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Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport
The companion to the Academy Award(r) winning feature documentary from Warner Bros.
For nine months before the outbreak of World War II, Britain conducted an extraordinary rescue mission. It opened its doors to over 10,000 endangered children-90 per cent of them Jewish-from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. These children were taken into foster homes and hostels in Britain, expecting eventually to be reunited with their parents. Most of the children never saw their families again.
Into the Arms of Strangers recounts the remarkable story of this rescue operation, known as the Kindertransport. It contains stories in their own words from the child survivors, rescuers, parents, and foster parents. The stories are heartbreaking, but they are also inspiring. These are the stories of those who survived with the help of others; they are stories about the strength and resolve of children; and most astonishing, these are stories not yet heard about the Holocaust.
For nine months before the outbreak of World War II, Britain conducted an extraordinary rescue mission. It opened its doors to over 10,000 endangered children-90 per cent of them Jewish-from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. These children were taken into foster homes and hostels in Britain, expecting eventually to be reunited with their parents. Most of the children never saw their families again.
Into the Arms of Strangers recounts the remarkable story of this rescue operation, known as the Kindertransport. It contains stories in their own words from the child survivors, rescuers, parents, and foster parents. The stories are heartbreaking, but they are also inspiring. These are the stories of those who survived with the help of others; they are stories about the strength and resolve of children; and most astonishing, these are stories not yet heard about the Holocaust.
292 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
January 27, 2020
This is the transcript of a documentary that was made twenty years ago now, which I haven’t seen, but it can easily stand on its own as a highly readable and moving tribute to those involved in the Kindertransport.
It consists of the testimonies of 12 children, a couple of surviving parents and foster parents, and of the organizers Nicholas Winton and Norbert Wollheim.
And in an afterword which apparently wasn’t in the film, Deborah Oppenheimer has a tribute to her mother, another of the kinder; and whose lifetime inability to share her history led Deborah to connect with those of the Kindertransport who knew her mother and ultimately, to the documentary.
The book is divided into several time periods from before Kristallnacht (titled When the bough breaks) until the year these conversations were recorded (Living with the Past).
Initially, without the visual clues of a film, I found the testimonies hard to follow because of the continual switching between different voices. But at the end of the book are short biographies, with page numbering for each phase of their stories, so at a second reading I found I was as immersed in their lives as if I had known them personally. And because I was able to leaf back to earlier times, I think it was in many ways even more moving and effective than viewing a documentary.
One recurrent theme that made a deep impression on me was the weight of responsibility they felt (some were just 10 years old) to rescue their parents - although, remarkably, a few did succeed.
I don’t know what else to say about these first-person recollections, (which have clearly been edited in a very sensitive way), except that I was left with an overpowering sadness, but also humility for their resourcefulness and survival spirit.
*******
The original date on this review - 2015 - is when Nicholas Winton died at the age of 106. I hadn't even known about him until then.
It consists of the testimonies of 12 children, a couple of surviving parents and foster parents, and of the organizers Nicholas Winton and Norbert Wollheim.
And in an afterword which apparently wasn’t in the film, Deborah Oppenheimer has a tribute to her mother, another of the kinder; and whose lifetime inability to share her history led Deborah to connect with those of the Kindertransport who knew her mother and ultimately, to the documentary.
The book is divided into several time periods from before Kristallnacht (titled When the bough breaks) until the year these conversations were recorded (Living with the Past).
Initially, without the visual clues of a film, I found the testimonies hard to follow because of the continual switching between different voices. But at the end of the book are short biographies, with page numbering for each phase of their stories, so at a second reading I found I was as immersed in their lives as if I had known them personally. And because I was able to leaf back to earlier times, I think it was in many ways even more moving and effective than viewing a documentary.
One recurrent theme that made a deep impression on me was the weight of responsibility they felt (some were just 10 years old) to rescue their parents - although, remarkably, a few did succeed.
I don’t know what else to say about these first-person recollections, (which have clearly been edited in a very sensitive way), except that I was left with an overpowering sadness, but also humility for their resourcefulness and survival spirit.
*******
The original date on this review - 2015 - is when Nicholas Winton died at the age of 106. I hadn't even known about him until then.
September 14, 2022
BOOK REVIEW:
This book gives the actual text from documentary interviews, as well as further details that didn't fit into the documentary (such as correspondence between Lorraine Allard and her parents prior to the onset of the war). Additional details of Lory Cahn's story are also presented (Lory was literally pulled from the kindertransport by her crippled father who couldn't let her go, she went on to survive spinal meningitis and numerous concentration camps). But the most precious addition is Deborah Oppenheimer's moving tribute to her mother, a Kindertransport survivor. Oppenheimer's mother was never able to speak of her past in life, and Oppenheimer's quest to know her after her death lead to extensive research which ultimately birthed the "Into the Arms of Strangers" project. Her story is moving.
The content of this work is worthy of five stars. Hearing the stories in the individuals own words is incredibly powerful. Watching the documentary, I could 'hear' the voices and 'see' the faces, even on sections that weren't included in the documentary. The two together are a powerful combination for study of children's responses to trauma, adoption trauma, the difficulty of the unknown, the propensity some have to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of others (British who took children in as maids/ potential marriage partners for their children/ etc.), fears of war (internment of older children considered possible threats), and the Kindertransport itself. A rich and poignant work on so many levels.
