Zeitzeuge

75 YEARS ON – JEWISH ARTECK AND THE KINDERTRANSPORT

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Jewish Arteck is a summer youth camp like no other. It operates in a lovely setting on the banks of the Uedersee, an hour’s drive North of Berlin, with all the sport and leisure activities you can imagine. But it is the energy, imagination and hunger for learning brought by youngsters and their leaders from Russia, Israel, Germany and America that creates the magical and powerfully inspirational experience of being part of Jewish Arteck. I had the privilege to be invited to Jewish Arteck 2013.

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Ich bin eine echter Berlinerin, born in Wilmersdorf  23/1/35 and living in Charlottenburg until the November Pogroms in 1938, after which I came to England on the Kindertransport at age four with my seven year old brother in 1939. It took all of 50 years (until the first reunion of Kindertransport in 1989) before I could come to terms with my German past and reclaim my Berlin roots. Now, proud to be a Berlinerin, I welcome every opportunity to spend some time in ‘My City’.

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In 2012 I signed up for Limmud.de in Berlin’s old Jewish High School and met Ella Nilova who, to my delight invited me to Jewish Arteck 2013 to take part in its core theme – the Kindertransport. So, together with Ruth and Jurgen Schweining and Frank Meissler (sculptor of the Kindertransport memorials who came with two friends), I spent three memorable days as part of Jewish Arteck. We all learnt together through creating a number of informally structured events. A truly international ambiance was provided by translation into all four languages by the skilled leaders.

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The children had already had three days to do a lot of creative thinking and practical preparation before we arrived on July 12th in time for Shabbat. Out of an excited chaos of 64 jostling jabbering children and youth leaders emerged a joyful Cabbalah Shabbat service. The room was decorated with colorful posters, an Arc and lots of candles, most of which were made, but all of it prepared, by the children. Stas playing a haunting but joyous trumpet solo ushered in silence and a service that had everyone gripped. Many of the children were experiencing a Jewish Shabbat for the first time. After this the Shabbat meal was followed by an oneg/cabaret produced by groups of children with their leaders: songs, games, dance and story-telling prepared to entertain their guests – us!

Shabbat was then devoted to learning about the Kindertransport through an informal ‘Talk Show’ in which the four guests each gave a brief introductory talk. After this we were each ‘interviewed’ by a smaller group in four different rooms. Despite the translation into the other languages, I have never experienced quite so many interesting challenging and searching questions. The encounter with my group was an inspiring experience and, as I gathered, so were the others. 64 ambassadors who I am sure will raise awareness of the wider meaning of the Holocaust in the difficulties we still have currently in embracing diversity. After lunch we did some debriefing and processing of the morning’s experience through active workshops in small groups.

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Finally, the children prepared their previously rehearsed after dinner cabaret, presented as “English Tea”, sitting round candle-lit tables for tea and cakes, with 1920s background music and little ‘acts’ on the theme of ‘Englishness’ to honour us, their ‘English guests’. What a Shabbat! One I will never forget.

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Sunday followed with a very moving commemoration of the Kindertransport at the Friedrichstrasse memorial which had been sculpted by Frank Meissler – readings, candle lighting, music, and memory stones – all very impressive as everyone had been issued with a red or blue tee shirt with the Jewish Arteck logo. After a picnic lunch in the Lustgarten, we had a guide to explain the pillars that were there as one of 11 sites in Berlin representing “Zerstoerte Vielfalt” (Destroyed Diversity) to commemorate the Nazi intolerance of diversity and modern culture. The final visit was in the Ephraim Palais to see the collection of “Entartete Kunst” (degenerate art). This is a collection of paintings that survived as the Nazis used it for touring Germany as an example of ‘bad art’ and now it has become an example of ‘degenerate Nazi culture’!

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This was an unforgettable three days out of the ten days organised for this international group of young people by an equally international, dedicated and talented team of youth leaders. 2013 is the 8th year of Jewish Arteck and I hope it will continue for many years to come. Not only does it enable Jewish youth to reclaim and enrich their Jewish culture but also it does so through unique informally constructed events those tap the abundance of curiosity, imagination and enthusiasm of all who meet for the encounter.

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J-ArtEck Camp 2013