Education Pack

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ContentsINTRODUCTION 3

HISTORICAL CONTEXT 4 Background .............................................. 4 Life under Nazism ................................... 5Persecution Timeline .............................. 6Kindertransport ...................................... 7

INSIDE THE PRODUCTION 12Synopsis ................................................... 12Characters ............................................... 13

INTERVIEWS 14Author ....................................................... 14Director ..................................................... 17Lighting Designer .................................... 19Composer .................................................. 20

THEMES 22Fear ............................................................ 22Separation ................................................. 25Identity ...................................................... 29

CITIZENSHIP 32Who's Who ................................................. 32Asylum Seekers ........................................ 33 Asylum in the UK .................................. 34Refugees Around the World .................... 35

EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES 36

Kindertransport

Pack published by and copyright Hall & Childs

WritersAndrew Hall, Liam McCormick, Nicholas Rice, Judith Vanderveld

DesignNicholas Rice

ContributionsRefugee Council

With special thanks to the Jewish Museum

Hall & ChildsT: 01234 567 890E: info@hallandchilds.com

hallandchilds.com

Further production info:kindertransport.co.uk

Welcome

This resource has been compiled to support

students’ and teachers’ visits to the Hall and

Childs Ltd. touring production of Kindertransport.

The pack is designed to facilitate further learning

and discussion prior to and following a visit to a

performance.

There is a very considerable body of resources

already available to teachers on the Holocaust and

the Second World War. Whilst some background

is included here, this pack is primarily focused on

issues raised specifically within the play itself; on

the artistic choices, process and preparation for

the production, together with wider considerations

of questions of asylum, refugees and citizenship.

Welcome to the education pack for the Hall & Childs production of Kindertransport.

Look out for this icon to connect with

more content available online.

hallandchilds.com

kindertransport.co.uk

@kindertheplay

Kindertransport 03

INTRODUCTION

Many of the children never saw their parents, grandparents,

brothers and sisters again. The families they left behind were

taken to concentration camps and death camps and in most

cases murdered by the Nazis.

The rescue of these children is a multifaceted story of courage

and kindness but also one of loss of identity and trauma. As

refugees far from home, the children had to face the difficult

task of adjusting to a new life in Britain.

It is estimated that between 20-40% of Kindertransport

Refugees were reunited with a parent, but as the play

explores this was a complex reunion and for some remained

unresolved.

Kindertransport 04

CONTEXT

Background10,000 children were rescued from Nazi Europe between December 1938 and August 1939 and brought to Britain as refugees before World War II.

This rescue mission was called the Kindertransport.

After Germany was defeated in World War I, it suffered years of economic depression, unemployment and loss of national pride. In 1933 Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party were elected to power. They promised a new powerful Germany. At the centre of their beliefs were racist ideas. In particular, their policies were based on antisemitism, a hatred of Jewish people. Along with other minorities, including Gypsies and disabled people, the Jews were seen as subhuman. They were used as scapegoats and blamed for Germany’s problems. And from 1933 onwards Hitler introduced a number of laws denying Jewish people citizenship and civil rights.

By 1938 life was very difficult for Jewish people however for many the turning point came on 9 November 1938 – an evening which became known as

‘Kristallnacht’ or ‘Novemberprogrome’ (Night of the Broken Glass or November Progrom).

On that night, on the orders of the Nazis, synagogues throughout Germany were burnt down. Thousands of Jewish shops were looted and destroyed and firefighters were ordered not to put out the fires unless there was a danger to German property.

The Nazis took Jewish people from their homes. Many Jews were attacked and more than 200 were killed. About 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.

Many Jewish families tried to leave Germany after Kristallnacht. But where could they go?

CONTEXT

Life under Nazism

Kindertransport 05

Burning Synagogue on Kristallnacht Hans Jackson

CONTEXT

1942Blind or deaf Jews may no longer wear

arm-bands identifying their condition

in traffic.

1933Public burning of books written by Jews and anti-Nazis

Jewish professors and students expelled from universities.

Jewish writers and artists prohibited from practicing their

professions.

Jewish shops boycotted.

Ritual slaughter of animals (Jewish dietary laws) prohibited

1935Jews are deprived of German citizenship.

It is illegal for Jews and gypsies to marry or

have any sexual relations with Aryans.

1936Jews may no longer vote.

Jewish doctors barred

from practicing medicine in

government institutions.

1937Many Jewish students forced out of German schools.

Restrictions are placed on Jews travelling abroad

All Jewish street names are to be replaced.

Decree forcing all Jews to transfer retail businesses into

Aryan hands.1938All Jews must carry identity cards at all times.

All Jews must add either ‘Israel’ or Sarah’ to their name. 1939All Jews must hand

in their radios to the

police.1940Jews may no longer have telephones.

1941Every Jewish person must wear a yellow Star of David.

Jews forbidden to keep dogs, cats, birds.

Kindertransport 06

youtu.be/lRjeAzTHtCQ

Rise of Antisemitism and the Nuremberg Laws

The KindertransportCONTEXT

Some Jews left Germany within weeks of Hitler coming to power. Others stayed, hoping that the problems might pass. However, for many who wanted to go there were many countries who refused to take them in.

An editorial in the Daily Express newspaper (19 June 1939) voiced these concerns:

In November 1938, a group of campaigners called on the British Prime Minister to plead for help – at least for the children. The government gave permission for Jewish and non-Aryan children up to the age of 17

years to come to Britain. Both Jewish and Christian groups, in particular the Quakers, set up refugee committees all over the country to help with the rescue of the children. A deposit of £50 had to be paid as a guarantee for each child so that there was no cost to the state.

This rescue mission became known as the Kindertransport and from the beginning of December 1938 to the end of August 1939 nearly 10,000 Jewish and non-Aryan children were given refuge in Britain. More children could have been rescued, but in September 1939 war broke out and the transports had to stop.

