AJR mation Volume LII No. 5 May 1997 £3 (to non-members) Don't miss... Reflections on the General Election Life of light & shade Rjchard Grunberger All eyes on Westminster Spirit of delight y fortunate coincidence this issue 'hits the costly war for another four years. Eric Rees p3 streets' on the day of the General Election. Even in a facetious mood Clark comes across as a Annual Report BThis means that we can make certain tricky customer. He has named his two Rottweiler comments of a political nature without laying bitches after Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's favourite film p8 ourselves open to the charge of trying (in a miniscule director, and Hannah Reich, the intrepid woman pi­ way) to influence the election result. lot who flew Goering out of encircled Berlin. Let us start with a riposte to the one or two read­ Attaching the name of a person to a pet dog could ers who have criticised AJR Information for normally be seen as derogatory to the person, but it Unlimited exceeding its remit as the journal of a refugees' wel­ doesn't necessarily signify any belittling intent here bigotry fare organisation and meddling in politics. We because Alan Clark is known to esteem animals consider everything that affects the lives of our read­ above humans. s could be ers - which certainly includes the choice of In addition, he espouses totally amoral isolation­ inferred government - a legitimate topic for comment and ism in foreign affairs. When in Bosnia massacres from our debate. With most of us having been UK residents troubled consciences in the West, he persistently Aitem on the Crimes for close on sixty years we can surely divest our­ urged non-involvement on the grounds that no vital of the Wehrmacht selves of the refugee mentality (for all that the term British interests were at stake. exhibition in the remains enshrined in the Association's official Qa va sans dire that he's also strongly anti-Euro­ March issue, name). We are, or have been, involved in various as­ pean. However, the Editor doesn't want to reopen a sections of pects of British life to a degree that would make our barely sealed can of worms by linking anti- Bavaria's governing distancing from the political process a very lopsided Europeanism to xenophobia. And, apropos of Christian Social gesture. This doesn't give the journal the licence to xenophobia, let us, as we walk to our polling sta­ Union need to be peddle party-political nostrums, but it makes it al­ tions today, give profound thanks for one fact: for dragged kicking and most a civic duty to air the great issues of the day - all the sound and fury stirred up by the above men­ screaming into the such as Europe - in our columns. tioned political small fry, none of the heavy-weight democratic postwar Even if we must eschew party politics we need not contenders in the election battle bears any resem­ world. be mealy-mouthed about naming names of certain blance to Le Pen, Haider or General Lebed D Now the CSU's individuals who use the cachet of membership of Wolfgang Zeitlmann Parliament to affront our deepest sensibilities. One has called for limits such is Cyril Townsend, MP. He is proud to have ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be placed on been among the minority of the Commons who Jewish immigration voted against the War Crimes Bill. Not only that - will be held on from Russia. in Townsend's view the passage of the measure into SUNDAY 8th JUNE 1997 at 3pm Consider: present- law resulted from pressure exerted by an overly day Germany's powerful, and well-funded, American-Israeli lobby. AGENDA:- estimated 60,000 Similarly odious anti-Israel sentiments verging on Annual Report 1996 Hon.Treasurer's Report Jewish inhabitants the downright antisemitic have been expressed by Discussion amount to a tenth(!) Tony Marlowe (Con) and George Galloway (Lab). A Election of Committee of Management of thepre-1933 better known - and more ambiguous - figure is Guest speaker: Stephen Smith, Director of total. It reminds one the once-and-future MP Alan Clark, military histo­ of the Augsburg- rian, indiscreet diarist and former Minister. Clark Beth Shalom Holocaust Memorial Centre born poet Bertolt used his not inconsiderable celebrity status to propa­ "FORGOTTEN PLACES:THE HOLOCAUST Brecht's post-1945 gate a revisionist view of British history - i.e. that - ITS MEMORT AND ITS MEANING" warning "The bitch Churchill should have made peace with Hitler after All questions for the Chair should be submitted to the is still on heat" D the fall of France instead of dragging on a ruinously Direaor at: I a Frognal, London NW3 SAL by I June 1997 lai P AJR INFORMATION MAY /997 teered for the British Army. Profile Damned - not published Today he looks back on his five years in HM Forces - where he was speedily pro­ symposium on 'The Perils of A life of light and shade moted to the rank of sergeant in the Publishing' (Jewish Book Week) Pioneer Corps, and subsequently took A did little to raise the hopes of hough just turned ninety, Eric part in the Battle of Caen - as the happi­ putative authors in the audience. Frank Walters has astonishing powers of est time of his life. Cass of Valentine Mitchell said Jewish Trecall. He vividly remembers his publishing in the UK generally was factory-owner grandfather who headed uneconomic, in contrast to the situation the Jewish community of a small in France and the USA. There were, Moravian town. During the Great War however, some chinks of light: hitherto this grandfather found shelter for several concealed archives were being opened and hundred out of the many thousand yielding new material; also histories and Galician Jews fleeing the advance of the survivors' accounts of the Holocaust Russian army. were being bought by non-Jewish schools Already martially-inclined at nine, Eric and students. took charge of the children of the new­ Connie Webber, of the (non-commer­ comers and drilled them in marching and cial) Littman Library, said they only counter-marching along lines he had seen considered work of high scholastic stand­ soldiers of the local garrison perform. As ard for publication and asked authors to the grandson of the boys' benefactor he have a clear idea what they required from met with unquestioning obedience when a publisher, including whether or not they issuing orders like 'Habt acht! and valued a specifically 'Jewish' one. 'Kehrt Euch! - but his 'Kniet nieder Literary publisher Peter Halban recalled zum Gebetr (Kneel down to pray) that he had returned from living in Israel prompted instant mutiny in the side- in 1989 to establish his own company. In locked ranks. his opinion biography remained extremely The grandfather had also instituted a popular. cheder for these youngsters which Eric Chaim Bermant admitted that of the 30 loved to attend. However, when his par­ books he had written, only four had ents in Vienna heard about it they forbade proved 'best sellers'. He advised would- any further attendance (which Eric be authors not to let "good grammar get Walters regrets to this day). Not that the in the way of good writing". In the USA, parents were irreligious, but as members of a Reform congregation they had no he said, they did not all read, but they all Eric Walters, a self portrait. needed books! time for Orthodoxy. Prof. David Cesarani felt that academic Eric's father ran a factory producing Postwar he briefly returned to Vienna to works needed to be "well-written, read­ ribbons and cord. On matriculating Eric reclaim his murdered parents' factory able and interesting" so as to compete in went to a trade school prior to joining the and house. Repossession of the premises the market place. Fortunately, since the family firm. He recalls his father as a hard was relatively easy. However, reclaiming 1980s, a large general market for schol­ taskmaster, whom he gradually won over the looted machinery involved litigation arly works had emerged. The offer of by making inventions (such as an easy as well as exposure to blood-curdling in­ good advances with more aggressive mar­ method for inserting wicks into cigarette sults. (One profiteer from the keting was an example Jewish publishers lighters). The firm, and Eric's career aryanisation of Jewish property called should follow. within it, prospered till the Anschluss of him a Gaskammern Deserteur). March 1938. A month later a Gestapo D Ronald Channing Back in postwar Britain Eric started off man knocked at the door and told Eric to as a blouse salesman but soon switched come with him. When Eric asked what over to the manufacture of blouses and luggage he should take along the other skirts. He married a fellow refugee who, [til JACKMAN • joked 'Pack a toothbrush'. This was the however, suffered from ill-health and start of a journey to the inferno of could not help him in running the busi­ mff SILVERMAN Dachau concentration camp, whence he ness. His firm, nonetheless, expanded, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY CONSULTANTS was transferred to Buchenwald - an even and at its peak acted as supplier to both worse hell - in October. British Airways and the Girl Guides' As­ In March 1939 he arrived in the UK sociation. Today Eric is - astonishingly and obtained employment at a bakery in - still in harness, though the scale of the Manchester. He baked at night, slept firm's operations has somewhat dimin­ mornings and devoted his afternoons to ished. Social life - such as it is - writing down every detail of his incar­ revolves around B'nai Brith and the 26 Conduit Street, London WIR 9TA ceration in the camps.