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50 Children: One Ordinary American Couple's Extraordinary Rescue Mission into the Heart of Nazi Germany

Page 27

by Steven Pressman

Kraus, Herman, 14–16

  Kraus, Leopold (grandfather), 14

  Kraus, Lillian (sister), 17

  Kraus, Milton, 14–16

  Kraus, Solomon (father), 14–16, 19–20, 218–19

  Kraus, Steven (son)

  after the rescue mission, 234

  birth of, 20

  Gil’s telephone discussion, 110

  during parents’ absence, 112

  recollections of rescue mission, 111

  waiting at the dock, 202–3

  Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)

  about, 9, 46–47

  media coverage of, 256

  synagogue damage/destruction, 123–24

  U.S. diplomatic protest against, 89

  Kuffler, Arthur, 169–171, 171n

  Kuffler, Edith, 170, 171, 171n

  Kuhn, Fritz, 69–70, 70n

  Kunstlerhaus (art exhibition hall), 174–75

  Labor Department. See U.S. Department of Labor

  Langberg, Irma, 226

  Lantos, Tom, 259

  Leipzigerstrasse, luxuries of, 140–41

  Leopoldstadt (Vienna), 29, 31–32, 43

  Levine, Louis

  after the rescue mission, 235

  as Brith Sholom grand master, 4, 231–32

  on children, 225, 229

  Gil’s request for funds for steamship tickets, 149

  Messersmith, meeting with, 57–58

  plan conception, 4–6

  project update, 144

  transition to U.S., 201

  LeWinter, Oswald, 196, 242

  Lifschutz, Bertha, 148, 242–43

  Lifschutz, Friedrich, 148, 194, 242–43

  Lifschutz, Morris, 148, 242–43

  Lindbergh kidnapping, 127

  Linhard, Bernhard, 126

  Linhard, Franzi, 126

  Linhard, Peter, 126, 243

  Linhard, Regina, 126, 243

  Linz, as Hitler’s birthplace, 117–18

  Long, Breckinridge, 131, 135–36

  Mahler, Gustav, as “degenerate” artist, 120

  Mariahilferstrasse thoroughfare as Jewish neighborhood, 37

  marriage, Schless-Neufeld, 196–97, 234–35

  May Day celebrations, 128

  media coverage

  inaccuracies in, 210

  Jewish publishing suspension, 48

  of Nazi brutality, 7

  See also specific newspapers

  medical care for children, 209

  Mercy Ship bill (1940), 232

  Messersmith, George

  after the rescue mission, 235–36

  contributions of, 254–55

  Geist’s cable to, 137

  Gil’s letters to, 53, 212

  on immigration policy, 62–63, 104–5

  introduction to Geist, 93

  meeting with, 57–61, 88–89

  Sacks’ introduction to, 218

  unofficial support, 63–64, 254–55

  Metropol Theater show, 141–42

  military alliance, Italy and Germany, 183

  Moore, R. Walton, 59

  Morgenthau, Henry, 55–56

  Morris, Leland, 103, 136, 137, 160

  Mother’s Day, 169

  Musikverein (Vienna Philharmonic hall), 174

  National Coordinating Committee, 222–23

  National-Socialist party, anti-Semitism and, 58–59

  Nazis

  banned art, 174

  brutality, media coverage of, 7, 8–9

  currency restrictions, 158, 165–66, 259

  elite, catering to, 132

  Final Solution, 43, 216, 232

  Hammond’s denunciation of, 133–34

  name requirements (Sara/Israel), 188

  parades and pageants, 140

  propaganda, 257

  swastika banners, 123

  Netherlands, passengers of the St. Louis, 211

  Neufeld, Hedy

  about, 106

  as childcare assistant, 166, 176–78, 182, 189

  at dinner, 121

  Eleanor’s introduction to, 120

  as escort, 128–29

  at farewell reception, 168–69

  farewells to, 192

  Friedmann’s dinner party role, 167

  interviewing children, 125–27

  as program assistant, 124, 145–46, 147

  Schless, marriage to, 196–97, 234–35

  sick child, notice of, 158–59

  on waving good-bye, 173, 176

  Neufeld, Lily, 106

  New Republic, on Nazi occupation, 38

  New York Harbor, arrival at, 199

  New York Journal-American, on rescued children, 229

  New York Times

  on anti-Jewish violence, 47

  on celebration of military alliance, 183

  on children’s arrival, 199

  on Hitler’s birthday celebrations, 113

  on Jewish publishing suspension, 48

  on Nazi brutality, 8–9

  on Paris war preparations, 115–16

  newspapers (Jewish), publishing suspension, 46

  Night (Wiesel), 259

  Night of Broken Glass. See Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)

