Rescuing the Children by Deborah Hodge

Author:Deborah Hodge [Hodge, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-77049-366-7
Publisher: Tundra
Published: 2012-10-09T04:00:00+00:00

Sailing with the children from the orphanage were about 190 other Jewish refugees. Many more had tried to escape on the ship, but time had run out before they could board.

After five days at sea and terribly stormy weather, the SS Bodegraven docked in Liverpool, England, on May 19, 1940. They were the last Jewish children to be rescued by the Kindertransport.

Hans and Oscar Levy, safe in England. (photo credit 14.1)

The SS Bodegraven. (photo credit 14.2)

LIFE IN BRITAIN

The Kinder began to adjust to their lives in the safety of Britain.

Young children stayed with foster families and many grew close to them. The older children usually went to hostels or boarding schools, and some made lifelong friends with other Kinder they met there.

Although the children were no longer in danger, the adjustment wasn’t easy. They felt homesick and worried about their loved ones back home. Some children only spoke a little English and had trouble understanding what people said to them. The weather was colder than they were used to, the customs were different, and the food was unfamiliar. Some Kinder were teased at school for their German accents, and – because of their names – people often confused them with Nazis.

While many children were warmly welcomed by their foster families, others, sadly, were ignored or even treated harshly. Some were put to work as maids, nannies, or workers at farms and factories. Others were pressured into converting to Christianity.

Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. In doing so, he broke an international treaty, and the leaders of Britain and France declared war. There was now even more reason for the children to be worried about their families back home.

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