Rescuing The Children

Rescuing The Children

Juvenile non fiction
In much of Europe the late 1930s were desperate times for
Jewish people. Under Hitler's relentless ethnic cleansing program
they were stripped of all rights. Sadly too many were condemned to
death because most countries of the world would not accept refugees.
One bright spot was documented beautifully in Deborah Hodge's Rescuing
The Children: The Story of the Kindertransport.
November 9 and 10, 1938 have gone down in infamy as
Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass. Nazis and Hitler Youth
rampaged, destroying Jewish businesses, homes, and synagogues. Many
people died and tens of thousands were arrested. Most countries were
not moved to change their immigration laws, but Britain decided to
become a refuge for children under 17. Nearly ten thousand children
were saved by the hard work and bravery of ordinary people in
extraordinary circumstances. Right up to the end when Holland was
taken by Nazis they fought to protect as many youngsters as possible.
One of the threads of Rescuing The Children portrays an overview
very vividly in words, photographs, and pictures drawn by a survivor.
It gives quite the picture of the times. The narratives of nine
kindertransport passengers, the other strand, put a human face on the
numbers. Ruth, for instance tells us, "The night before my departure,
both my parents gave me a blessing. That is, they laid their hands on
me and said a prayer commending me to God's care.
The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord look kindly upon you and
be gracious unto you;
The Lord bestow favor upon you
and give you peace.
There was little else my mother and father could do. I can imagine
their thoughts and emotions."
Why do children need to know about this? Sadly they are growing
up in a world where still too many of their peers are endangered.
Many of the consumer goods Americans covet are made under dangerous
conditions by underage slaves. Girls are frequently denied education,
married off to often cruel older men, and pregnant too early. Too
many infants and toddlers perish from lack of nutritious food, clean
drinking water, and the most basic medicines.
Throughout the book a Talmudic saying is quoted. "Whoever saves
one life saves the world entire." That saying is as true today as it
was then. And now, just like in those dark days, we must not be
overwhelmed by the enormity of the peril but do what we can whether
it's raising money for nets to protect children from maleria bearing
mosquitos or writing to or emailing our representatives about crucial
issues. I believe this is the empowering message people all ages can
take from this poignant book.
On a personal note, one of my favorite ways to celebrate my birthday
is raising money for UNICEF. Usually I do a penny drive. One year I
raised $629 which was doubled by an anonymous person. This year I
want to do a 1950s sock hop with oldies music and donated food.
People will be able to make donations and bid on silent auction
stuff. It should be fun. Oh yeah, my birthday is in September.
A great big shout goes out to all who work to save other people's lives.
Julia Emily Hathaway





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