Reunion of Kindertransport documents

open access The history of the ROK reflected in these documents is a good example of the function and character of a child survivor group, and more broadly reflects an aspect of Holocaust remembrance 50 years on. This collection is the second of two deposits made with the library concerning the reunion of the former children of the <em>Kindertransport</em>s. It represents the bulk of the material in the possession of Bertha Leverton, founder and primary administrator of the Reunion of the <em>Kindertransport</em> (ROK) organization. The collection concerns her work planning reunions; writing and editing monthly newsletters; acting as a liaison to <em>Kinder</em> and those interested in the <em>Kindertransport</em>; conducting educational lectures on the history of the <em>Kindertransport</em>; and generally promoting its story. Most of these documents are in the form of letters, unpublished memoirs, and newspaper articles; the collection also includes a number of audio and video tapes, as well as photographs. Additional materials concerning the ROK are held with the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) in London, where the organization was housed. The archive contains a wealth of correspondence between Bertha Leverton and the <em>Kinder</em>. Organized chronologically, these letters range from 1985 through 2002 and are housed in a single box. Effort was made to subdivide the correspondence between that which relates to the ROK and to Bertha Leverton's educational activities. This is admittedly somewhat of an arbitrary division. The ROK spawned a number of related memorial projects apart from the reunions, of which Bertha's educational talks were but one.<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span><span><span style="color: #000000;">The letters are generally of an organizational nature regarding preparations for the reunions and other questions. They not only reflect the history and growth of the ROK </span></span><span><span style="color: #000000;"><span>organization generally, but also the intimate, even at times familial feel to the group, personified in their connection with Bertha Leverton. While the ROK would eventually grow to take on additional volunteer help, it was always primarily run by Bertha Leverton. As such, she took it upon herself to personally correspond with the <em>Kinder</em> as part of her organizational role.</span> </span></span></span></span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span><span style="color: #000000;">2. <strong>Memoirs</strong> -- The collection holds 166 memoirs, predominantly unpublished and ranging from a few paragraphs included in a letter to independently published booklets with color photo reproductions. Memoirs are organized alphabetically by the current name of the Kind. Any previous names, place of birth, and/or place of departure are also noted for each entry. [Note: Most of the <em>Kinder</em>'s names changed to some degree, sometimes slightly, other times dramatically. Name change does not necessarily denote marriage, although it may. The circumstances of name changes are not always known.] A brief sketch of the contents of the material is also included.</span></span></span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span><span style="color: #000000;">Perhaps most significantly, Bertha Leverton solicited biographical information from the <em>Kinder</em> to be included in a collection of autobiographical accounts. Much of this material was submitted to her in letter form. Because of this, correspondence which is of primarily autobiographical nature or which clearly responded to Bertha's request was separated from the general correspondence and housed as memoirs. Researchers who are keen to thoroughly review ALL biographical material in the archive are urged to consult both the correspondence and the collected memoirs for the fullest picture.</span>Kindertransport more generally. Articles primarily derive from British newspapers, although a number of publications from the U.S., Germany, Israel and elsewhere are also included.pan&gt;</span></span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span><span style="color: #000000;">3. <strong>Photographs</strong> --</span></span></span></p> Open