Voice of the Jewish News: The children who lost their childhood
This week's editorial reflects on significance of Germany's decision to give compensation to Kinder who fled the country’s Nazi regime as children
This week, Germany finally agreed compensation for those who fled the country’s Nazi regime as children on the Kindertransport. Each of them, now in their 80s or older, are to receive one-off payments of around £2,300.
These are the children tortured by a lifetime of faded memories of mums and dads who found the inner strength to do the unimaginable – send their little ones into the unknown to save them from Nazi terror. Most never saw their parents again – the fathers and mothers they waved behind among the six million.
In all more than 10,000 children were rescued. About 1,000 of those who boarded Kindertransport trains are alive today, the majority living in this country.
To its credit, the German state has been punctilious about the claims process. Since 1952, more than £55billion has been paid to more than 800,000 victims. Previous survivors have had claims accepted for loss of education and livelihood, but this is first time there has been recognition of loss of childhood.
The kinder, by virtue of fleeing their parents and their homes, are said to have lost their childhood, even if they found sanctuary in sympathetic families.
It’s a paltry sum, but anything given can’t compensate for what was taken.
The fund begins processing eligible applications on 1 January. The application form can be found at www.claimscon.org
READ MORE:
- Kinder compensation is ‘welcome news, but it’s too late for many’
- Hundreds of Kindertransport refugees to receive one-off compensation payment
- OPINION – Michael Newman of AJR: Kinder inquiries have already started rolling in this week
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