  Night of the Long Knives, 132

  Nobel Peace Prize, 259

  nonpreference visas, 155, 159–160

  Non-Sectarian Committee for German Refugee Children, 161

  November pogrom. See Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)

  Nuremberg Laws, 38, 157

  Olympic Games (1936), 143–44

  Pact of Steel (Stahlpakt), 183

  paintings, Rothschilds,’ 150

  Palestine

  detention facilities for illegal entry, 229, 237

  discussion of, 170–71

  Friedmann’s interest in, 168

  Helga’s sister in, 51

  smuggling Jews into, 38, 167

  paradox of anti-Semitism, 61

  parents

  appreciation from, 168–69

  arrival notification, 211

  of children not chosen, 166

  during children’s interviews, 125–28

  decisions/plans conveyed to, 145–49

  Eleanor’s memories of, 178, 203

  farewell reception, 168

  fathers/mothers, differences in, 147

  immigration of, 231

  joy of children’s letters, 214–15

  money for children, 165–66

  selection anxiety, 126–27

  willingness to send children, 256

  wrenching decisions for, 127

  Paris, war anxiety, 115–16

  Pariser Platz, 140

  passports

  German, 150–53, 162

  U.S., 89, 92

  Peiser, Kurt, 79–80, 220

  Perkins, Frances, 60, 70

  Perle, Liz, 234, 239

  Philadelphia Evening Bulletin

  on Eleanor’s air raid monitoring, 233

  on Quaker rescue delegation, 6

  Philadelphia Inquirer

  on rescued children, 209–10

  on unruly Democratic convention, 14–15

  Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, on rescue mission, 220–21

  Philadelphia Jewish Sanatorium for Consumptives, 16–17

  Phillips, William, 58, 71

  physicians, practice prohibitions, 37

  Pickett, Clarence, 81, 161, 221, 224

  plan

  overview, 62–63

  conception of, 4–5

  history of, 5–6

  State Department, unofficial support, 63–64

  pogroms

  in Eastern Europe, 16

  in Galicia, 32

  Kristallnacht, 9, 46–47

  Polier, Justine, 71, 74

  population, Jewish. See specific city

  porcelain sculpture, 169

  preference visas, 155, 159–160

  preparations

  Brith Sholom emergency meeting, 75–76

  earlier attempts
, 76–79

  encouragement, 81–82

  professional jealousy, 79–80

  President Harding (ship), 144, 192, 193–94, 199–201

  Propaganda Ministry, Kristallnacht and, 47

  property, loss of, 45, 126, 167

  See also businesses; residences, loss of

  public assistance, deportation for, 72

  public charge requirement, 70–71

  public opinion polls, 68–70, 232

  Quaker rescue delegation. See American Friends Service Committee

  Queen Mary, 97–98, 113, 193

  quotas

  disparities, 53–55

  editorials on, 67–68

  German-Jewish Children’s Aid, snags, 78

  Holocaust and, 258

  public charge requirement, 70–71

  reduction of, proposals for, 72, 221–22

  unused, 224

  U.S., 37–38

  See also immigration laws

  Rattner, Esther, 243

  Rattner, Jakob, 243, 256

  Rattner, Klara

  after the rescue mission, 243

  in Collegeville setting, 208–9

  dangers in Vienna, parents’ recognition of, 127, 256

  Razovsky, Cecilia

  German-Jewish Children’s Aid and, 77–79

  opposition from, 160–61

  in response to editorial, 221

  on waiting period, 75

  Reichstag address, 118

  Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland (Union of Jews in Germany), 257

  relatives in U.S.