It was an agonising decision for parents to part with their children. They hoped their children would be saved, but it meant separation from their loved ones and a journey into the unknown.

“There is no room for any more refugees in this

country”.

Kindertransport 07

Children leaving Anhalter Bahnof Hans Jackson

The Kindertransport

CONTEXT

The ChildrenThe children travelled by train across Germany and Austria to Holland and then by boat to Harwich in the south of England. The children wore labels around their necks, identifying them by name and number. They were each allowed to take one suitcase and a small amount of money.

Parents faced a terrible moment when saying goodbye to their children. They did not know when or if they would be reunited or how the children would manage on the long journey to a foreign and very different country.

The journey to Britain was frightening and confusing

for many of the children.

A New Life in BritainThe Dovercourt holiday camp near Harwich was rented to the Refugee Children's Movement as the main reception centre for children arriving on the Kindertransport.

The policy of the Jewish Refugees Committee was to place younger children in private foster homes, where possible. However, children who could not find foster parents or were too old to fit easily into a new family were housed in hostels or training centres.

The Families They Left BehindAfter the war ended in 1945 the shocking reality of the fate of the Jews of Europe became known.

Between 1939 and 1945, six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis, many in concentration camps such as Auschwitz, in what became known as the Holocaust. Among those killed by the Nazis were one and a half million children.

Most of the refugee children now learned that they would never see their parents again.

For the few who were reunited with their families, the experiences of war, loss and separation were to have long-lasting effects.

After the war, refugees who had lost their families had to resolve the question of who they were and

what their future would be.

Kindertransport 08

Bea Green leaving Munich Station at midnight on June 27th 1939 Jewish Museum London

Post war refugee children from Gdnask, Poland on arrival in LondonSchonfeld Family Archive

youtu.be/KbA8t9DEEWM

Letter from Elsa, mother of Grete Glauber to Olive Rudkin, Grete's foster mother 1939Jewish Museum London

CONTEXT

Kindertransport 09

Printed identity card belonging to 8 year old Grete Glauber Jewish Museum London

List of items brought by Grete including writing paper, photo album and family tree Jewish Museum London

CONTEXT

Kindertransport 10

Those Who Made A DifferenceThe rescue of children on the Kindertransport was organised by the Refugee Children’s Movement, with financial support from the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief. Behind the scenes, it was made possible bythe individual actions of many different people who contributed funds and took the refugee children into their homes.

In addition, the following individuals played an outstanding role in rescuing the children:

Nicholas WintonA 29-year-old stockbroker, rescued 669 children from Czechoslovakia on eight separate trains.

On the day war broke out in September 1939 the ninth train, packed with 250 children was stopped. It is believed that none of these children survived.

Trevor ChadwickA teacher, accompanied the transports from Prague. He provided false travel documents for the children, at considerable personal risk, and persuaded the German authorities to allow the children to continue on to Britain.

Rabbi Solomon SchonfeldHe organised several transports and risked his own life to help thousands of children escape from Nazi Europe. Not only did he bring children on the Kindertransport he also continued to rescue hidden children after 1939.

Otto SchiffFounder of the Jewish Refugees Committee, pressed the British government to offer refuge to the Jews of Nazi Europe and personally guaranteed that the rescue of children would use no public funds.

However it was the kindness of individuals, like Lil in the play that welcomed children into their homes that was the final piece in the jigsaw.

CONTEXT

Kindertransport 11

Rabbi Dr Solomon Schonfeld Schonfeld Family Archive

youtu.be/irv5RlY2qxE

It is late 1930s Germany and a nine year old girl named Eva is being sent away to Britain by her Mother, Helga. Helga, in her early thirties is preparing her daughter to travel with thousands of other Jewish children, to safety, thanks to the rescue effort known informally as Kindertransport. The bond between them is strong and although Helga reassures Eva that they will be reunited soon, she hurriedly prepares her daughter for the separation and for the self sufficiency she may need.

In England Eva is cared for in Manchester by Lil who helps and encourages Eva in her futile attempts to have her parents join her in the relative safety of Britain. As those hopes fade, Eva continues

to be cared for and raised by Lil. She adopts the English name Evelyn. Her German Jewish background also fades as a fledgling English identity is formed along with a new Mother/Daughter bond with Lil.

Eva is seventeen when Helga, older and seemingly frail, is reunited with her daughter. This is a revelatory moment of particular poignancy in the play. Helga is upset by the change in her daughter. The change in name is a slight on her heritage. The change in her accent and language is a slight on her culture. Helga implores her to join her to start a new life with her in America but Evelyn has firm roots and a settled naturalised life in England. Helga leaves her daughter again. This time forever.

It is many years later when Evelyn’s daughter Faith starts to uncover her mother’s past. In a scene reminiscent of the action that took place

between Helga and the nine year old Eva, the twenty year old Faith is reluctantly preparing to leave home. The invisible ties and tensions of another Mother/Daughter bond are revealed. Whilst sorting through her mother’s attic, Faith finds books and papers from a past that she never knew existed and that Evelyn had long since buried. The confrontation that follows explores the notions of identity, belonging and the multi- dimensional strength of the Mother/Daughter bond.

Two different time periods are staged seamlessly throughout this story, creating a fluid yet challenging theatrical convention that helps us see the ghosts of the past writ large in the hopes of the future.

Kindertransport 12

SynopsisINSIDE THE PRODUCTION

CharactersINSIDE THE PRODUCTION

Kindertransport 13

Evelyn - Mother of Faith

Evelyn is very English, very middle class. Divorced from Faith’s father. On the surface, very poised and self-contained. She is extremely house-proud, a careful hoarder and an obsessive cleaner. As the play unfolds we learn that, beneath the poised exterior, she is in a state of extreme internal conflict.

