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Their Promised Land

Page 24

by Ian Buruma


  Narvik, 156, 161, 171, 178, 193, 244

  Natt, Clara, 281

  Natt, Hugo, 281

  Nazi Germany, 29, 61, 124, 137, 145, 149, 161, 192, 193, 221, 240–41, 243, 246, 263, 272, 277, 279, 282

  Britain’s war with, 150, 153–57, 159–63, 166–69, 179–81, 183, 186–90, 192–94, 201–2

  concentration camps of, see concentration camps

  defeat of, 268, 272

  Greece and, 263–65

  Kristallnacht in, 137–38, 140, 144, 177

  V-1 bombs of, 254

  Nehru, Jawaharlal, 270n

  Newbury String Players, 199–200, 201, 207

  Nichols, Peter, 250

  Nicoll, Stewart, 58

  Niemöller, Martin, 148

  Norfolk Broads, 110, 120

  Normandy landings, 252–54

  Norway, 156, 161, 162, 169

  Ohrdruf, 267, 268

  Olivier, Laurence, 248

  Operation Market Garden, 256

  Orwell, George, 270

  O’Toole, Peter, 9

  Oxford University, 92, 269

  Win at, 81–85, 90–91, 104–7, 109–10, 113, 261

  Pachmann, Vladimir von, 73

  Padels (neighbors), 161, 270, 276

  Palestine, 63–64

  Paris, 137

  Hotel Wagram in, 116–17, 118, 227

  Patton, George, 256, 268

  Pearl Harbor, 291

  Pelman Institute, 73

  Pepys, Samuel, 4

  Pierpont, Claudia Roth, 1

  Pioneer Corps, 161

  Poland, 142, 149, 162, 228

  Polish Jews, 98

  Pompeii, 117–18, 118

  Potash and Perlmutter, 208

  Price, G. Ward, 63

  Priestley, J. B., 136, 159

  Privates on Parade, 250

  Pygmalion (Shaw), 85

  Queen’s Westminster Rifles (QWR), 32, 54–55, 56, 59, 60

  Quetta, 252–53

  Raeburn, Ashley (Reinhard Alsberg), 133–36, 160–61, 275

  Raeburn, Nest, 134

  Raeburn, Dora, 97, 178

  Raeburn, Walter (Regensburg) (Win’s brother), 34, 36, 37, 39, 83, 85, 94, 96–100, 111–12, 134–35, 141, 160, 161, 205, 230

  essay on the Jews, 98–99, 100

  name change of, 36, 211

  RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps), 29–32, 34–36, 40–41, 53, 107, 232

  Rayner, Rabbi, 290

  Red Cross, 191

  refugees, 141, 143, 160–61, 166, 186

  Kindertransport and, 138, 145–46, 283

  Win and Bernard’s taking in, 138–48, 157–58, 163–64, 282–83

  Regensburg, Herman (Win’s father), 25, 38, 46

  Regensburg, Margaret “Meg” (Win’s sister), 34, 39, 93, 111

  Regensburg, Mrs. Herman (Win’s mother), 49–50, 111, 160, 193

  Regensburg, Walter (Win’s brother), see Raeburn, Walter

  Richard, Cliff, 8, 12

  Ring of the Nibelung, The (Wagner), 229, 232, 236–37

  Rommel, Erwin, 193

  Röntgen, Wilhelm, 94

  Rosemount, 43–44, 56

  Rosenzweig, Edith, 79, 229

  Rosenzweig, Franz, 78–79, 94, 96, 97–100

  death of, 132

  Judaism and, 79, 97–99, 102, 103

  Rosenzweig, Georg, 78

  Roth, Philip, 1

  Roth Unbound: A Writer and His Books (Pierpont), 1

  Russia, 159, 262–63, 270–72, 279, 280

  St. Edmund’s, 187

  St. John’s Wood, 194–96

  St. Mary Woodlands House, 17, 24, 122, 203, 225, 261

  Christmas at, 1–12, 3, 5, 253

  Salomon, Ilse, 140, 144, 147

  Salonika, 60, 61, 227–28

  Schlesinger, Bernard Edward:

