Get the Children Out: Unsung Heroes of the Kindertransport

How did the Kindertransport happen?

Who organised the rescue of more than 10,000 Jewish children from Germany and Austria? Who cared for the unaccompanied children once they got to Britain? What lessons might there be for today's refugee crisis? The answer is an army of forgotten names: the fearless Dutch lady, the generous grocer, the tireless Quaker, the Berlin chaperone and the maverick rabbi- among many others.

Assisted by actors portraying some of the forgotten heroes, Mike Levy uncovers the gripping stories that lie behind the unprecedented act of mass rescue in 1938-39. The evening will conclude with a panel discussion looking back at the Kindertransport to how we deal with refugees today.

Mike Levy is author of the newly published ‘Get the Children Out: Unsung Heroes of the Kindertransport.’ A Holocaust educator, professional researcher and chair of the Harwich Kindertransport memorial project, he speaks with passion about the stories he has discovered. In partnership with Safe Passage.

In partnership with Jewish Book Week

Panellist Biogs■

Katya was born in Kazakhstan and graduated from Kharkiv Pedagogical University, Ukraine, in 2003. She worked for the Kharkiv Jewish Community Centre, the Joint Distribution Committee and then World Jewish Relief (WJR). In 2015 she moved to London to continue her work with WJR where she coordinated the Livelihood Development Programme in Ukraine. She was a member of the Global Shapers Community and, in 2015, Katya was a delegate at the World Economic Forum representing Ukraine.

Before the current war she was delivering training on inclusive education for teachers in Ukraine, however for the last few months she has been helping Ukrainian refugee families to find temporary shelter in the countries around Ukraine; to find sponsor families in the UK who will host them; helping with visa applications and travel arrangements; and then supporting them once they arrive in the UK.

Beth Gardiner-Smith is the CEO of Safe Passage, a charity championing the rights of refugees and displaced people as they flee persecution, using the law to help them access safe routes to sanctuary. Having previously led on Campaigns and Advocacy at Safe Passage when it was part of Citizens UK, Beth became the CEO in 2018 leading the charity's successful transition to becoming an independent charity.

She brings a wealth of experience in the area of refugee and asylum rights. Previously working within Parliament, she oversaw the development of Party policy on refugee and asylum issues at the height of the ‘refugee crisis’ in 2016, ran the successful cross-Party campaign on the ‘Dubs’ amendment, working with stakeholders outside Parliament and developing significant Parliamentary support.

Michael Newman is Chief Executive of the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), which represents and supports Holocaust refugees and survivors in Great Britain.

A previous Chair of the Communications Working Group, he is a member of the UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

As well as being an advisor on Holocaust-era restitution issues, guiding Holocaust survivors and refugees, and their families, with applications for compensation and the recovery of Holocaust era assets, he worked with the UK government to create the position of UK Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues and now advises incumbent Lord Eric Pickles.

Outside of work, Michael is President of the Anglo-Jewish Association (AJA), which supports Jewish students to attend higher and further education and is a founding member of the Claims Conference of which Michael is a Director.

He is the co-editor of Contemporary Human Rights Challenges: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its Continuing Relevance, an edited collection of new essays by leading international human rights experts.

Previously, Michael was a consultant to the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) and was a researcher at the Holocaust Educational Trust, the Britain-Israel Parliamentary Group and the Inter Parliamentary Council Against Anti-Semitism.

He was awarded on OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2021.

Janice is World Jewish Relief’s UK Programme Director and runs the award winning Specialist Training and Employment Programme STEP, which supports resettled refugees into employment. Janice has over 20 years’ experience working for a range of charities and social businesses, developing and managing large scale projects. Janice was awarded an MBE for services to refugees in the June 2019 honours list.