advisability of a clianoe of name of the organisational strength and the manpower R^ stfy .^''c concerned, a decisive change in the AJR. The following arguments would have available there was reason to look to the future i^L^^rs ^^ ^"^^ developed in the course of to be weighed against each other: Some felt with confidence. the term "Refugee" had become a misnomer 5v""le, r ^jj, "^cause new residents were already In her report about the AJR Employment li'aEp ? ^*- 'he time of their admission. The 26 years after oiu- naturalisation; others said Agency, Mrs. M. Oasson pointed out that it had li'^W!®^ ^^^s now 85. that nevertheless the term had retained its been possible to place applicants and to fill C(V V required mormo e care and atten- meaning because it indicated our origin. Some vaoancies where other agencies would not be fd*^^ tran'^f'"^^ ^'^ given in the ordinary homes said that comparatively younger people might able to help. The offers and demands included ^ the ?5c^'"'"'^^ to 0.-;mond House, thc home be reluctant to join an organisation of "Refu­ part-time jobs, also temporary ones. Enquiries h•w, . ajiinainn,, '"".""• Thihe cost for Osmond House gees"; against this others stated that those came from both households and from business a^">lr lly bh'^^e d to £36 peoerr resiresidend t per week, who considered the work as vital would join firms. Most of the applicants were women. b^'^^nyn d ?^^^^scti^'^^^se nursing staff was required the organisation whatever dts name was, and Tuming to tlie work of the Social Services an Id th ^ <^lock. As this was considerably that those who did not want to join would Department, Mrs. Casson reported that it Stp "'^uaf '^^'^fis of most residents, there was always find reasons. There was also the diffi­ covered all kinds of enquiries; some of them l>hv^?^(l th ^^^^^^ of £35,000. The speaker culty of finding another appropriate name, recently arose from the new rent rebate laii ''^Uv • ^^'"ond House was meant for especially as the initials "AJR" had become scheme. Thc enquirers were either given SenV"'''''" residents, but not for men- a household word. ^e persons. Those residents in the Yet, more important than the name was the Continued on page 2, column 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION March, 1973 LOOKING AHEAD NEUES AUS DER OESTERREICHISCHEN Continued from page 1 SOZIALVERSICHERUNG ^dvice or directed to the quarters concemed. Endc Januar ist die 29. Novelle zum Oester­ neugefasster Paragraph 229, Abs. 1, Z.4) die There was also a number of calls connected reichischen Allgemeinen Sozialversicherungs- im Betrieb ihrer Eltern, (jrosseltern, Wahl- *ith financial difficulties; these cases were Gesetz erschienen. Wir werden iiber diese und Stiefeltern tatig gewesenen Personen so lealt with in co-operation with Self Aid. Quite Novelle in nachster Zeit ausfiihrlich berichten, behandelt werden, als ob fUr sie schon seiner­ a few regular visitors came for psychological wollen aber schon jetzt unsere Leser auf zwei zeit (also vor Einfiihrung der jetzt geltenden reasons, to discuss their personal problems.