The drawbacks of this work are in presentation only. Stories are told by chronological topic, as opposed to by individual. Particularly for those who have not seen the documentary, the switching from one account to another to another is challenging. If using for home school, this method creates an excellent opportunity for diagramming the individual stories. In the event the presentation becomes too problematic, readers may want to refer to the excellent index in the back and read individual stories from beginning to end.
Also, names, locations are given when the individual is first introduced with the few pictures available scattered throughout the book (though connected to individual stories). Maiden names for the women are not used (so two sisters, or parents and female children have different names). Some of these challenges could be mitigated by consistent presentation throughout the book (such as names w/ maiden name in parenthesis or choosing a single picture to represent each kinder and including that with the name info at the heading of their section.)
Do not let these minor presentation concerns discourage you from reading this book and seeing the film. Highly recommended.
DVD REVIEW:
2000 Academy Award: Documentary Feature
Into the Arms of Strangers
This powerful documentary captures the tremendous sacrifices of the parents who placed their children on the Kindertransport, the shaping of the children who were sent away - most to never see their parents again, the benevolence of the English who took in foreign (mostly Jewish) children with whom they shared neither language nor culture nor religion, and the challenges of reunification for the few families that survived. It is a truthful work that also explores the imperfect to flawed decisions made by the English, while acknowledging the tremendous struggles this extreme situation produced in the lives of all involved. A poignant segment is also included about a girl whose parents placed her on the Kindertransport, but literally pulled her off the train at the last moment; she went on to endure 8 concentration camps, and though she survived, her experience vividly illustrates the horror from which the Kindertransport children were saved. I watched this film several times. I would suggest watching both the final film AND watching/ listening to the Deborah Oppenheimer & Mark Jonathon Harris commentary, which was exceptional (other commentaries are offered, but i didn't find them as compelling) I would like to own a copy of this film.
5 Stars
In 2018, the World Jewish Congress produced a video about Sir Nicholas Winton, who was involved in establishing the Kindertransport. You can watch the brief, under 2 mins clip, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB18d...
Orphan trains were run from New York City to the American Midwest from 1854-1930. I highly recommend...
Orphan Train Rider: One Boy’s True Story, Warren, 1996
Warren explores one boy’s story in context of the orphan train experience. Full review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This book gives the actual text from documentary interviews, as well as further details that didn't fit into the documentary (such as correspondence between Lorraine Allard and her parents prior to the onset of the war). Additional details of Lory Cahn's story are also presented (Lory was literally pulled from the kindertransport by her crippled father who couldn't let her go, she went on to survive spinal meningitis and numerous concentration camps). But the most precious addition is Deborah Oppenheimer's moving tribute to her mother, a Kindertransport survivor. Oppenheimer's mother was never able to speak of her past in life, and Oppenheimer's quest to know her after her death lead to extensive research which ultimately birthed the "Into the Arms of Strangers" project. Her story is moving.
The content of this work is worthy of five stars. Hearing the stories in the individuals own words is incredibly powerful. Watching the documentary, I could 'hear' the voices and 'see' the faces, even on sections that weren't included in the documentary. The two together are a powerful combination for study of children's responses to trauma, adoption trauma, the difficulty of the unknown, the propensity some have to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of others (British who took children in as maids/ potential marriage partners for their children/ etc.), fears of war (internment of older children considered possible threats), and the Kindertransport itself. A rich and poignant work on so many levels.
The drawbacks of this work are in presentation only. Stories are told by chronological topic, as opposed to by individual. Particularly for those who have not seen the documentary, the switching from one account to another to another is challenging. If using for home school, this method creates an excellent opportunity for diagramming the individual stories. In the event the presentation becomes too problematic, readers may want to refer to the excellent index in the back and read individual stories from beginning to end.
Also, names, locations are given when the individual is first introduced with the few pictures available scattered throughout the book (though connected to individual stories). Maiden names for the women are not used (so two sisters, or parents and female children have different names). Some of these challenges could be mitigated by consistent presentation throughout the book (such as names w/ maiden name in parenthesis or choosing a single picture to represent each kinder and including that with the name info at the heading of their section.)
Do not let these minor presentation concerns discourage you from reading this book and seeing the film. Highly recommended.
DVD REVIEW:
2000 Academy Award: Documentary Feature
Into the Arms of Strangers
This powerful documentary captures the tremendous sacrifices of the parents who placed their children on the Kindertransport, the shaping of the children who were sent away - most to never see their parents again, the benevolence of the English who took in foreign (mostly Jewish) children with whom they shared neither language nor culture nor religion, and the challenges of reunification for the few families that survived. It is a truthful work that also explores the imperfect to flawed decisions made by the English, while acknowledging the tremendous struggles this extreme situation produced in the lives of all involved. A poignant segment is also included about a girl whose parents placed her on the Kindertransport, but literally pulled her off the train at the last moment; she went on to endure 8 concentration camps, and though she survived, her experience vividly illustrates the horror from which the Kindertransport children were saved. I watched this film several times. I would suggest watching both the final film AND watching/ listening to the Deborah Oppenheimer & Mark Jonathon Harris commentary, which was exceptional (other commentaries are offered, but i didn't find them as compelling) I would like to own a copy of this film.