Faith - Evelyn’s only child

Faith is in her early twenties. Living with her mother, but about to move to a flatshare with friends. She still retains contact with her father. Faith is a dutiful daughter who exhibits genuine love and concern for her mother, but alongside this affection there is a very deep well of resentment.

Eva

Evelyn’s younger self. She is nine years old when the play begins and seventeen at her final appearance. She is Jewish German by birth, but becomes increasingly English. She is bright, brave and resourceful, but ultimately unable to cope with the complex emotional trauma caused by the separation and unexpected reunion with her birth mother.

Helga - Eva’s mother

In her early thirties at the beginning of the play, Helga is an affluent, middle-class, sophisticated woman. She is warm and affectionate towards Eva, but maintains her emotional composure as she prepares to send her daughter away. When we meet her again at the end of the play, she has experienced extreme physical and emotional suffering and is completely transformed.

Lil - Eva/Evelyn’s English foster mother

We see Lil as a woman in her early thirties and as a woman in her eighties. She is from Manchester. She is a strong, honest, straightforward, down to earth character. She has two children of her own. There seems to be a particularly close bond between her and Eva/Evelyn. Lil also appears to be close to her granddaughter, Faith.

The Ratcatcher

A mythical figure who also plays the Nazi Border Official, the English Organiser, the Postman and the Station Guard. The Ratcatcher himself is a sinister and threatening presence drawn from the legend of the Pied Piper. Although the other characters that he plays are very different on the surface, Eva perceives an element of threat from all of them at key points during the action of the play.

The PlaywrightDiane Samuels

INTERVIEWS

Memory is unpredictable. Sometimes it forms clear as crystal.

At other times it splinters into shards that refuse to fit

together. Some pieces may connect whilst others remain

elusive. Often, memories dissolve into a mist or vanish

altogether into a sea of darkness, but this doesn’t mean that

they are no longer there. Kindertransport is a play in which

invisible memory is made not only visible but material and

physical, a living, breathing thing: a bedtime moment, a box

of papers, a girl’s hand clutching a crinkled photograph. If

you think that you know what memory means then the play asks

you to think again, to feel, see, hear, touch where memory

hides and reveals itself, to realise that the value of what

you do and do not remember might not lie in the past but in

how it connects you to what is fully alive, or solidly frozen,

within you right now, as present as ever.

“I can understand myself only in

the light of inner happenings”

Carl Jung, “Memories, Dreams,

Reflections”

“People are trapped in history, and

history is trapped

in them.”

James Baldwin

Kindertransport 14

extrAct frOM IntrOductIOn tO 'AuthOr'S guIde tO KIndertrAnSPOrt'

wOrdS by dIAne SAMuelS (SePteMber 2013)

It was in 1989, during the

50th anniversary year of the

Kindertransport, that I first

learned about the children who were

brought to safety, and how many

of them never saw their parents

again. I wondered why I had not

come across this before. I grew up

in a tight-knit Jewish community

in liverpool in the 1960s and 70s,

and attended Jewish schools from

kindergarten at the age of three to

secondary school, including sixth

form. I was taught Jewish history

and the holocaust was given due

attention. yet there was no word

about the Kindertransport, and

this in schools where young people

of the same age would readily have

identified with the experience of

these evacuees. the reasons for

this are significant and connect

with the inner life of the Kinder

themselves. Many simply chose not

to discuss or raise the matter

of where they had come from and

how. In their adult lives they

had focused on making a living,

raising families and “putting the

past” behind them. when 1989 came

around, the youngest Kinder, who

had travelled across europe and

the north Sea as babies thrust

into the arms of older children,

were themselves around fifty plus,

whilst the teenage refugees were

in their sixties. late middle age

is a time when life catches up with

a person. An organization called

Kindertransport reunion was set up

by bertha leverton and others who

now actively sought to mark the

event by bringing as many Kinder

together as possible. A celebratory

gathering was planned, the first

of its kind. I met bertha through

a friend, herself a refugee, of

my then husband, himself the son

of german Jewish refugees. She

talked to me about arriving and

living in england, then later,

after the war, how her mother had

been one of the few who survived

and come to find her. bertha also

helped me to meet other Kinder and

hear their stories too. I watched

a documentary on television in

which various Kinder described

their early experience of escape,

subsequent survival,gratitude,

guilt, loss and making a new life

in another land.

"In theIr Adult lIveS they hAd fOcuSed On MAKIng A lIvIng,

rAISIng fAMIlIeS And“PuttIng the PASt”

behInd theM."

Kindertransport 15

INTERVIEWS

twenty five years on, 2013/14 sees

the 75th anniversary when Kinder

gather again to mark their unique

experience and connect with each

other. by the time the hundredth

anniversary arrives it is unlikely

that very many, if any, will be

here to attend. I feel privileged

to have been able to engage with

this communal act of remembering,

reflection and attesting to the

world whilst many have still been

here to share it. Kindertransport,

the event, is entirely distinct

from Kindertransport the play.

In the drama I do not attempt

to speak for any of those who

actually travelled on the trains

as children. whilst I did draw on

key moments and detail from the

spokenand written testimonies

of Kinder, and whilst most of

the experiences of eva/evelyn

did happen to someone somewhere,

the play is primarily a work of

creative imagination, written from

the heart. My play does focus on

a particular happening at a time

of massive upheaval in the world,

yet it also looks beyond the

specifics of this historical event

and taps into a universal human

experience: that of a child’s

separation from its mother. Most

of all, my focus when writing the

play was to probe the inner life

where memory is shaped by trauma,

history meets story, in order to

gain psychological and emotional

insight into how a damaged psyche

can survive, possibly recover,

and whether there might ever be an

opportunity to thrive. this journey

within is what Kindertransport

also offers each member of the

audience and reader if they allow

themselves to go where it ventures

no matter where or when they live.