  greeting the ship, 202

  interviewing, 226

  placement with, 225, 227–28

  rescue mission success

  acclaim for, 217–221, 224

  criticism/scrutiny of, 221–24

  professional jealousy of, 79–80, 223–24

  Reynolds, Sen. Robert, 65–66, 72–73

  Ribbentrop, Joachim von, 132, 183–84, 185

  Richmond Times-Dispatch, on Wagner-Rogers bill, 67

  Righteous Among the Nations, 252–53

  Rogers, Rep. Edith, 66–67

  Roosevelt, Eleanor, 71, 74

  Roosevelt, Franklin

  appeal from passengers of the St. Louis, 210

  letter to Hitler, 118

  Mercy Ship bill, signing of, 232

  visa extensions for German Jews, 60n, 71

  Roper polling company, 68–69

  Rosenberg, Kurt, 244

  Rosenberg, Regina, 244

  Rosenberg, Simon, 244

  Roth, Bertha, 30

  Roth, Herbert, 216, 244

  Roth, Hermann, 30, 207, 215–16

  Roth, Kurt

  about, 30

  after the rescue mission, 244

  father’s letter, 207, 215

  on Kristallnacht, 51–52

  parental uncertainty, 127

  Rothschild, Albert, 40

  Rothschild palace, as Jewish emigration center, 40–41, 150–53

  Sachsenhausen concentration camp, 101n, 144

  Sacks, Leon

  about, 57

  after the rescue mission, 235

  at Brith Sholom annual convention, 217–18

  children of specific interest, 83

  in Collegeville setting, 214

  Messersmith commendation of, 212

  transition to U.S., 201

  Sacks, Myra, 214

  Saint Gellert Hotel, 158

  Sara as Nazi-required name, 188

  Sarah (Eleanor’s sister), 112

  Schless, Robert

  at dinner, 121

  family members at dock, 203

  at farewell reception, 168–69

  free first-class ticket for, 166

  humor of, 156

  interviewing children, 125–27

  lifestyle, 97–98

  Neufeld, marriage to, 196–97, 234–35

  as replacement for Eleanor, 91–92

  Sacks’ praise for, 218

  as Uncle Bob/Herr Doktor, 191

  Schubert, Franz, 25

  Schuschnigg, Kurt, 35–36, 120

  Seligsohn, Julius

  assistance from, 144, 149, 181–82

  exit effectiveness of, 101–2

  fate of, 101n

  Senate Joint Resolution 64. See Wagner-Rogers bill

  sightseeing

  Berlin, 140–41

  Budapest, 157–58

  Paris, 115–16

  Simpson, Wallis, 120–21

  Sobibor extermination camp, 248, 253

  Southampton, England, stopover at, 194–95

  Spiegler, Ella, 226, 245

  Spies, Robert, 245

  St. Louis (ship), 210–11

  Stadttempel (City Synagogue), 123–24, 148

  staffing in Collegeville setting, 213–14

  Stahl, Heinrich, 181–82, 182n

  Stahlpakt (Pact of Steel), 183

  State Department. See U.S. Department of State

  Statue of Liberty, 54, 200, 201, 209

  Stein, Lilly, 134n

  Steinberger, Heinrich, 158–59, 248, 253

  Steinberger, Hilda, 159

  Steinberger, Josef, 159

  Steinbrecher, Kurt, 245–46

  Stokowski, Leopold, 21

  storm trooper presence

  in the dining room, 122

  at Gestapo headquarters, 182

  at Hitler’s birthday celebrations, 182

  omnipresence, 116

  at train stations, 118, 119, 175, 182

  suicides, 37, 104, 126

  Sunday comics, English lessons and, 214

  synagogues

  destruction of, 31, 45, 47, 144

  Stadttempel, damage to, 123–24, 148

  Tamar, Erika, 246

  Tamar, Heinz, 246

  Tamar, Julius, 246

  Tamar, Pauline, 246

  Tepper, Erwin

  about, 29–30

  after the rescue mission, 246–47

  father’s visit, 194

  on Kristallnacht, 45, 48

  on new foods, 213

  on Sunday comics, 214

  Tepper, Juda

  about, 29–30

  during Kristallnacht, 48

  reunion with son, 194, 246–47

  Tepper, Schifra, 29–30

  Theresienstadt ghetto-concentration camp, 168n, 182n

  train travel

  to Berlin, 100, 139, 175, 176–79

  to Budapest, 156

  to Hamburg, 190–91

  to Vienna, 102, 116, 144, 158

  Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, investigation of, 66

  unaccompanied German children, admission of

  Great Britain, 67, 232, 258

  U.S., 258

  unemployment, immigration and, 68, 70, 72

  Union of Jews in Germany (Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland), 257

