Wilfrid Israel facts for kids
Wilfrid Berthold Jacob Israel (born July 11, 1899 – died June 1, 1943) was a kind and brave businessman from England and Germany. He came from a rich Jewish family. Wilfrid worked hard to help rescue Jewish people from Nazi Germany. He played a very important part in the Kindertransport, which saved thousands of children.
People described Wilfrid Israel as "gentle and courageous." He didn't like being in the spotlight or holding public office. However, he had a special way of influencing his friends and colleagues. The philosopher Martin Buber called him "a man of great moral stature." This means he was a person with strong values who helped others.
Wilfrid was killed when his plane was shot down. He was flying from Lisbon to Bristol when a German fighter plane attacked it. This happened over the Bay of Biscay.
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Wilfrid Israel's Life Story
Wilfrid Israel went to school in Berlin, Germany. For a few months in 1911, he also studied in Switzerland.
After World War I, he traveled a lot, including to places in Asia. He was very interested in art from these regions. When the world faced a big economic crisis, he helped the Habima Theatre move to Mandatory Palestine.
In 1931, Wilfrid Israel arranged a special meeting. He took Mahatma Gandhi's helper, V. A. Sundaram, to meet his friend, Albert Einstein. Einstein wrote a letter to Gandhi, and Gandhi quickly wrote back. Even though Einstein and Gandhi couldn't meet in person, Wilfrid Israel helped them connect.
In 1932, a woman named Recha Freier asked Wilfrid for money. She had an idea to start Youth Aliyah. This program would send young Jewish people to Palestine to save their lives. Wilfrid gave the money, and the first twelve young people went to a village in Palestine.
Wilfrid Israel's family owned the Nathan Israel Department Store in Berlin. It was one of the biggest and oldest stores in Germany before World War II. When the Nazis came to power, Wilfrid used the store to help people. He worked to get prisoners released from Nazi concentration camps. Many Nazi leaders had accounts at his store, and he never charged them. Wilfrid also helped his Jewish employees leave Germany. He paid them two years' salary when they left.
Helping people with money was just a small part of his rescue work. The Gestapo (Nazi secret police) arrested and beat Wilfrid. They also followed him when he traveled. Despite this, he tried to convince British officials to let Jewish people into "transit camps" in Britain. These were temporary camps for Jews released from German concentration camps. About 8,000 young men were saved this way.
He also worked with Frank Foley, a British intelligence agent. Foley was in charge of giving out passports at the British office in Berlin. Wilfrid would tell Foley which Jewish people were honest and needed help to leave. He also warned Foley about German spies trying to get into the lines of people seeking visas.
Wilfrid, Frank Foley, and a Jewish statistician named Hubert Pollack worked together secretly. Pollack had contacts in the Gestapo. Wilfrid had money and connections abroad. Foley could give visas. Pollack would meet them in cafes, where money could be exchanged. People would ask Wilfrid for help to free their family members from camps. Wilfrid gave money to Pollack, who got the documents. Foley then gave visas to those Wilfrid and Pollack said were honest people. Before the terrible event called Kristallnacht, they managed to save about 10,000 Jewish people.
Wilfrid Israel and the Kindertransport
Wilfrid Israel played a very important role in the Kindertransport. This was a rescue mission that saved 10,000 German Jewish children. It happened after the Kristallnacht attacks in November 1938. By this time, most Jewish leaders in Germany had been arrested. Wilfrid took charge of the Hilfsverein, a German Jewish organization that helped people emigrate.
He strongly urged British Jewish leaders to rescue German Jewish children. The idea was to send the children to England without their parents. The British government was not sure if parents would agree to part with their children. But a group of Quakers (a religious group) went to Germany. Wilfrid Israel guided them. They met with parents and confirmed that they were willing to let their children go. This helped convince the British government to allow the Kindertransport to happen.
The Israel department store in Berlin was attacked and then taken over by the Nazis. Wilfrid Israel left Germany, but he returned just before the war started. He went back to help organize the very last group of children leaving on the Kindertransport. He only left when he was warned that he was about to be arrested. Wilfrid also helped many of his employees escape Germany by giving them money and support.
After settling in London, he worked with organizations helping German Jewish refugees. He also advised the British government on refugee movements in Europe.
Wilfrid Israel was a friend of famous people like Albert Einstein, Martin Buber, and Chaim Weizmann. Weizmann later became the first president of Israel. Wilfrid's connections with British Quakers and important British politicians like Herbert Samuel were very helpful in his rescue missions.
Brenda Bailey, whose parents were Quakers, wrote about Wilfrid Israel. She said that after Kristallnacht, Wilfrid contacted Jewish leaders in London. He told them that extraordinary steps were needed to save at least the children.
How the Kindertransport Started
Wilfrid Israel is described in British government records as the "chief representative of German Jewry." His many requests to the British government to help German Jews are written down.
From 1937, Wilfrid Israel was very active in the Hilfsverein. This was the main German Jewish organization for emigration. Most Jews who needed help to leave Germany went to the Hilfsverein. By the time of the Kristallnacht attacks in November 1938, Wilfrid Israel was the director of this organization.