"the PlAy IS PrIMArIly A wOrK Of creAtIve IMAgInAtIOn, wrItten frOM the heArt."

Kindertransport 16

dianesamuels.comyoutu.be/341eN_JzV6U

INTERVIEWS

kindertransport.co.uk

The DirectorAndrew Hall

what was your first step

in beginning the creative

process for this production?

the first step was to read the

play again and again. It is

always the first step. before

making any decision about

staging or casting or design,

first and foremost I need to

understand, what is the play

about? what is the journey of

the characters? what is the

story? that’s the first step.

did you undertake any specific

research, when looking for

inspiration?

to begin with, no. I met

with diane Samuels at a very

early stage to discuss the

possibility of directing her

play and one of the points

she made very strongly to me

at that early meeting was

that this is a play about the

relationship between mothers

and daughters – it is not a

play about the holocaust. that

obscenity is the background to

the play, it is a key component

of the shaping of the lives

of key protagonists, but it

is not the story. however,

in staging the representation

of eva’s journey, to hear

the experiences of real life

Kinder who had made that

journey has been invaluable.

I spent a lot of time looking

at both the AJr and Journey to

Safety websites, visited the

Jewish Museum and spoke to my

Jewish friends about some of

their family experiences.

the production is touring to

different sized venues. how

does this affect your work?

It affects it on a very

technical level. firstly,

working with the designer to

ensure that the set design

will work in every space, then

‘blocking’ the play (blocking

is the technical term for where

actors are placed physically

on stage during the action of

the play) to ensure that all

of the action will be properly

visible and focused in every

venue. finally, also being

sure that the size of the

actors’ performances will be

appropriate for each venue.

Kindertransport 17

"thIS IS A

PlAy AbOut the

relAtIOnShIP

between MOtherS

And dAughterS

– It IS nOt A

PlAy AbOut the

hOlOcAuSt."

INTERVIEWS

how would you define your role within the overall production

process?

to create a working environment in which the actors will be

secure and confident and thereby enable them to achieve the very

best performance of the play. this means having a clear and

comprehensive understanding of what the play is about, how the

narrative should unfold, having a carefully planned rehearsal

schedule that ensures every scene is fully explored and developed

and that the play comes together as a whole ready for the first

performance.

Kindertransport 18

do you have any advice for someone thinking of directing as a

career?

you need to understand every element of the production process

to be able to properly exploit the different powers they offer

to a production. you need the ability to analyse text to try to

determine the playwright’s intention in individual scenes and

the play as a whole; an understanding of the actor’s working

process and technical vocabulary and an understanding of the

technical tools at your disposal – lights/sound/projection etc.

you can start by trying to get a job as a part-time stagehand

or dresser at your local theatre – get in there and soak up as

much as you can. go and see as much theatre as you possible can –

including fringe and amateur theatre. Sometimes it may not be as

good as you might hope, but sometimes you can learn as much from

watching an unsuccessful production as you can from watching a

hit. Analyse why something didn’t work. read plays, think about

how you might stage them. consider a director’s course at one

of the leading drama schools, or perhaps take an english/drama

degree first and look at a Post-grad director’s course to follow.

"yOu need the AbIlIty tO AnAlySe the text tO try tO deterMIne the PlAywrIght'S IntentIOn In IndIvIduAl SceneS And the PlAy AS A

whOle"

INTERVIEWS

Lighting DesignerMatthew Eagland

what was your first step

in beginning the creative

process for this production?

this play is a very moving

piece that spans time in an

instant, which led my initial

thoughts about creating a

lighting design to be about

what would help simply

denote the changes in time

and location. when we are

looking back at memories from

the past, sometimes there is

still a character from the

'now' simultaneously present

and active on stage. One

way in which I hope to help

the audience understand the

changes in time, is through

the use of the sky that backs

the whole set, with cloud

movement sometimes speeding

up un-naturally as a visual

clue. by collaborating with

the sound designer, hopefully

we can indicate strongly

these shifts! I need to work

closely with the director to

understand the positions of

the actors at various moments,

a long time before we get to

the theatre.

the production is touring to

different sized venues. how

does this affect your work?

to ensure that the lighting

stays consistent on tour,

some of the lights will travel

with the show. Also someone

will go to each venue to point

the lights exactly the same

way as they were at the first

theatre, and put the lighting

programme (called the show

file) into the lighting desk.

we use modern technology like

camera phones and drop box to

help record and share this

information.

how would you define your role

within the overall production

process?

within the production team

my role is primarily one that

means you can see the actors!

but I am also responsible for

helping the audience focus on

the part of the stage that

we want within an atmosphere

that sets a sense of place.

do you have any advice for

someone thinking of lighting

design as a career?

My advice for anyone

interested in lighting design

as a career would be to work

at his or her local theatre as

a casual (part time) member

of the crew. you get to see

lots of shows put together

and taken apart, and it’s a

really good hands on way to

understand how the process

works.

Kindertransport 19

INTERVIEWS

The ComposerMatthew Bugg

what was your first step in in beginning the

design/creative process for this production?

that’s a really easy one, and it’s the same for

every play I work on. you read the script. then

you read it again. then you read it again. If

the play is well written, which Kindertransport

is, then you’ll find most of the answers there.

the key is not to start making decisions too

soon. don’t get fixated on particular ideas. Stay

responsive and hope that the ideas will reveal

themselves to you over time.

did you undertake any specific research, when

looking for inspiration?