  army discharges of, 72, 285–86

  army volunteering of, 15, 285

  at Benenden, 187–89, 195

  boils suffered by, 72–73

  break in Win’s relationship with, 45–49, 57

  at Cambridge, 30, 74, 77, 83, 87, 107, 109, 113

  and Christmas at St. Mary Woodlands House, 1–12

  death of, 16, 58, 287–88

  driving lessons of, 61

  in Egypt, 63, 64

  Englishness of, 11–13, 15, 121, 141, 145, 170, 236

  entertaining of, 125

  family and, 118–19, 121

  friends of, 169–71

  German soldiers and, 18–19

  grave of, 287, 290

  honeymoon of, 115–18, 118, 120

  houses of, 121–23, 125; see also Mount Pleasant, Kintbury; St. Mary Woodlands House; Templewood Avenue

  in Jerusalem, 69–70

  Jewishness and, 14–15, 16, 101–3, 107–9, 195–96, 198, 229–32, 284–85

  job seeking of, 107–9, 133, 136–37, 138, 142–43, 269, 285

  letter to Win’s mother from, 49–50

  medical career chosen by, 77–78, 80, 81

  memorial for, 290

  military promotion of, 275

  mother of, 45–47, 193, 195, 221

  name of, 33, 36–37, 108, 211–12

  nickname of, 107

  photographs of, 28, 31, 41, 52, 64, 112, 116, 120, 124, 154, 245, 288

  in Quetta, 252–53

  in RAMC, 29–32, 34–36, 40–41, 53, 107

  refugee children taken in by, 138–48, 157–58, 163–64, 282–83

  rekindling of Win’s relationship with, 72

  religion and, 101–3, 195–96, 198, 285

  sex and, 86–90

  at Uppingham, 27–29, 28, 30–31, 31, 33, 34, 64, 237

  wedding of, 116

  Win’s correspondence with, 17–18, 19, 20

  Win’s engagement to, 81, 88, 89, 109–13, 116

  Win’s marriage to, 81, 109, 110–11, 118, 119

  Win’s meeting of, 25, 27, 65, 74, 269

  women’s role as viewed by, 81–83

  in World War I, 50, 51–72, 52, 54, 78, 80, 81, 217

  in World War II, 52, 57, 153–56, 158–59, 161–72, 178, 187–90, 192–98, 207–8, 209–11, 244, 252–56, 267–69

  in World War II, in India, 52, 57, 115, 121, 142, 168–70, 213–14, 217–22, 218, 226–28, 231–41, 244–48, 264, 273–74, 278–79

  Schlesinger, Gabriel, 9

  Schlesinger, Hilary, 7, 16–17, 19, 146, 158, 164, 170, 183, 203, 276, 285

  birth of, 118

  religious faith of, 16–17, 283–84

  Schlesinger, John Richard, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11–12, 17, 96, 124, 128, 130, 159, 164, 174–77, 203–7, 212, 215, 216, 241, 248–52, 254, 269, 277–78, 289

  in army, 248–52, 256–60, 258, 265–66

  at Bernard’s memorial, 290

  birth of, 118

  death of, 16, 289

  films of, 20, 130, 177, 204–6, 258–59, 260, 277–78

  grave of, 287

  as Jew, 257–60

  Kintbury Follies and, 174–75, 175, 204–5

  magic tricks of, 203, 203

  name of, 211–12, 260

  nanny and, 128, 135, 135, 177

  religion as viewed by, 257–60

  at Uppingham, 175–77, 187, 205–6, 212, 215n, 248

  with Win and Wendy, 125

  Schlesinger, Paul, 9

  Schlesinger, Richard, 25, 38, 39–40, 46

  Bernard’s relationship with Win ended by, 45–49

  Schlesinger, Roger, 7, 9, 10, 96–97, 164, 206, 228, 230, 251, 276

  birth of, 118

  death of, 16

  at school, 187

>   Schlesinger, Susan, 4, 9, 146, 157, 164, 183, 190, 191, 206, 276

  birth of, 118

  death of, 16

  Schlesinger, Wendy (Ian’s mother), 2, 7, 96, 128, 129, 164, 177, 183, 185, 203, 206, 221, 231, 249, 251, 269–70, 276, 285

  birth of, 118

  cello playing of, 186–87, 186, 249

  death of, 16, 265

  in fancy dress, 184

  as Glamour Girl, 174–75, 175

  Judaism and, 283–84

  smoking of, 265

  with Win and John, 125

  Schlesinger, Winifred Henrietta (née Regensburg):

