"Children first": the place of children in British Jewish humanitarianism (1881-1940)

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This thesis seeks to explore the place of children in British Jewish humanitarianism from 1881, with the outbreak of anti-Jewish pogroms in Russia, to the end of the Kindertransport in 1940. Despite the major role Britain played in shaping the international order, the actions of British Jews in the history of humanitarianism have not to date attracted much scholarly attention. Exceptions are the works of Abigail Green focusing on the actions of British philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore (2010) and Todd Edelman about the history of British Jews (2002). However, none of the pre-existing works focus in depth on the place of children in British Jewish humanitarianism over this period. This thesis therefore aims to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the history of British Jews through this lens. Possible research questions are:1) To what extent were children at the heart of British Jewish humanitarianism from the beginning of the Russian pogroms in 1881 until 1940? 2) Which evolutions can be observed during this period?3) What were the impacts of the First World War and Hitler's rise to power in 1933 on British Jewish humanitarianism towards children?Children, rather than any other population group, are at the heart of this project as they are considered as a particularly vulnerable population in the humanitarian field and therefore require special attention. Until now, scholars have focused mainly on the role of Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and organisations in the rescue of Jewish children during the Holocaust. However, as previously mentioned, none of the pre-existing works focus in depth on their place in British Jewish humanitarianism over such a period. By taking a longer view, this thesis therefore aims to study the evolutions of British Jewish humanitarianism towards children and to analyse the impacts that major events, such as wars and Hitler's rise to power, had on it. It will also seek to understand if children have always been at the core of Jewish humanitarianism, or if it is rather a recent evolution. To answer the research questions, this work will use mainly qualitative methodology. It will rely on a wide variety of archival sources such as, reports and administrative records of relief organisations, correspondence, newspapers, and memoirs. To avoid writing a history solely from the perspective of adults and institutions, contemporaneous children's sources, such as diaries, drawings, and letters, will be used. In addition to the qualitative work based on archives, the project will also use oral history. At a time when more and more people who lived during the 1930s and the Second World War are disappearing, it is particularly important to gather their last testimonies. Interviews will therefore be conducted with individual Kindertransportees, as well as with former refugees from the Association of Jewish Refugees. This aspect of the project is particularly relevant as the first year of the scholarship coincides with the 85th anniversary of the Kindertransport, and the second with the planned opening of the Holocaust Memorial in London. This research therefore lies at the crossroads of different academic fields, namely, British Jewish history, the history of humanitarianism and the history of childhood. It is part of the AHRC-funded project "Jewish Country Houses" led by Professor Abigail Green at the University of Oxford who supervises this thesis. Part of this work will also take place at the Holocaust Educational Trust (London) under the co-supervision of Dr Jenny Carson. It will thus be possible to extend this research project to World War Two and post-World War Two period to better serve the activities of the Holocaust Educational Trust. Parallels could also be drawn with other countries, such as France, as the history of Jewish humanitarianism is intrinsically transnational and connected.