I start by collecting all the musical elements

specified in the script. So in the case of

Kindertransport that meant digging out my old

school recorder for the ratcatcher and finding my

granddad’s mouth organ. I then start collecting

the environmental sounds that are specified

or implied by the piece, (so in the case of

Kindertransport the sounds of train whistles,

train travelling, steam etc.) I then use these

resources to inspire me to create new sounds,

new gestures. I often start with the concrete

sounds already collected and transform these

electronically in sophisticated ways so that

there is a real integrity to the palette of

sounds. Once I’ve done all this I will start

working on any melodic material, creating a score

in a more conventional sense. lots of composers

work the other way round and start with the more

musical elements and then add the sound design,

but I use the sound design elements to suggest

and inspire the music. I don’t think my approach

is better it’s just the best way for me to work.

Kindertransport 20

INTERVIEWS

how were you affected by this play when you first read it?

My partner’s family are half-Jewish on both the maternal and paternal

side, so this piece has a very particular, personal resonance for me. his

granny (his mother’s mother) was a czech Jew who went to work in berlin

as an actress.

She left berlin to promote a film and fell in love with a belgium man and

they came to settle in london before the Second world war. She was able

to get a few members of her family out before the outbreak of war, but

the rest were all killed in the concentration camps. his grandfather (his

dad’s dad) was a german Jew who was imprisoned but managed to get out.

he was brought over to england by a charity that helped get Jews out. My

partner’s granny (his dad’s mum) was an english woman who worked for this

charity and that’s how they met. what is interesting was the difference

in attitudes between my partner’s maternal grandmother and his paternal

grandfather. his grandmother was adamant that no-one should ever forget

what had happened and strongly identified as culturally Jewish, although

she had no religious belief. She also never lost her foreign accent. by

contrast, my partner’s grandfather never talked about his experience and

totally lost his accent. the only time you could hear he was german was

when he said “sausage”. the way evelyn deals with the trauma of what has

happened to her in the play feels very genuine when I compare it to my

partner’s grandfather.

how would you define your role within the overall production process?

My job is to serve the play, serve the director and serve the actors, in

that order. If I’m doing my job really well the audience will probably

only notice the scene change music and the really obvious bits of sound

design. the rest of the sound should be so subtle that all I am doing

is “colouring the air.” but it is always these most subtle imperceptible

elements that require the most care and attention

do you have any advice for someone thinking of composing as a career?

don’t do it! everyone will tell you don’t do it and you should listen

to them because it is only people who are determined enough to ignore

everyone’s advice that stand a chance of being able to survive this

business. If you are lucky you will end up working 16 hours a day, 7 days

a week. If you are unlucky you will do no work at all. either way you will

earn no money. but if you can cope with that, then it’s the best job in

the world.

Kindertransport 21

INTERVIEWS

Nazi occupied Europe was a fearful and unpredictable place. The general population were encouraged to fear and discriminate against the Jewish community through the use of Nazi propaganda which portrayed them as a threat to the German economy. For Jewish people, their lives had become increasingly marginalised and they feared for the safety of their families with the impending war.

Kindertransport provided hope for parents, giving a chance of survival for their children. But the uncertainty of their own fate and of a reunion in the future, made this a tough decision. Parents feared how their children would fare in England and naturally questioned whether they were making the right decision. For children, it was difficult to fully understand what was happening and why they were being separated from the people they loved.

In the play, fear is a major recurring theme. At the beginning of act one, Helga’s fear for her daughter is visible when she insists Eva must learn to thread the needle on her own. Helga knows she is going to be apart from her daughter and wants to give her the knowledge and skills necessary for her future. This is seen further when Helga tells Eva she has had her watch, jewelry and Star of David hidden inside her shoe. It indicates that Helga has an awareness that she may not survive, as well as a mothers’ will to secure the future for her child, not just financially - but also spiritually to the Jewish faith through the Star of David. Helga’s fear is a controlled fear, she acts strong and takes on her role as mother to ensure what she believes to be the best for her child.

Kindertransport 22

THEMES

RATCATCHER. Who is not

counting?

HELGA. Whispered the shadow.

RATCATCHER. Who has forgotten

their blessings?

HELGA. It hissed.

RATCATCHER. I will find you.

HELGA. It spat.

RATCATCHER. I will search you out

whoever wherever you are.

FAITH (turning onto another page).

My God, and the shadow growing

legs . . .

HELGA. ‘ . . . and strong arms and

spiky nails . . . ’

EVA. And eyes sharp as razors

Fear (noun) An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Oxford DictionaryFEAR

Eva’s fears are childhood fears, what she fears is different from what her mother fears. Diane Samuels’ portrays Eva’s childhood perspective through the character of the Ratcatcher. The Ratcatcher is a mythical figure based on the German children’s story of the Pied Piper. The Ratcatcher led the children out of the town of Hameln using his enchanted pipe because he was not paid for luring rats away in the same way. The story is considered a scary childhood story because all of the children disappeared.

In the play, the story forms part of the narrative as Helga reads it to Eva. ‘It hissed’, ‘It spat’ reads Helga, indicating his role of antagonist in the play, acting as an inhuman, snake-like character. Eva joins in, reading ‘eyes as sharp as razors’, signifying his evil and fearsome character with an ability to see everything. The Ratcatcher is given a dark and dominant presence in the play, arriving in key parts of the narrative with eerie music and his dark shadow projected across the stage.

The Ratcatcher exists in the play similarly to how he does in the original story, warning against those who are not counting their blessings, telling them he will find them. The Ratcatcher can be understood to symbolise what the characters are repressing and trying to run away from, as well as the consequences and loss that this fear creates when the past catches up with them. In doing so, the characters are forced to examine the effect that it is had upon their present relationships, such as Evelyn’s relationship with her daughter Faith.

The Ratcatcher is played by the same actor who plays the Nazi, board official, organiser, station guard and postman. This is a dramatic device known as doubling, and is useful to emphasise the fear and unpredictability Eva faces. It also has an ability to create tension for the audience because these are all authoritative figures who are in some way or another responsible for progressing the narrative. This tension is supported through the Ratcatcher music which creates a dramatic mood and atmosphere for the audience.