  Americans as viewed by, 261–62

  Bernard’s correspondence with, 17–18, 19, 20

  Bernard’s engagement to, 81, 88, 89, 109–13, 116

  Bernard’s marriage to, 81, 109, 110–11, 118, 119

  Bernard’s meeting of, 25, 27, 65, 74, 269

  break in Bernard’s relationship with, 45–49, 57

  and Christmas at St. Mary Woodlands House, 1–12, 5

  death of, 16, 288–89

  at dinner party, 226

  Englishness of, 11–13, 15, 96, 104, 121, 141, 145, 170, 236, 243–44

  entertaining of, 125

  family and, 118–19, 121

  gardening of, 225–27, 233, 243, 255, 285

  in General Service, 191

  German soldiers and, 18–19

  grave of, 287, 290

  in Hampstead, 24, 105

  honeymoon of, 115–18, 118, 120

  influenza contracted by, 73

  Jewishness and, 14–15, 16, 100–103, 105–7, 127, 128, 191–92, 193–95, 229–32, 284–85

  with John and Wendy, 125

  name of, 23–24, 36–37, 191, 211–12

  as nurse at Beech House in World War I, 37–38, 67–69, 68, 72–73, 162

  as nurse during World War II, 158, 191

  at Oxford, 81–85, 90–91, 104–7, 109–10, 113, 261

  photographs of, 5, 24, 39, 45, 68, 112, 116, 118, 120, 124, 125, 131, 154, 164, 233, 288

  refugee children taken in by, 138–48, 157–58, 163–64, 282–83

  rekindling of Bernard’s relationship with, 72

  religion and, 100–103, 193–95

  sex and, 86–90

  social anxiety of, 126–27, 192

  in Switzerland, 131

  as violinist, 7, 25, 27, 36, 110, 129, 136–37, 158, 172–73, 174, 198–99, 201, 202, 228, 261