5 Stars
In 2018, the World Jewish Congress produced a video about Sir Nicholas Winton, who was involved in establishing the Kindertransport. You can watch the brief, under 2 mins clip, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB18d...
Orphan trains were run from New York City to the American Midwest from 1854-1930. I highly recommend...
Orphan Train Rider: One Boy’s True Story, Warren, 1996
Warren explores one boy’s story in context of the orphan train experience. Full review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 11, 2016
Bravery or abandonment? The children of the "kindertransport" debated this issue their entire lives. What amazes me is how courageous and resilient children really are as proven by the narratives in this book.
October 24, 2012
I've got an interest in Holocaust stories and read everything I come across about this period. I'd say that it's because my husband is Jewish, but I was interested even before I met him. Perhaps "interested" is the wrong word. "Compelled to know" might be better. Like so many other people, I try (and fail) to understand how such atrocities could have occurred while the rest of the world stood idly by for so long.
This book tells a story that in all my reading, I've never come across before. It's the story of the Kindertransport, a means put in place in 1938 or so for getting children out of the Nazi-threatened countries to safe haven in England. Parents would register for this and these registrations would be communicated to authorities in England and in turn broadcast to England's citizens, in the hopes of finding foster parents. It is quite remarkable and wonderful that so many of the British were happy to take in an unknown and unmet child (and sometimes more than one) from another country for an unknown period of time. Some 10,000 Jewish children were saved from almost certain death, thanks to this program. This book tells their stories in their words, and also in some cases the words of their surviving (and not-surviving) parents.
The courage involved in this endeavor is amazing. Parents were willing to send their children, some of them as young as 7 or 8, to strangers in England, and at a time when they didn't know yet just how bad things were going to get. Both parents and children universally lived in the hope of a reunion one day - a reunion which in many cases never came. Once these children were settled in with their foster families, some happily and some not so happily, their real parents, out of sheer desperation, often exerted a lot of pressure on them through letters to find them sponsors and work in England as well. Imagine a child of 8 or 9 being entrusted with the responsibility of finding a home and job for their adult parents! Not only did it happen, but some of the children carried out the task successfully and their parents were able to join them in England, if not in the same household.
Most of these children acclimated to life in England very well, learning English and in some cases, forgetting their native tongue completely, which caused some confusion in the cases where the parents were later reunited with them. Most were in these foster homes, or a succession of foster homes, for 4-6 years, until the war ended in 1945. Some maintained relationships with their foster parents for the rest of their lives, considering themselves to have two sets of parents and two extended families. All were traumatized in one way or another from the separation, but it saved their lives. It's just a shame that other countries besides England didn't participate, as many more thousands of young lives could likewise have been saved.
The story is gripping and poignant, because it's true. Much of the correspondence between the parents and their children during the years before their countries were invaded is reprinted here. What really touched me was a farewell letter from a mother to her daughter, written just before she was sent to a concentration camp. She knew that she would never return and tried to convey all the love in her heart and encouragement that she could to her child. It was heartbreaking to read.
If you are interested in stories from this abominable period in our history, I'd highly recommend this book.
This book tells a story that in all my reading, I've never come across before. It's the story of the Kindertransport, a means put in place in 1938 or so for getting children out of the Nazi-threatened countries to safe haven in England. Parents would register for this and these registrations would be communicated to authorities in England and in turn broadcast to England's citizens, in the hopes of finding foster parents. It is quite remarkable and wonderful that so many of the British were happy to take in an unknown and unmet child (and sometimes more than one) from another country for an unknown period of time. Some 10,000 Jewish children were saved from almost certain death, thanks to this program. This book tells their stories in their words, and also in some cases the words of their surviving (and not-surviving) parents.
The courage involved in this endeavor is amazing. Parents were willing to send their children, some of them as young as 7 or 8, to strangers in England, and at a time when they didn't know yet just how bad things were going to get. Both parents and children universally lived in the hope of a reunion one day - a reunion which in many cases never came. Once these children were settled in with their foster families, some happily and some not so happily, their real parents, out of sheer desperation, often exerted a lot of pressure on them through letters to find them sponsors and work in England as well. Imagine a child of 8 or 9 being entrusted with the responsibility of finding a home and job for their adult parents! Not only did it happen, but some of the children carried out the task successfully and their parents were able to join them in England, if not in the same household.
Most of these children acclimated to life in England very well, learning English and in some cases, forgetting their native tongue completely, which caused some confusion in the cases where the parents were later reunited with them. Most were in these foster homes, or a succession of foster homes, for 4-6 years, until the war ended in 1945. Some maintained relationships with their foster parents for the rest of their lives, considering themselves to have two sets of parents and two extended families. All were traumatized in one way or another from the separation, but it saved their lives. It's just a shame that other countries besides England didn't participate, as many more thousands of young lives could likewise have been saved.
The story is gripping and poignant, because it's true. Much of the correspondence between the parents and their children during the years before their countries were invaded is reprinted here. What really touched me was a farewell letter from a mother to her daughter, written just before she was sent to a concentration camp. She knew that she would never return and tried to convey all the love in her heart and encouragement that she could to her child. It was heartbreaking to read.
If you are interested in stories from this abominable period in our history, I'd highly recommend this book.