Kindertransport 23

HELGA. The Ratcatcher searched

for the ungrateful one. He searched

and searched but all in vain.

RATCATCHER. Who will make up

for the lost blessings?

HELGA. He raged.

RATCATCHER. If not the one guilty

soul, then all.

HELGA. And he raised an

enchanted pipe to his snarling lip,

making a cruel promise to all the

people of Hamlyn.

RATCATCHER. I will take the heart

of your happiness away.

THEMES

" Y O U W E R E T H E R A T C A T C H E R !

T H O S E W E R E H I S E Y E S , H I S F A C E ! "

Kindertransport 24

THEMES

In the play, separation acts as a recurring theme in which Diane Samuels’ explores the lasting effects that this has caused for the characters, from the initial boarding to the present day.

In act one, Eva is separated from her parents when she is forced to board the Kindertransport to escape to freedom in England. Eva possesses an innocence about the experience ‘Mutti! Vati! Hello! Hello! See. I did get into the carriage. I said I would. See, I’m not crying. I said I wouldn’t.’ Eva’s departure is marked with a nervous excitement, showing her confusion as to what is happening as she tries to confirm to herself and her parents that everything is going to be fine.

This is in contrast to her arrival in England where she assumes that there is no one there to meet her and starts to cry. It is also in contrast to when Lil takes her to the train station to be evacuated from Manchester as the war begins. As Eva faces separation a second time, this time miserable and marked with the fear of the Ratcatcher ‘He’s coming to get me. He’s waiting in the shadows. Don’t make me go.’, she leaps off the train and avoids being separated from her English mother.

The Ratcatcher symbolises separation as much as he does fear. At the beginning of the play, Eva is reading the story of the Ratcatcher and asks ‘What’s an abyss, Mutti?’. Helga replies ‘A huge gash in the rocks’. In the story, the children disappear as they are lead into the abyss by the Ratcatcher.

Kindertransport 25

SeparationSeparation is a defining condition of the Kindertransport. It ensured the safety of children by separating them from the persecution and suffering they faced if they had stayed. However, it also separated them from the love and support of their parents and all they had known as home.

THEMES

In the play, the abyss can be understood to signify the void that being separated from a loved one creates in a person. After Eva leaps off the train, she questions ‘Am I in the abyss?’ indicating her fear of separation.

Through the music of his enchanted pipe, the Ratcatcher has the power to draw people away with him, away from their parents, their home and for Eva, her faith. In the play, the music plays together with the trains whistles and ‘Weaves around the train’s chugging’, providing a symbolic representation of the separation of mother and daughter. The train can be understood to act as a symbol of separation in the play. The children are placed on the train and it is responsible for taking them away from their parents and their home. In contrast, trains were used during the Holocaust to transport Jewish people to their deaths in concentration camps. It can be suggested that Samuels’ took this into account in writing the play, symbolising what was ultimately their last journey and the loss of hope of a reunion.

In the play, Helga survives the war and is given the opportunity to reunite with her daughter, however when the two meet, she is rejected by Evelyn who feels guilt and resentment towards her mother for not being given the choice to stay and suffer with her. Evelyn is also torn with her loyalty to Lil who cared for her and allowed her to stay when she faced evacuation. Helga leaves for New York and the two are separated once again, symbolised by the ships horn as she departs.

Despite trying to distance herself from her past, Eva’s separation from her own parents has a lasting effect on her life. It has influenced her decisions in life, particularly her decisions to reject her mother and what was her identity. By repressing what has happened in the past, Evelyn only separates herself from her own daughter Faith, who perceives her to be cold and controlling. Ironically named, she is also separating Faith from her identity by restricting her of her Jewish roots.

Kindertransport 26

EVELYN. You should have hung

onto me and never let me go. Why

did you send me away when you

were in danger? No one made you.

You chose to do it. Didn’t it ever

occur to you that I might have

wanted to die with you. Because I

did. I never wanted to live without

you and you made me. What is

more cruel than that? Except for

coming back from the dead and

punishing me for surviving on my

own

THEMES

"Didn't it ever

occur to you that I might have

wanted to die with

you?"

Kindertransport 27

THEMES

"A chipped glass is ruined forever"

Kindertransport 28

THEMES

Identity is what makes us who we are. It defines us and affects how we understand and interact with the world around us, from our relationships and friendships, to how we view others in society.

Identity is the perception of our self in relation to others, and it is shaped by many social structures such as gender, where we grow up and even our beliefs.

In childhood, identity can be confusing to understand because children are still learning about society as they develop into adulthood. The issues faced by many of the Kindertransport refugees made identity even more difficult to understand. In their own country, their identity had been attacked and destroyed through Nazi persecution and discrimination. In England, they were separated from their families and had to adjust to a whole new way of life in an English society, with sometimes non-Jewish families who did not understand their practices.

In the play, this loss of identity is evident for Eva as she makes her journey from Hamburg to London. Eva’s identity is restricted to being labelled with a number. The label removes her of her name and in doing so dehumanises her. The Nazi officer is keen to remind Eva not to forget ‘who she is’, drawing a star of David on her label, signifying the Nazi belief that her Jewish identity is a negative and something which she should be discriminated for. Eva’s label positions her as a minority, where she is grouped together with other refugees and marked as different.

Kindertransport 29

Identity

OFFICER. D’you know it at least?

EVA. Pardon, Sir?

OFFICER. Know your number.

If you don’t know it you might

forget who you are.

EVA. 3362, Sir.

OFFICER (taking out a pen). Don’t

want you to forget who you are

now, do we?

EVA. No, Sir.