  wedding of, 116

  Wevill and, 169–74

  Schneider, Fritz, 135–36

  Schneider, Mr., 128, 129

  Schuster, Bernard, 228, 282

  Selig, Kurt, 140

  Sharp (friend of Bernard’s), 32, 41, 41, 44

  Shaw, George Bernard, 85, 187

  Siegfried Idyll (Wagner), 21

  Simenon, Georges, 4

  Sircar, Kamala, 222

  socialism, 136, 159, 185

  Somme, 50, 52, 53, 54

  Soviet Union, 159, 262–63, 270–72, 279, 280

  Stalin, Joseph, 270–71, 272

  Star of Redemption, The (Rosenzweig), 79

  Stern, Ernst, 132, 148, 160, 270

  Stern, David (Hans), 160, 270

  Stern, Maria, 148, 160, 270

  Story of the Salonica Army, The (Price), 63

  Strauss, Richard, 38–39

  Sunday Bloody Sunday, 259

  Sun Yat-sen, 36

  Swiss Cottage, 179

  Switzerland, 100–101, 103, 104, 120, 131, 149

  Hotel Alpenruhe, 149–50, 149

  Templewood Avenue, 122–23, 125, 132, 146, 148, 160, 225, 271

  Tolstoy, Leo, 117

  Traherne, Thomas, 199

  Trotsky, Leon, 272

  Tuttle, Mrs., 224

  Unknown, The, 101

  Uppingham School, 27–28, 30

  Bernard at, 27–29, 28, 30–31, 31, 33, 34, 64, 237

  John at, 175–77, 187, 205–6, 212, 215n, 248

  Van Oven, Mathilda, 13

  V-E Day, 276–79

  Venice, 112–13

  Versailles Treaty, 74

  Vienna, 137

  Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), 158, 191

  Wagner, Richard, 7, 14, 21, 26, 44, 85, 91, 197, 199, 235, 236

  The Ring of the Nibelung, 229, 232, 236–37

  Warsaw Ghetto, 228

  Waugh, Evelyn, 90

  Wavell, Archibald, 226, 238, 239, 240

  Welford, 261

  Wevill, Benedict “Ben,” 156, 169–74, 206, 213

  Wilde, Oscar, 117

  Wilhelmshöhe, 95n

  Willesden, 287, 289

  Williams, Kenneth, 250

  Williams, Ralph Vaughan, 200

  Wolfenden, John, 215n

  Woodfall, Henry, 119

  Woodlands St. Mary’s, 1

  Wordsworth, William, 200

  World War I, 26, 29, 34, 39, 73, 78, 94, 155, 162, 163–64, 229

  Beersheba in, 65–66

  Doiran in, 61–63, 72

  Macedonia in, 60–63, 78

  Somme in, 50, 52, 53, 54

  women and, 81–82

  World War II, 29, 30, 68, 117, 241

  Britain’s war with Germany, 150, 153–57, 159–63, 166–69, 179–81, 183, 186–90, 192–94, 201–2, 249, 252

  D-Day in, 252–54, 261, 263

  end of, 276–79

  German defeat in, 268, 272

  Japan in, 241, 249, 252, 268, 279, 280, 291

  Operation Market Garden in, 256

  phony war, 153

  Yanks, 259, 260, 277–78

  Yekkes, 13–14

  Zimet, Erwin, 138–39, 139, 148

  Zimet, Lilly, 138–39

  *Meaning private school.

  *This derogatory word for the Germans can be spelled in different ways: “Bosch,” “Bosche,” or “Boche.” The last is the most common. Bernard always used “Bosch.”

  *Both are women’s colleges established in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

  *She is referring to the castle called Wilhelmshöhe, where the kaiser spent his summers between 1899 and 1918. At the end of World War I, the castle was used by Field Marshal von Hindenburg when he demobilized the German army. Reconstruction started in 1968.

  *Franz Rosenzweig: His Life and Thought, presented by Nahum N. Glatzer (New York: Schocken, 1961).

  *What is called the Liberal synagogue in Britain is known as Reform in the United States.

  *Streets in London where many physicians had their practices.

  *A term for the household maid.

  *Dropsy is the old name for edema, when too much fluid makes the limbs swell.

  *Martin Niemöller was a theologian who founded the Confessional Church in protest against the Nazification of Protestant churches in Germany.

  *“Bohunk” was an American slang expression for uncivilized people. It is derived from the word “Bohemian,” referring to immigrants from central Europe.

  *She might have meant “bloody,” but “blasted” was a term that came more readily to her.

  *A part of Hampstead where many Jewish refugees lived. A certain bus conductor during the war is reputed to have called out to his passengers when they approached Swiss Cottage, “Kleine Schweizer Haus, alle Deutscher raus!”

  *I found these bits of information in Peter J. Conradi’s fine biography of Iris Murdoch, entitled Iris: The Life of Iris Murdoch (New York: HarperCollins, 2001).

  *A play by their favorite playwright, James Barrie.

  *A popular variety show at the time.

  *Potash and Perlmutter was a Jewish movie co
medy made in Hollywood in 1923. They both adored it, unlike the Marx Brothers films, which Bernard declares in a letter sent on October 3, 1941, “a disservice to our fraternity.”

  *The proper citation from the Old Testament is, “I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a firebrand plucked from the burning” (Amos 4:11). Sinners who repent can still be saved by divine mercy.

  *A further twist of irony is that John’s headmaster at Uppingham was John Wolfenden, who as Lord Wolfenden published the famous Wolfenden Report in 1957, recommending that homosexual acts between consenting adults should be legal.

  *He is referring to the British Empire Exhibition held at Wembley in 1925, to celebrate with a great deal of pomp the glories of the British Raj. Sir Edward Elgar, as “Master of the King’s Musick,” composed the Empire March especially for the occasion.

  *“Bolshy” or “Bolshie” is derived from “Bolshevik,” but came to mean a person who was obstructive or disruptive.

  *Relatives on Bernard’s side.

  *The mother of Hans Levy.

  *Fafner, who is later transformed into a dragon, and his brother Fasolt promise Wotan that they will build Valhalla in exchange for the goddess Freya.

  *An identity disc is what in the U.S. military would be called a “dog tag.”

  *I am not sure which “dagoes,” or swarthy foreigners, Win had in mind. It is true that the LSE was dominated by Harold Laski, a convinced Marxist, at the time. His students had included Jawaharlal Nehru.

  *She means pure and naïve, like Wagner’s hero.

  *Old colonials.

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