  United Palestine Appeal campaign, 17

  United States Lines ship company, surly staff, 191

  Unter den Linden avenue

  blockade of, 182–83

  luxuries of, 140

  U.S. customs inspections, 201, 203

  U.S. Department of Labor

  affidavit requirements, 223

  cable confirming approval of affidavits, 149

  child immigrant regulations, 9, 87–88

  German-Jewish Children’s Aid, quota snags, 78

  meeting with, 10

  Perkins as Labor Secretary, 60, 70

  Razovsky’s agreement with, 78

  U.S. Department of State

  appeal from passengers of the St. Louis, 210–11

  bureaucratic obstacles, 55–56

  diplomatic relations with Germany, 89

  Messersmith/Geist Nazi insights, 59

  Sacks’ introductions, 57

  unaccompanied German children, 258

  unofficial support, 63–64

  See also American Embassy; visas

  Vienna

  bef
ore 1938, 23–33

  Hitler’s takeover, 35–43

  Jewish population in, 31–32, 33

  post-Anschluss, 102–3, 116–17, 119–124, 132–33, 214

  Vienna Opera House, 120

  visas

  applications, deluge of, 39, 55, 60, 81, 103–4

  approval of, 143

  arrests and, 50

  bureaucratic complexities, 137

  children’s use of dead visas, 61–62

  Cuban, 210

  extension for German Jews, 60n, 71

  Holocaust and, 258

  obstacles, fabrication of, 135–36

  parents’ applications for, 226

  preference/nonpreference, 155, 159–160

  quota disparities, 53–55, 60–61

  receipt of, 190

  uncertainty of, 101, 103, 128, 136

  unused, 224

  U.S. limitations on, 37–38

  waiting period for, 39

  Wenkart (Hermann) and, 36–37

  Vogel, Herbert, 229

  Völkischer Beobachter (Nazi newspaper), 37

  vom Rath, Ernst, murder of, 46, 47

  vote approving Hitler’s takeover, 37

  Wagner, Robert, 65–66

  Wagner-Rogers bill

  about, 65–67

  hearings for, 72

  Mercy Ship bill, contrast with, 232

  opposition to, 67–71

  support for, 70–71, 72, 74

  Wald, Julius, 240

  Wallenberg, Raoul, 259

  Walton, George, 5

  warning, State Department employee, 87, 89–90

  Warren, A. M.

  Goldman’s letter to, 76–77

  memo on children of interest to Sacks, 83

  Messersmith’s memo to, 63–64

  Razovsky’s letters to, 160–61, 221

  Warsaw, Jewish population in, 33

  wartime documentation, American policymakers and, 256

  Washington (ship), 110, 111–12, 113–14

  Waters, Agnes, 72

  Watson, Edwin “Pa,” 74

  Weiss, Inge, 247

  Weiss, Kitty, 247

  Weiss, Marianne

  as childcare assistant, 166, 176–78, 182, 189

  farewells to, 192

  Weisz, Emil

  about, 27–28

  after the rescue mission, 247

  arrest of, 49

  in Dachau, 50

  farewells, 175–76

  visa prospects, 227

  Weisz, Helga

  about, 27–28

  after the rescue mission, 247–48

  Braunwasser reunion with, 239–240

  farewells, 175–76

  during Kristallnacht, 49

  living arrangements, 50–51

  placement of, 226–27

  recollections of travel, 194

  selection interview, 124–25

  on Statue of Liberty, 200

  Weisz, Rosa

  about, 28

  death of, 247–48

  farewells, 175–76

  living arrangements, 50–51

  selection interview, 124–25

  urging Helga on, 119

  visa prospects, 227

  Welles, Sumner, 74, 77

  Wenkart, Eleonore, 26

  Wenkart, Henny

  about, 26–27

  after the rescue mission, 248

 

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