Wilfrid Israel told British diplomats about the Nazi persecution. He also suggested ways for Jews to emigrate to Britain. After Kristallnacht, he made a final plea in London, but it was rejected. However, another of his ideas was accepted: to set up a temporary camp in Britain for young men released from concentration camps. This saved 8,000 lives.
Wilfrid Israel used his personal connections in Britain. He contacted Lord Samuel, who was the head of the Council for German Jewry. Wilfrid asked him to help rescue unaccompanied Jewish children.
The request was accepted after two meetings with the British Prime Minister. The second meeting included representatives from the British Quakers. They visited Germany, guided by Wilfrid Israel. They confirmed that Jewish parents were willing to let their children go.
Key Moments for the Kindertransport
- November 1st: Lord Herbert Samuel asked the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, to relax immigration laws for children. He only received sympathy, not a clear answer.
- November 8th: Wilfrid Israel told the British official in Berlin that he was worried about attacks on Jews in Germany.
- November 9th: Wilfrid Israel called Chaim Weizmann in London. Weizmann then called the Foreign Office. He was very worried and said the situation in Germany had become dangerous.
- November 15th: Wilfrid sent a message to the Council for German Jewry. He gave details of the problems and suggested rescuing German-Jewish children and young people up to age seventeen right away.
- November 17th: After more attacks, Wilfrid formally asked Britain to speed up Jewish emigration. He especially wanted help for those driven from their homes.
- A group of British Jewish leaders, including Lord Samuel and Chaim Weizmann, quickly put together a request. They met with Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. His first response was not clear.
- Wilfrid Israel's connections with the Quakers became very important. A Quaker group, led by Bertha Bracey, visited Germany. They met with Wilfrid Israel and German Jewish women's organizations. Together, they visited Jewish communities. They reported back to the British government that German Jews wanted help to emigrate.
- November 21st: Lord Samuel led another group, including Wilfrid's friend Lola Hahn Warburg and Quaker Bertha Bracey. They met with the Home Secretary. A Quaker named Ben Greene, who had just returned from Germany, told them that German parents were ready to part with their children.
- That evening, the Home Secretary announced that the government agreed to let refugee children into Britain. This decision removed the legal barriers, and the Kindertransport could finally begin.
Last Efforts and Legacy
After officially leaving Germany in mid-1939, Wilfrid Israel went back to Berlin. He helped organize the last groups of German Jewish children for the Kindertransport. He finally left just days before World War II began.
The Kindertransport did not start with British Jewish leaders. Their requests were a response to Wilfrid Israel's appeals. He was the representative of the Jewish community in Germany. The idea and initiative came from German Jewry itself.
Wilfrid Israel's work for children and young people was extensive. Many years earlier, he helped start Youth Aliya. On his last trip to Europe during the war, he made plans to rescue Jewish children in France.
Wilfrid Israel's Death and Memorials
On March 26, 1943, Wilfrid Israel left London for Lisbon, Portugal. For two months, he gave out papers allowing Jews to enter British-ruled Palestine. He also looked into the situation of Jews in Spain and Portugal. These countries had some sympathy with Nazi Germany but refused to hand over Jews to them. Before leaving, Wilfrid also planned to rescue Jewish children from France. This plan was partly carried out after his death.
Wilfrid Israel was killed on June 1, 1943, when he was 43 years old. His plane, BOAC Flight 777, was shot down over the Bay of Biscay by German planes.
A large memorial honoring Wilfrid Israel has been built in Israel. It also honors all Jews who risked their lives to save others during the Holocaust. The memorial is near the ancient city of Tel Yokneam. It was designed by sculptor Sam Philipe.
A Letter from Albert Einstein
Here is a letter Albert Einstein wrote about Wilfrid Israel after his death:
Princetown, N.J. June 14, 1943.
Dear Mrs. Israel, I feel a deep need to write to you. I know you are very worried about your son. I have never met anyone as noble, strong, and selfless as he was. He was truly a living work of art.
In these difficult times, when so few can stand strong, his presence felt like a relief from despair for humanity.
I still hope that a miracle saved him. But I want to assure you of my deepest sympathy during these tragic hours.
With heartfelt wishes, A. Einstein
The Wilfrid Israel Museum
The Wilfrid Israel Museum is located in Kibbutz HaZore'a, Israel. It is an archaeology and art museum dedicated to Wilfrid Israel's memory. The museum opened in 1951. It holds Wilfrid's special collection, and many more items have been added over the years.
The museum has permanent displays of art from India, China, Thailand, and Cambodia. It also shows art from the ancient Near East and local archaeological finds. The museum also has changing exhibitions of modern art, sculptures, photos, and textiles. It offers many educational programs for children, teens, and adults. These include guided tours and creative activities in the museum's art workshop.
In August 2020, burglars stole about 30 items from the museum.
Wilfrid Israel Film
A film about Wilfrid Israel premiered in Israel on November 1, 2016. The film is called The Essential Link: The Story of Wilfrid Israel. It was made by filmmaker Yonatan Nir. The movie tells the story of Wilfrid Israel's life-saving work. It also shows his connections with the people who founded Kibbutz HaZore'a. The film mostly focuses on the last ten years of his life. You can find more information about Wilfrid and the film on its website.