January 25, 2024
I truly loved reading the stories of those who traveled by kindertransport to escape Nazi persecution. As I read, I imagined the Viennese accents, the pauses and moments of reflection I experienced as I listened to my mother tell her story. This book helped me to appreciate my grandmother, who selflessly sent her own child to England. It helped me appreciate my mother's anxieties and fears, as well as her determination to love every moment of life.
February 10, 2020
Stressful, intense, outstanding read. As the chapters continued, I found myself not-so-subconsciously pulling for each and every one of these children, and their parents. As the book neared its end, I wanted so much to know that each of them found peace in their lives after the war. One of the most encouraging parts of the read was knowing that simply seeing their name on the page meant that they had lived for some time afterward. It was a joy to read that most had married, and enjoyed children and grandchildren, saw new generations come along - that their families were not blotted out.
Tears were shed, of course. The descriptions of home life, the ideals many of these children had been taught, and their parents' encouragement and insistence that the children be good, help out, conduct themselves with honor in their new reality in England gave a beautiful perspective on the parents who forced themselves to put their children's futures above their desire to keep them close.
For those who might be frustrated by the jumping around from voice to voice in each chapter, there is an excellent index of brief bios on each of the voices in the book, with the reference pages for their recollections, so that the reader can easily track each child, parent or rescuer sequentially if preferred. Personally, I thought the organization of the book was stellar, and the photos inclusions were perfect. I returned repeatedly to look at the faces of the children as their lives unfolded on the page.
Tears were shed, of course. The descriptions of home life, the ideals many of these children had been taught, and their parents' encouragement and insistence that the children be good, help out, conduct themselves with honor in their new reality in England gave a beautiful perspective on the parents who forced themselves to put their children's futures above their desire to keep them close.
For those who might be frustrated by the jumping around from voice to voice in each chapter, there is an excellent index of brief bios on each of the voices in the book, with the reference pages for their recollections, so that the reader can easily track each child, parent or rescuer sequentially if preferred. Personally, I thought the organization of the book was stellar, and the photos inclusions were perfect. I returned repeatedly to look at the faces of the children as their lives unfolded on the page.
July 30, 2014
This book focuses on a different aspect of the holocaust, it tells us the stories of the Jewish children that managed to escape occupied Germany and live under the care of their British host families. It follows their stories, all of which unanimously begin before the start of the second world war, going back to when Hitler came to power in Jan 1933. They suffered enough that their parents decided to send them away to Britain, away from the eventual suffering and death in the hands of the Nazis. These families felt such intense pain of separation at the time of parting from their children that it is almost impossible for many of us to even begin to understand what they went through. The children themselves have shown remarkable courage and capacity to adapt to their surroundings despite the many setbacks they faced in their young lives on earth.
Personally, it reminds me of how important it is to share the burden of the world we live in. All children regardless of age, race, caste and religion, deserve the chance to live, be cared for, loved and nurtured.
Well documented book,I am going to watch the documentary as well.
Personally, it reminds me of how important it is to share the burden of the world we live in. All children regardless of age, race, caste and religion, deserve the chance to live, be cared for, loved and nurtured.
Well documented book,I am going to watch the documentary as well.
April 21, 2012
I started this book in order to just pull a few passages out for an essay I was writing, and I wound up reading it from cover to cover. It was absolutely heart-wrenching.
The book follows ten or so individuals through different stages of their lives before, during, and after World War II. All of them were to become part of the kindertransport that saved 10,000 children from Hitler's regime, what they experienced through the ordeal, the weights placed on their shoulders because of it, and the after effects of their ordeal psychologically.
The book follows ten or so individuals through different stages of their lives before, during, and after World War II. All of them were to become part of the kindertransport that saved 10,000 children from Hitler's regime, what they experienced through the ordeal, the weights placed on their shoulders because of it, and the after effects of their ordeal psychologically.
April 14, 2014
This book was amazing. I really enjoy it. I think that if people want to understand how hard times were & how selfless some people were they' read this book. I think it would be great being paired with "Island of Hope, Island of Tears". The drive to survive & the human spirit.
I think this should be required reading for young people today. Make them see just how selfish they are when they whine & fuss about not getting the newest smartphone or iPad. I honestly think that if some young people could see the hardship many went through, they might have an appreciation of their own life.
I think this should be required reading for young people today. Make them see just how selfish they are when they whine & fuss about not getting the newest smartphone or iPad. I honestly think that if some young people could see the hardship many went through, they might have an appreciation of their own life.
January 7, 2023
"Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport" is a book based on the 2000 Academy Award winning documentary of the same name by Mark Jonathan Harris and Deborah Oppenheimer. Written in chronological order from the beginnings of Jewish persecution in Germany, Austria, Poland, and Czechoslovakia; through Kristallnacht; into the beginnings of the transports of children out of the affected territories and into England; lives of the children in England and the fates of their folks back home; and then somewhat into the future lives of the children.
The stories from the children were, of course, as different as the children, yet very much the same. Only a couple of children had both parents eventually escape persecution. Some of them lost scores of family members to the Holocaust.