OFFICER. Let me remind you.

He draws a huge star of David on

the label.

There. That should tell ’em

wherever it is you’re going.

Best to keep them informed, eh

THEMES

The conflict of identity is shown clearly in the narrative with the contrast between Eva and Evelyn, creating two separate characters; Eva, the young Jewish girl and Evelyn, now older and taking on an English identity. When she reunites with Helga, her mother, this is difficult for her to comprehend and highlights the issues that the Kindertransport created.

Helga tells Eva that Eva was the name of her great grandmother, emphasising that her identity is grounded in the family roots. However, Eva has forcibly had to change and adapt, subscribing to an English family and distancing herself from her past. She is unwilling to accept her mother or her identity because of the resentment of feeling abandoned and the guilt of leaving while her parents suffered at the hands of the Nazi’s.

Evelyn has denied herself of her culture and roots, and in doing so also denies Faith of hers. As she is forced to confront and discuss her past with Faith, it is clear that the effect of her own experience has had consequences for Faith, creating difficulties and a lack of understanding between the pair.

Despite holding onto the box of documents and photographs since she arrived in England, only when the truth begins to unravel does Evelyn decide to rip them up, symbolising the effect the past still has on her as well as her desire to forget it. This is alarming for Faith because she is once again restricted in her own understanding of who she is and her family roots.

Samuels contrasts the ideas of remembering and forgetting, showing how people are bound to identity and their past. The play illustrates the impact that the war had on the identity of families and relationships at the time and continues to has in the present day.

Kindertransport 30

THEMES

"3362, Si r "

Kindertransport 31

THEMES

Citizenship

Kindertransport 32

CITIZENSHIP

tAKen frOM refugee cOuncIl, truth AbOut ASyluM 2013

Who's Who

Refugee“A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”

The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

In the UK, a person is officially a refugee when they have their claim for asylumaccepted by the government.

Asylum seeker A person who has left their country of origin and formally applied for asylum in another country but whose application has not yet been concluded.

Refused asylum seeker A person whose asylum application has beenunsuccessful and who has no other claim for protection awaiting a decision.Some refused asylum seekers voluntarily return home, others are forcibly returnedand forsome it is not safe or practical for them to return until conditions in theircountry change.

'Illegal' immigrant Someone whose entry into or presence in a countrycontravenes immigration laws.

Econmic migrant Someone who has moved to another country to work.Refugees are not economic migrants

Kindertransport 33

Asylum seekers are looking for a place of safety

There is no such thing as an ‘illegal’ or ‘bogus’ asylum seeker. Under international law, anyone has the right to apply for asylum in any country that has signed the 1951 Convention and to remain there until the authorities have assessed their claim.

There is nothing in international law to say that refugees must claim asylum in the first country they reach. It is recognised in the 1951 Convention that people fleeing persecution may have to use irregular means in order to escape and claim asylum in another country – there is no legal way to travel to the UK for the specific purpose of seeking asylum. (United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of

Refugees)

The major source countries of refugees in the UK in 2012 (Iran, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) all have poor human rights records or ongoing conflict. Asylum seekers are fleeing from these conflicts and abuses, looking for safety.(UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency) Global Trends 2012)

In 2012 21,300 children applied for asylum having arrived in the country of refuge alone, with no parent or guardian. 1,168 of these applications were made in the UK.

Many of them come from Afghanistan, which was described by UNICEF in 2010 as “the world’s most dangerous place to be a child”.

Many refugees and asylum seekers hope to return home at some point in the future if the situation in their country has improved.

The 1951 Refugee Convention guarantees everybody the right to apply for asylum.

It has saved millions of lives. No country has ever withdrawn from it.

ASyluM SeeKerS Are fleeIng frOM theSe cOnflIctS

And AbuSeS, lOOKIng fOr

SAfety.

CITIZENSHIP

www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/

Kindertransport 34

Britain's asylum system is very tough

The UK asylum system is strictly controlled and complex. It is very difficult to get asylum. The process is extremely tough and the majority of people’s claims are turned down.

(Home Office statistics from 2006-2012)

A high number of initial decisions made by the Home Office on asylum cases are wrong.

In 2012, the courts overturned 27% of negative decisions after they were appealed.

(Home Office asylum statisticsfourth quarter 2012)

There is a particular problem with decisions on women’s claims. A 2011 study found 50% of negative decisions were overturned by the courts.

(Asylum Aid, Unsustainable: The quality of initial decision-

making in women’s asylum claims 2011)

There were 21,785 asylum applications to the UK in 2012. This the third lowest level in 10 years.

(Home Office quarterly statistical summary, asylum statistics

2012)

Since 2005 most people recognised as refugees are only given permission to stay in the UK for five years and can have their case reviewed at any time. This makes it difficult for them to make decisions about their future, to find work and make definite plans for their life in the UK.

The Home Office still detains some children seeking asylum with their families each year, despite evidence that it causes them harm.

(Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Intercollegiate

Briefing Paper: Significant Harm – the effects of administrative

detention on children, young people and their families 2009)

Refugees make a huge contribution to the UK

Immigrants, including refugees, pay more into the public purse compared to people born in the UK.

(Institute for Public Policy Research, Paying their way: the

fiscal contribution of immigrants in the UK, 2005)

An estimated 30,000 jobs have been created in Leicester by Ugandan Asian refugees since 1972.

(The Observer, They fled with nothing but built a new empire,

11 August 2002)

About 1,200 medically qualified refugees are recorded on the British Medical Association’s database.

(BMA/Refugee Council refugee doctor database – March

2010)

It is estimated that it costs around £25,000 to support a refugee doctor to practise in the UK. Training a new doctor is estimated to cost over £250,000.

