^imx^i;vm ^i^^S!^mms=BES^iKmsiss^(^^^^^^>-^it^msm^ Information Volume L No. 3 March 1995 £3 (to non-members) Don't miss... Out to Launch p.5 Thoughts on the war's most sombre ar)r)iversary Purim Perplexities pi 4 Red-Letter Day The Nadir of History p.l6 he commemorations of the 50th Yeltsin duly praised them - but, following Soviet Lethal anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz precedent, he omitted the very mention of Jews. xenophobia T had a twofold significance. Above all they Which brings us to another world leader who brought - probably for the last time - the unspeak­ could not bring himself to mention the word Jew. ohann able sufferings so-called human beings inflicted on The German and Polish bishops' disavowal of Strauss is one members of the same species to the attention of the antisemitism, one notes with dismay, proceeded of those composers - like world. Secondly, the commemorations showed the alongside Vatican moves to canonise the Pacelli JChopin or Verdi - degree to which the various nations and institutions Pope, Pius XII. Saint Eugenio Pacelli would make who represent their implicated had over the last 50 years purged them­ strange company, indeed, for Saint Maximilian nation. Not that selves of guilt for their sins of commission or Kolbe who volunteered to die in place of another Strauss represented omission. concentration camp inmate. the Austrians in The following facts are established beyond perad­ Let all those who would defend the silent Pope's every respect; they venture: Auschwitz represented the absolute nadir wartime record on grounds of 'averting a greater would hardly have of human history. At Birkenau SS personnel, driven evil' recall what happened in 194.3 when Cardinal concurred with the by the bloodlust of Stone Age man, applied indus­ Galen of Miinster spoke out and denounced Nazi pro-Gypsy senti­ ments suffusing Der trial methods to mass extermination. Such a 'mercy' killing from the pulpit. Some of the monks Zigeunerbaron. wedding of technical efficiency to mindboggling who distributed leaflets with his sermon were They still don't. black evil has no historic counterpart - not in the caught and executed, while the high-profile prelate Last month four Armenian massacres, nor in Stalin's deportations, remained at liberty - but, most importantly, the eu­ gypsies were killed or even Pol Pot's atrocities. It is absolutely sui thanasia programme stopped. Which indicates that in the Burgenland, generis as is the ideology that instigated Auschwitz. even in the Third Reich (popularly supported) resist­ scene of No document comparable to the 1942 Wannsee ance was conceivable. Its almost total absence from simultaneous lethal Protocol decreeing the destruction of an entire peo­ the German - and the wider non-Jewish - reac­ attacks on Croat ple has so far been - or ever will be - found in the tion to the Holocaust contributed to the nadir of refugees. Sultan's Palace at Istanbul, in the Moscow history.n The climate in Kremlin, or in Phnom Penh. which such The guilt for Auschwitz has been endlessly de­ Neo-Nazi terror ^m" AJR SELF AID bated. This is not the place for replicating this burgeons was with the WIENER LrBRARY debate. Rather let us analyse the readiness with created by present a incomplete postwar which the implicated nations and institutions have BENEFIT CONCERT de-Nazification, confronted their guilt. introducing the which in turn As for the Germans, the government and the SCHIDLOF QUARTET stemmed from the Churches, municipalities, newspapers, etc., alike, Ofer Falk & Rafael Todes — violins wrongful Allied have been - justifiably - concerned to purge them­ Graham Oppenheimer — viola designation of selves. The Catholic bishops, in particular, used the Oleg Kogan - cello Austria as 'Hitler's with Emanuel Hurwitz, viola Auschwitz anniversary to issue their most explicit first victim.' on SUNDAY I4TH MAY 1995 at 3pm condemnation yet of Christian antisemitism. Polish It is far too late atthe QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL now to repair these bishops spoke out similarly, though their statement Programme; mistakes; one can chimes in awkwardly with President Walesa's reluc­ Schubert Quartettsatz in C minor only hope that F"U tance to acknowledge the very fact of Jewish Mozart String Quintet in C major K515 membership will suffering at Auschwitz. (Oswiecim in Polish popular Beethoven Quartet in £ Flat Op. 74 wean the Austrians mythology was a torture chamber for their patriots Tickets are priced at £9, £12, £15 and £18 away from their Please send cheque, payable to - not a charnel house for Jews). AJR Self Aid, and SAE to: backwoods So much for the evildoers and the - more or less The Concert Secretary, mentality. impassive - bystanders. What about the Russian lib­ AJR I Hampstead Gate, la Frognal London NW3 6AL, Enquiries 0171-431 6161 Richard Grunberger erators? In his commemorative message President -:gaMMWBWBE''g^H» AJR INFORMATION MARCH 1995 Preconditions for peace Profile he question whether the Israeli- Palestinian Peace Accord had Margot Williams Tproduced a change in their atti­ I tudes to each other was debated at an orn in Berlin "in the year Institute of Jewish Affairs symposium. dot," as she put it, Margot grew up Jewish Chronicle editor Ned Temko, a in a pleasant suburb, an only child, former Middle E.ast correspondent, B but with many friends. Her father was a thought no ideological change had oc­ neurologist and the family's social circle curred and that the notion that 'things appeared exclusively to consist of doctors. will never be the same' was a premature At the early age of eleven, she, too, de­ illusion. Dr. Ghada Karmi, a Palestinian cided to pursue a medical career. She at the School of Oriental and African enrolled at the university as a medical stu­ Studies, noted an immediate, though su­ dent, but the threatening political perficial, change in attitude by Israeli situation brought her studies to an abrupt Jews. The Palestinians' initial welcome to end. Her interest in medicine was, how­ the agreements reflected satisfaction at ever, undiminished and she began her their progress on the road to statehood; training as a nurse at Breslau's Jewish disappointment and frustration would, hospital. however, lead to anger and resistance. Tragically, aged only 54, her father died Dr. E^phraim Karsh, Director of Medi­ and the political situation worsened, for­ terranean Studies at King's College, cing Margot to leave for England without London, thought the agreements had her mother who was too ill to travel. Margot Williams "made a major difference". Israel was Soon after war was declared and she was now recognised by several Arab countries, interned with other 'enemy aliens'. including Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. A During her years of service Margot Margot acted as a camp nurse, and after "break through" which included the first formed many valuable friendships. Her release, returned to London to stay in a step towards Palestinian nationhood had husband died in 1976 and, she says, "If I nurses' hostel. It was at this time that she been achieved and patience was essential wouldn't have had my work with the met and became engaged to Maurice for further progress. Saida Nusseibeh, co­ AJR, I would have broken down." Williams, a philatelist and journalist. ordinator of Jewish-Arab Dialogue in Margot retired officially in 1985, but They married in Dunstan Road Syna­ Europe (JADE), saw a significant accept­ continued with her work for the homes. gogue in 1944 and had a daughter the ance of change among the Palestinians She remains a very active member of following year. who were now ready to listen, but much Osmond House House Committee where work remained to be done. She envisaged A busy social life centred around not she visits at least once a week. Still a the development of a Benelux type of eco­ only philately, but also her husband's driver, she makes a point of visiting all nomic association between Israel, Jordan other two loves, cricket and football. residents who have to spend time in hos­ and a Palestinian state. Dr. Karsh could, When her daughter reached the age of six, pital. As if that wasn't enough, Margot is however, foresee limits to economic co­ Margot returned to nursing training, also a volunteer worker at the Royal Free operation; he felt the Palestinian diaspora qualifying as an SRN. Hospital, turning her hand from serving ought to be harnessing itself to the devel­ In 1950, with the opening of Otto in the hospital shop, running a tea trolley opment of a state. Pressed on the Schiff House in Netherhall Gardens, and, more lately, manning the enquiry apparent contradiction between Israel's Hampstead (later converted to sheltered desk. Active in B'nai B'rith and Belsize attitude towards Jewish as opposed to flats), Margot was appointed to take Square Synagogue among other pastimes, Arab immigration to Israel, Dr. Karsh ar­ charge of the admissions. It was essential one wonders how she copes when many gued that if and when the Palestinians to speak German; dealing with displaced - much younger are happy to put their feet had a state, they too could enact their and often disturbed - people required con­ up in front of the television. own right of return. sideration and humane understanding for A bright, intelligent and smart lady, DRac. their needs. Working from the AJR of­ Margot follows the early careers of her fices, as the other homes were established two adoring grandsons with a wry sense HILARY'S AGENCY and added to her portfolio, for 31 years of humour. She remains totally involved Specialists in Long and Short-Term Margot was the Admissions Officer, inter­ in the welfare of the residents in Osmond LivG-in and Daily Care RESPITE AND EMERGENCY CARE viewing people in London and other parts House, several of whom she has be­ CARE FOR THE ELDERLY of the country to assess their suitability.