I was personally rather struck by how some of the children seemed ungrateful to the English families who took them in. There was a very small remuneration to these families for caring for the Jewish children, but not really enough to see them fed and clothed properly. it doesn't see to occur to many of the children that England was also at war w/ Hitler, and that the English families themselves were terrified, cold, and hungry. Some of the children were treated as members of the English family; others were not. One girl was horrified to find out that she was expected to act as a maid in the household; and yet another girl chose to stay in a potentially-abusive situation even though she was old enough to leave b/c she was afraid that her little sister wouldn't be able to fend off the attentions of the master of the house. Many of the children were simply housed in unoccupied summer camps w/ little food and less heating. Pretty much all the children grew up feeling detached emotionally, never discussing their childhoods.
Ms. Oppenheimer has an epilogue in the book regarding her grandmother's story. She - and her mother! - never realized that the grandmother had lived in England during the war, arriving their on the Kindertransport -- hence her involvement in telling these stories.
I feel that this whole "greatest" generation just wanted to get on w/ life after the horrific disruption, dislocation, and death associated w/ WWII. Who can blame them? Read these stories (or watch the documentary) and see why.
The stories from the children were, of course, as different as the children, yet very much the same. Only a couple of children had both parents eventually escape persecution. Some of them lost scores of family members to the Holocaust.
I was personally rather struck by how some of the children seemed ungrateful to the English families who took them in. There was a very small remuneration to these families for caring for the Jewish children, but not really enough to see them fed and clothed properly. it doesn't see to occur to many of the children that England was also at war w/ Hitler, and that the English families themselves were terrified, cold, and hungry. Some of the children were treated as members of the English family; others were not. One girl was horrified to find out that she was expected to act as a maid in the household; and yet another girl chose to stay in a potentially-abusive situation even though she was old enough to leave b/c she was afraid that her little sister wouldn't be able to fend off the attentions of the master of the house. Many of the children were simply housed in unoccupied summer camps w/ little food and less heating. Pretty much all the children grew up feeling detached emotionally, never discussing their childhoods.
Ms. Oppenheimer has an epilogue in the book regarding her grandmother's story. She - and her mother! - never realized that the grandmother had lived in England during the war, arriving their on the Kindertransport -- hence her involvement in telling these stories.
I feel that this whole "greatest" generation just wanted to get on w/ life after the horrific disruption, dislocation, and death associated w/ WWII. Who can blame them? Read these stories (or watch the documentary) and see why.
September 26, 2010
In January of 1933 Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers party came to power. The repercussions of this had far-reaching consequences that reverberate today.
Representing only 1% of the population, approximately 600,000 Jews lived in Germany. Unlike the majority of Germany’s population who lived in rural areas, the Jewish population was highly concentrated in the cities of Germany. ¾ of the Jewish population were employed and were high contributors to society. They were three times more productive than the general population.
Why then, they wondered, were they chosen as brutal targets of a man they perceived would not last long in a government role. German people were, after all, perceived as highly intelligent and surely, the craziness would be temporary. As the inhumanity escalated, why then, they wondered, did the world turn away from stopping this insanity.
On November 9th, 1938, the Nazi’s let it be known, in no uncertain terms, that to be Jewish in Germany meant persecution and a systematic purposeful dissolving of their culture and their existence.
When, on that evening, broken glass was smashed, when, on that evening, 1,000 synagogues were burnt and 7,500 Jewish business’ were destroyed, and when, on that evening 30,000 men were taken away to concentration camps, there was little doubt that Hitler had power and meant business.
Horrified at the brutality, England alone decided that something must be done to save the children. Sadly, the United States turned their backs, thus in effect they were responsible for the death of the innocents.
Quickly, a major, remarkable event occurred. Within a nine month period, the people of England opened their hearts and homes to 10,000 Jewish children. This book is the story, told by some of those children who were transported away from their parents and Into The Arms of Strangers.
Sadly, tragically, of the 10,000 children, a mere 1,000 were re-united with their families. Heartbreakingly displaced, so many of the children never saw their parents again. Throughout the years when no word arrived, all worried and all feared the fate of their family.
At the age of 14, Lorraine Allard arrived in England. Later, she learned both her parents were killed in Auschwitz.
Lory Cahn’s father arranged Kindertransport for her, but at the very last minute could not bear to let her go. As a result, when liberated, she weighed a mere 58 pounds after spending years barely surviving in one concentration camp after another.
Hedy Epstein was fourteen when transported to London. Returning to German after the war, she learned that both parents were murdered at Auschwitz.
Ursula Rosenfeld’s father was taken on the evening of Kristallnach and murdered at Buchenwald.
As she received word that she was to be a refugee in England, ten year old Lore Segal was given directions to find help for her parents and family. At this tender age, the burden was placed on her shoulders to get her parents safely out of Austria. Remarkably, she was successful and her parents were given domestic jobs in Liverpool.
Kurt Fuchel was one of the very lucky children who had the stability of a loving English family with whom he lived for nine years and the great fortune of having parents who survived. However, reunited with his biological parents when he was sixteen initially proved problematic. His life, and theirs, had changed dramatically.
I highly recommend this book and the academy award-winning documentary of The Kindertransport.
Representing only 1% of the population, approximately 600,000 Jews lived in Germany. Unlike the majority of Germany’s population who lived in rural areas, the Jewish population was highly concentrated in the cities of Germany. ¾ of the Jewish population were employed and were high contributors to society. They were three times more productive than the general population.
Why then, they wondered, were they chosen as brutal targets of a man they perceived would not last long in a government role. German people were, after all, perceived as highly intelligent and surely, the craziness would be temporary. As the inhumanity escalated, why then, they wondered, did the world turn away from stopping this insanity.
On November 9th, 1938, the Nazi’s let it be known, in no uncertain terms, that to be Jewish in Germany meant persecution and a systematic purposeful dissolving of their culture and their existence.
When, on that evening, broken glass was smashed, when, on that evening, 1,000 synagogues were burnt and 7,500 Jewish business’ were destroyed, and when, on that evening 30,000 men were taken away to concentration camps, there was little doubt that Hitler had power and meant business.
Horrified at the brutality, England alone decided that something must be done to save the children. Sadly, the United States turned their backs, thus in effect they were responsible for the death of the innocents.
Quickly, a major, remarkable event occurred. Within a nine month period, the people of England opened their hearts and homes to 10,000 Jewish children. This book is the story, told by some of those children who were transported away from their parents and Into The Arms of Strangers.
Sadly, tragically, of the 10,000 children, a mere 1,000 were re-united with their families. Heartbreakingly displaced, so many of the children never saw their parents again. Throughout the years when no word arrived, all worried and all feared the fate of their family.
At the age of 14, Lorraine Allard arrived in England. Later, she learned both her parents were killed in Auschwitz.
Lory Cahn’s father arranged Kindertransport for her, but at the very last minute could not bear to let her go. As a result, when liberated, she weighed a mere 58 pounds after spending years barely surviving in one concentration camp after another.
Hedy Epstein was fourteen when transported to London. Returning to German after the war, she learned that both parents were murdered at Auschwitz.
Ursula Rosenfeld’s father was taken on the evening of Kristallnach and murdered at Buchenwald.
As she received word that she was to be a refugee in England, ten year old Lore Segal was given directions to find help for her parents and family. At this tender age, the burden was placed on her shoulders to get her parents safely out of Austria. Remarkably, she was successful and her parents were given domestic jobs in Liverpool.
Kurt Fuchel was one of the very lucky children who had the stability of a loving English family with whom he lived for nine years and the great fortune of having parents who survived. However, reunited with his biological parents when he was sixteen initially proved problematic. His life, and theirs, had changed dramatically.
I highly recommend this book and the academy award-winning documentary of The Kindertransport.
November 25, 2010
Beach Vacation Read #4: Scrounged from the sad pair of little wicker baskets filled with books that served as the beach house library. Pretty book, though.
One and half stars? The content is legitimately interesting, but I couldn't stand the format of the narrative structure. The book is made up from the stories of dozens of individuals, which are told in epistle form by round-robin rotating fashion. I would have been far happier reading this as a collection of short memoirs with each chapter telling the story of one individual.
Beach Vacation Reading List (November 2010)
#1 | Shutter Island
#2 | Someplace to Be Flying
#3 | Bones
#4 | Into the Arms of Strangers
#5 | Little Heathens
#6 | Bridge of Birds
#7 | But I Trusted You
#8 | Married by Morning
#9 | The Hunger Games
#10 | All My Patients are Under the Bed
One and half stars? The content is legitimately interesting, but I couldn't stand the format of the narrative structure. The book is made up from the stories of dozens of individuals, which are told in epistle form by round-robin rotating fashion. I would have been far happier reading this as a collection of short memoirs with each chapter telling the story of one individual.
Beach Vacation Reading List (November 2010)
#1 | Shutter Island
#2 | Someplace to Be Flying
#3 | Bones
#4 | Into the Arms of Strangers
#5 | Little Heathens
#6 | Bridge of Birds
#7 | But I Trusted You
#8 | Married by Morning
#9 | The Hunger Games
#10 | All My Patients are Under the Bed
March 10, 2012
Fascinating, heart-wrenching and unimaginable. Survivors of the Kindertransport have told their stories here - from pre-war to wartime Germany and reflections from 1999. Jewish families in Germany @ 1939 who as a last resort to save their children, put them on trains to England (who was the only country taking them in!). Some were toddlers, some were 16. Some found good, warm, charitable and loving families, some were taken in as 'maids' or 'servants' or sent to various foster families. Their lives were saved, some reunited with one or both parents after the war, many lost all of their families. To try and imagine putting your child on a train not knowing exactly where they were going or who they would live with, or how they would be except for the occasional letter received until even that was forced to stop, and not knowing if you would ever see them again is unimaginable to me. Some last saw their child when they were 11 and now they were 17 or 18 years old. Some children had tremendous survivor guilt - trying to get their parents out of Germany with the help of the British to sponsor them and then that falling through. What England did was astounding and as an American, what the US didn't do is beyond comprehension. I'd like to think they truly didn't know what was happening in Europe at the time. A must read.
June 22, 2022
From 1938 to 1939 over 10,000 children from Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia were saved by being sent (by their parents) to England, the United States, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand. The majority went to England and lived with families who volunteered to take them and give them shelter and an education. The children ranged from toddlers to seventeen year olds. The stories of a handful of the children and those who organized the Kindertransport are told by the now-elderly participants. The reader is immediately struck by the love of the parents for their children and their willingness to sacrifice everything for them. In addition, the reader is will be stunned by the courage of the children who faced enormous challenges as they tried to adjust to being in a strange land with a different language and with no family support. The children's lives were changed forever, but most of them adjusted and went on to live rewarding lives. Unfortunately, the vast majority of parents and extended families perished in the extermination camps. Even though I've read a great deal of history on Nazi Germany, I couldn't help but be horror-struck once again by the incomprehensible evil of the Nazi regime.
July 14, 2017
I very much enjoyed this book, although the subject made it difficult to read at times.
The main way it was different from other books is that everything is written from a first person standpoint of those that experienced the kindertransport. The introduction contained some background information on the times in Nazi Germany but the chapters were completely the memories and thoughts of the survivors.
It was amazing how different the children were that arrived in England. They came from a wide social and geographical area, from varying home situations. And they all had different experiences in their foster homes. The chapters are arranged in chronological order with all the survivors sharing a few paragraphs about their home life, deciding to join the kindertransports, life in England, etc. It was hard at times to remember and follow each child's story from chapter to chapter. They were not in the same order in every chapter so there were a few times I had to look back and remind myself about their stories.
Especially given the refugee situations going on now, the stories and observations are reminders that this issue and need is far from over.
The main way it was different from other books is that everything is written from a first person standpoint of those that experienced the kindertransport. The introduction contained some background information on the times in Nazi Germany but the chapters were completely the memories and thoughts of the survivors.
It was amazing how different the children were that arrived in England. They came from a wide social and geographical area, from varying home situations. And they all had different experiences in their foster homes. The chapters are arranged in chronological order with all the survivors sharing a few paragraphs about their home life, deciding to join the kindertransports, life in England, etc. It was hard at times to remember and follow each child's story from chapter to chapter. They were not in the same order in every chapter so there were a few times I had to look back and remind myself about their stories.
Especially given the refugee situations going on now, the stories and observations are reminders that this issue and need is far from over.
December 30, 2008
"I knew I could not save the world. I knew I could not stop the war from starting. But I knew I could save one human life."
Between 1938 and 1939 thousands of children from Germany, Poland, Austria and Czechoslovakia were sent to Great Britain. This is the story of different survivors' experience on the kindertransport. The perspective of parents and rescuers are also included.
One of the most haunting accounts is of a girl whose father put her on the train and then as it was leaving, pulled her out of the window. In the end, he couldn't bear to let her go. This decision, which any parent could identify with, almost cost the girl her life. She did survive, but she was sent to a concentration camp and at the end of the war was near death and weighed only 60 pounds.
These are moving and troubling stories. To give up a child, to be given up, is traumatic. The homes the children went to were not always safe havens. But, the choices made helped these children survive.
Between 1938 and 1939 thousands of children from Germany, Poland, Austria and Czechoslovakia were sent to Great Britain. This is the story of different survivors' experience on the kindertransport. The perspective of parents and rescuers are also included.
One of the most haunting accounts is of a girl whose father put her on the train and then as it was leaving, pulled her out of the window. In the end, he couldn't bear to let her go. This decision, which any parent could identify with, almost cost the girl her life. She did survive, but she was sent to a concentration camp and at the end of the war was near death and weighed only 60 pounds.
These are moving and troubling stories. To give up a child, to be given up, is traumatic. The homes the children went to were not always safe havens. But, the choices made helped these children survive.
January 28, 2016
I have always been interested in the Holocaust - as obviously morbid as that is. Stories of survival fascinate me and this book introduced me to a set of survivors that I'd never even heard of. I first read a review of the documentary before I found out there was a companion book.
Their stories were all compelling and I found the concept of the Kindertransport fascinating. That so many people would sacrifice so much to save as many children as they could is truly inspiring. It was disappointing when their saviors turned out to be all too human. Nevertheless, I appricated the honesty of those telling their stories and found the book a highly interesting read. The only problem was - since the book seperated each person's story into groups of experiences, I had a really hard time keeping people straight. An amazing book though, and an excellent portrait of a truly herculean effort.
Their stories were all compelling and I found the concept of the Kindertransport fascinating. That so many people would sacrifice so much to save as many children as they could is truly inspiring. It was disappointing when their saviors turned out to be all too human. Nevertheless, I appricated the honesty of those telling their stories and found the book a highly interesting read. The only problem was - since the book seperated each person's story into groups of experiences, I had a really hard time keeping people straight. An amazing book though, and an excellent portrait of a truly herculean effort.
September 25, 2017
These children are better humans than I. I could never forgive what was done to them by the Germans. Thank you for writing this book. I can't believe there are still human beings that believe the Holocaust never happened. A couple of powerful quotes for me...
"Survival is an accident. You cannot ask a soldier who comes out of battle, "Why were your comrades, left and right, killed, and you survived?" You have no explanation for that. It's and accident."
Alexander Gordon - "Why all these coincidences? I've come to the conclusion: I was meant to survive, not because of myself, but so that we Jews would survive and I would bring up another generation and they would live. And I look at my children, and my grandchildren, and I know there was a purpose to my life." Exactly! Take that Hitler!
"Survival is an accident. You cannot ask a soldier who comes out of battle, "Why were your comrades, left and right, killed, and you survived?" You have no explanation for that. It's and accident."
Alexander Gordon - "Why all these coincidences? I've come to the conclusion: I was meant to survive, not because of myself, but so that we Jews would survive and I would bring up another generation and they would live. And I look at my children, and my grandchildren, and I know there was a purpose to my life." Exactly! Take that Hitler!