(Reaping the rewards: re-training refugee healthcare

professionals for the NHS, October 2009 NHS Employers,

BMA Jan 2013)

Children seeking asylum contribute very positively to schools across the country. This in turn enables more successful integration of families into local communities.

(Office for Standards in Education, The education of asylum

seeker pupils, 2003)

CITIZENSHIP

Kindertransport 35

Poor countries - not the UK - look after most of the world's refugees

The UK is home to just over 1% of the world’s refugees – out of more than 15 million worldwide. (UNHCR Global Trends 2012)

Over 509,000 refugees have fled the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including about 52,000 during 2012. Only 205 of these people applied for asylum in the UK in 2012.

(UNHCR Global Trends 2012 & Home Office quarterly statistical summary, asylum statistics 2012)

About 80% of the world’s refugees live in developing countries, often in camps.Africa, Asia, and the Middle East between them host more than three quarters of the world’s refugees. Europe looks after just 16%. (UNHCR Global Trends 2011)

The likelihood that a refugee will be recognised as being in need of asylum depends on the country where they apply. In the UK in 2012, 30% of the people who applied for asylum were granted it. In some countries, such as Switzerland and Finland, over 70% of applications succeed. (UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2010)

Asylum seekers do not come to the UK to claim benefits. In fact, most know nothing about welfare benefits before they arrive and had no expectation that they would receive financial support.

(Refugee Council, Chance or Choice? Understanding why asylum seekers come to the UK, 2010)

Many asylum seekers live in poverty and many families are not able to pay for the basics such as clothing, powdered milk and nappies.

(The Children’s Society Briefing highlighting the gap between asylum support and mainstream benefits

2012)

Almost all asylum seekers are not allowed to work and are forced to rely onstate support – this can be as little as £5 a day to live on.

Asylum seekers are not entitled to council housing. The accommodation allocated to them is not paid for by the local council. Some asylum seekers, and those who have been refused asylum, are not entitled to any form of financial support and are forced into homelessness. This includes heavily pregnant women.

Asylum seeking women who are destitute are vulnerable to violence in the UK. More than a fifth of the women accessing our therapeutic services hadexperienced sexual violence in this country.

(Refugee Council, The experiences of refugee women in the UK, 2012)

CITIZENSHIP

Kindertransport 36

EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES

Exercises

2. Why do you think the Nazis introduced their anti-Semiticlaws over a period of several years rather than all at once?

3. Find out more about Kristallnacht. This is often considereda'turning point' for people like Eva's family in their decisionto send children on the Kindertransport.

Discuss why this might be such a pivotal event.

1. Look at the list of laws introduced 1993 - 1942. Identify which laws affected an individuals right to:

Practice their religion

Earn a living

Communicate

Individual identity

4. Have a closer look at the image from the school book.

Why might school books be a good way for spreading theNazi message of hatred towards Jews?

Kindertransport 37

6. Put yourself into the shoes of the British Government in1938.

Prioritise who to save and who to leave behind in Nazioccupied Europe.

In a group, discuss the reasons for your choicesRemember, there is no right or wrong choice.

5. Think about all the deeper meanings of the concept of'home' and why these can make leaving your place of origin difficult.

Children whose parents were in prison

Everyone who wants to come to Britain

Children aged 7 - 16

People of all ages with disabilities

Children in danger - whose names were on the list to be deported

Unemployed adults

Fluent English speakers

People of all ages with family in Brtain

Those over the age of 65

Children aged 7 and under

Children from Jewish families

Families from wealthy backgrounds

Orphaned children

No one

EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES

Kindertransport 38

8. Look at Greta’s list of what she brought with her on theKindertransport.

Write a list of the items which Helga may havepacked for Eva.

7. Read the first scene of the play and re-write thediscussions that might have been had between Eva and her mother and how she came to take the small doll withher.

9. Research the key individuals - Winton, Chadwick,Schonfeld and Schiff and make a poster or powerpointdetailing their contribution.

Then make a smaller one for Lil detailing her contribution.

EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES

10. Read and reflect on the poem ‘My Beloved Girls’. It waswritten by Josefine Rosenbaum, the mother of Lily Lampertshortly before her death at the Thereseinstadtconcentration camp in November 1943.

Lily and her sister had arrived in London on aKidnertransport in January 1939.

Kindertransport 39

Five years ago you journeyed aloneAway from your parents, all on your ownIn my mind’s eye I still see you, sad and forlornOn the train, eyes begging to stay, ‘twas not to be borneWe went home alone your dear father and IToo broken hearted even to cry.

And yet- how good you are not here;The strangers that took you- I hold them so dear.I bless them and thank the one above However you love them – it can’t be enough!

Here in the camp it is dismal and grey;We move- marked with numbers – yet gladly I’d stayWere your dear father stills pared with me here;But God took him from me and all I hold dear.Body on body close pressed in the night;One’s friends they are dying –God see our plight!

Children, are you well and good?Do they kiss you goodnight? How I wish that I could.I long for your nearness your feel and your touch;I am yearning to live- am I asking too much?Remember Aunt Ernest? She is also here.We talk of things we both hold so dear.Our thoughts fly to you and I suffer this painKnowing you both were spared it- shall we meet again?

As darkness surrounds me I think of you both,Of your safety and future; my soul to you close.Oh, to hold you once more! But all I can doIs to write furtive letters I can’t send to you.

Translated by Bertha Leverton

It is estimated that between 20 - 40% of KindertransportRefugees were reunited with their parents as Eva/Evelynwas with Helga. For some this was a happy and meaningfulreunion and for others this was more traumatic.

Why do you think Diane Samuels chose to focus on:

A family who were reunited as opposed to one like Lily Lampert’s in the poem above

A family for whom the reunion was unsatisfactoryrather than one, like Bertha Leverton who was resumestrong relationships with her parents once reunited.

A fictional family

EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES