Continental Friends
There follow reports from recent get-togethers.For information about meetings email Susan Harrod - susan@ajr.org.uk
Northern Groups
Bradford Continental Friends
for further information, contact wendy@ajr.org.uk
Welcome to Bradford, Wendy!This was our first get-together organised by Wendy Bott. We met at Shipley Library, our new venue. An enjoyable meeting, with each participant's potted autobiography plus talk of people who have influenced us. We were reluctant to leave. Welcome to Bradford, Wendy!
Broughton/Crumpsall Continental Friends
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk
Cheshire Continental Friends
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk
Didsbury Continental Friends
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk
Edinburgh
for further information, contact agnes@ajr.org.uk
Jewish HumourTopic for discussion was ‘Jewish humour’. We laughed and laughed and enjoyed ourselves so much. A good way to welcome new member Eva Baur. Thanks due to Judy Russel for hosting the meeting, one of our best ones.
Glasgow
for further information, contact agnes@ajr.org.uk
Meeting at Mark’s DeliAn enthusiastic group of members met at Mark’s Deli for lunch. We enjoyed the delicious hamishe food - our 14-strong group kept the waiting staff going.
Glasgow Book Club
for further information, contact agnes@ajr.org.uk
Fiction and FactDiscussing The Captain's Daughter by Leah Fleming, we wondered whether keeping secrets could change lives and if coincidences like those in the book really do happen.
Harrogate/York CF
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk
Quite a Range of InterestsWe enjoyed once again the hospitality of Inge and Ken Little. The theme of our meeting was ‘Hobbies’ and we came up with quite a range of interests - from Hardanger embroidery and crochet work to stamp collecting and violin making.
Hull
for further information, contact wendy@ajr.org.uk
Events Still Alive in Our MemoriesWe were very happy to meet Wendy Bott, our new co-ordinator, whom we found to be a young woman full of energy and enthusiasm. We gave her some information about our early days. We heard about ‘Kinder’ from Austria; families being hidden in Hungary and surviving thanks to the care of local residents; the 1934 referendum in Germany; and Kristallnacht. These events are still alive in the memories of some of us.
Leeds
for further information, contact wendy@ajr.org.uk
Leeds Members Say Farewell to Susanne GreenA fond farewell was said to Suzanne Green for her many years of hard work over here in the ‘North East’. The occasion was the local Chanukah Party and there were so many accolades that we lost count! Susanne gave us all so much – she cared about us, organised us, encouraged us to meet and socialise. She could be counted on to offer real friendship and support. Her commitment to the refugees and survivors shone through and could be seen in her smile. We will miss her dearly over here but we know it’s not ‘goodbye’ but ‘au revoir’ as no doubt we will see her again at the Northern gatherings. The bonds between this band of brothers and sisters has been strengthened by her endeavours and we can only wish her all the very best for her future, as she concentrates on the North West. She can count on a grand reception if she ventures ‘over the border’. Susanne, thank you for everything and we hope you have fond memories of us all here.
Leeds (Continental Friends)
for further information, contact wendy@ajr.org.uk
Making a DifferenceA full house at Wendy Bott’s (Yorkshire Groups Co-ordinator) first Leeds meeting. The topic for discussion was ‘A person you met who made a difference to your life’. Almost everyone had something to say on this subject. Among others, a couple of stories were told about teachers who had caused people to make decisions or encouraged them as pupils to be studious at a time when most members were living with foster families and had no support from their immediate families.
Liverpool
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk
Members’ Family ExperiencesJack Bennett described how he had managed to trace his extended family as far apart as Israel and Australia, while Faye Healey told us about her journey from Danzig to the UK on the Kindertransport, her life in Liverpool and her emotional return to Danzig with her husband Frank and family as part of her golden wedding celebrations. Susanne reported on events connected with Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in which many members had taken part. A lively debate on whether HMD should include other genocides took place.
Manchester (Continental Friends)
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk
Committed to Holocaust EducationJoanna Millan, Secretary of the Child Survivors’ Association (CSA) and newly elected AJR Director, spoke to a packed house, including camp survivors, hidden children, former refugees and Kinder, about the need for the CSA. She told us her most moving and inspirational story of survival in Theresienstadt from the age of 11 months to the age of 3 and her experience on liberation of being flown to Windermere to start a new life in the UK. Joanna, committed to Holocaust education, is involved in a project facilitated through the London Jewish Cultural Centre of training the children of survivors to speak about their parents’ survival experience.
Newcastle
for further information, contact agnes@ajr.org.uk
Bringing Back MemoriesWatermarks brought back memories for some of the Viennese AJR members. In discussing the film, we discovered that, unknown to anyone else apart from themselves, two of our regular members were, in fact, brother and sister
Northern Region Groups
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk
Northern Groups and Leeds HSFA joint eventThe annual joint event of AJR Northern Groups and Leeds HSFA, held in Salford, began with two brief introductory talks, following which participants divided into groups for discussions on 'Early Life in Britain and What People Have Done since Arriving in the UK', 'Claims', and 'Through the Eyes of the Second Generation'. There followed a break for lunch and a talk by John Minnion entitled 'Hitler's List' - brief accounts, illustrated by cartoons, of eminent people stigmatised by the Nazis as persons of inferior race and compelled to leave Germany. The afternoon was again taken up with discussion groups, on 'Revisiting One's Country of Origin', 'Jewish Influence on European Culture' and 'Heritage, Origins, Genealogy, Roots'. All participants then reassembled for brief reports by the discussion group facilitators. A tea marked the end of a successful occasion.
Sheffield
for further information, contact wendy@ajr.org.uk
Friendly and Chatty MeetingMeeting at the home of Steve Mendelsohn, we welcomed Wendy Bott, our new Co-ordinator. Subject for discussion was 'Someone you met who made a significant difference to your life'. A very friendly and chatty meeting!
Whitefield/Prestwich Continental Friends
for further information, contact susanne@ajr.org.uk