June 19, 2008
You can't help but feel a great deal for these people. The book is based on a documentary, the format does not go well for a book. The way the book was organized drove me crazy. Having read that in reviews before reading the book, I decided to read it in my own order by reading about each indexed witness, skipping pages (the index begins on 277). Even then, the stories were very fragmented. I wanted to know more about the individual characters.
As with any book having to do with the Holocaust, it is very hard to understand the absolutely evil, demented atrocities that our Jewish brothers and sisters suffered. It is heartbreaking to think of a separation from your children... which was for many a lifelong separation (until the next life...).
As with any book having to do with the Holocaust, it is very hard to understand the absolutely evil, demented atrocities that our Jewish brothers and sisters suffered. It is heartbreaking to think of a separation from your children... which was for many a lifelong separation (until the next life...).
September 5, 2010
Eye-opening and very sad. Sad first to see that most countries simply weren't interested in helping the Jews before it was too late (that includes the USA) and then to see families who decided that in order to save their children they needed to send them away. What these people dealt with is beyond comprehension for me.
This book is comprised primarily of first-person narratives of children who were sent from Nazi-occupied territory to England through England's Kindertransport program. Some amazing and varied stories; worth reading for anyone wanting to know more about the Holocaust and efforts made to save lives.
This book is comprised primarily of first-person narratives of children who were sent from Nazi-occupied territory to England through England's Kindertransport program. Some amazing and varied stories; worth reading for anyone wanting to know more about the Holocaust and efforts made to save lives.
December 7, 2013
Interesting read that chronicles the stories of several children, officiators and parents that were involved in the Kinder transport. It corrected my misunderstanding that the operation was undercover and was done in secrecy and great danger. There were limits, largely because of immigration laws going into other countries. Children were the easiest to get out of Germany and other invaded countries. The situations the children were placed in were not always pleasant or entirely safe. Few families were united after the war's end, and all were forever affected.
The biographies are all first hand, and in some cases are supplemented by letters between parents and their children.
The biographies are all first hand, and in some cases are supplemented by letters between parents and their children.
January 29, 2009
I feel bad that America didn't do more for these children. I also feel bad that since then we surely haven't done much for the children of other nations where they suffer similiar things. I had no idea there even was kindertransport until I read this amazing book. It's terribly sad to see that to stay alive they had to give up everything, including their religion. I had to ask myself, would it be worth it? I ultimately think it would, but what a sacrifice!
It was so heart breaking, I couldn't finish it.
It was so heart breaking, I couldn't finish it.
September 15, 2013
A compelling and factual book. I couldn't put it down once I started it. Such sad tales of human suffering. I kept hoping that the parents of these ' kinder' would survive but of course, most didn't. This is an aspect of the holocaust I didn't know much about. Information like this needs to be recorded for future generations. These ' kinder' did well to get through such traumatic times in their lives and make something of themselves. It was heart warming to read that they had established families of their own.
January 3, 2016
Stories from the Kindertransport from Germany to England, saved thousands of Jewish children from the camps in Germany. For most of the children, it was hard to leave their familes and go to an unknown place and people. Some of the children thought this trip as an adventure. In Germany many of the children were bullied in school. Their parents were without their jobs and businesses. A few parents were united with their children after the war . This transport happened in1938 and 1939. There were 10, 000 children saved. This was a very bleak time in history.
April 27, 2014
So many aspects of WWII that I know nothing about. Did you know that the British helped get nearly 10K Jewish children OUT of Germany before the war launched? This book, based on a documentary, tells the stories of the children, the parents they left behind, and the foster families they went to. Their experiences vary wildly, but they are all stories worth hearing. I imagine that the documentary presents the information in a more coherent fashion than the book can, and I hope to watch it soon.
January 23, 2016
Of all the reading I've done on the Holocaust, this book provided insight into a whole other perspective I never realized the full dimension of. As things were changing in Germany, many parents were sending their children to regions of safety until things settled down. It was a difficult choice for many parents to make. Around 10,000 children were rescued from death as a result of the Kindertransport, as it is known. This book tells the stories of a few of those children.
January 23, 2016
A poignant story where anti-semitism, isolation and cruelty is overcome by love, compassion and courage to help children caught in the throes of war. Eyewitness accounts by the parents, the rescuers, and the grown children themselves, describe the unbearable horrors and the lasting traumas that affect victims of war. Even the children who were at arm's length from the war suffered from the uncertainies, loneliness and guilt of survival.
September 14, 2016
The Kinder transport took children from countries where the Final solution was being carried out.These children were transported to Britian and although they did not all have a positive experience their lives were saved. This book tells some of their stories, in their own words and through correspondence with their parents who remained behind.some of them were able to find a sponsor for their parents and others lost entire families.
March 2, 2008
This non-ficton collection of stories from participants in the Kindertransport during the Holocaust provide insight into the history and experiences of both rescuers and survivors. The book is very informative but at times becomes a little confusing as it jumps back and forth between various particpants on various events and topics.
June 18, 2009
"This is testimony from children who witnessed what was happening to their own Jewish families long before the war; in 1933, children terrified at school, their annexation from society. Imagine leaving your family at nine years old to live with a stranger and not speaking the language of your new home. This is the British government plan of the Kindertransport, to save the children."
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