Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

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‘Heimat’, which had renamed itself the Jüdisch-religiöser Jugendbund ‘Heimat’
sometime before 1 July 1933; 67 the ‘Ring’, Bund deutsch-jüdischer Jugend, which
was forced to rename itself in 1936 to the ‘Ring’, Bund Jüdischer Jugend; and the
youth wing of the sports’ group of the Reichsbund jüdischer Frontsoldaten,
known as Der Schild. There were, however, exceptions. The children of a number
of members of the Synagogen-Gemeinde were members of Zionist youth groups.
This occurrence was largely due to either their parents’ interest in Zionism and/or,
more commonly, the family possessing relatives who had emigrated to Palestine.
The children of members of the Shtiblech generally belonged to one or even a
number of the Zionist youth groups. Evidence confirms the existence of Habonim,
Hechalutz, Makkabi and Mizrachi youth groups. 68 The Zionistische Vereinigung
für Deutschland, Ortsgruppe Magdeburg also offered Hebrew lessons to children
under the age of sixteen years. A Polish Jew by the name of Jakob Färber was one
of those teachers until his certification was revoked on 6 February 1937. 69 It
cannot be established whether the Zionistische Vereinigung also operated its own
youth group. As discussed in Chapter One, a number of further political and
ideological strands of Zionism existed in Magdeburg and it might be assumed that
a number operated their own youth groups as well. 70
67
Correspondence from the Jüdisch-religiöser Jugendbund ‘Heimat’, An den
Jugendführer des Deutschen Reiches, Abt. Verbände, 1 July 1933, Bestand 1, 75C Ar
1, Signatur Nr. 3, CJA, pp. 45–47.
68
Oral history material provides limited evidence of the roles and activities of these
four organisations. With regard to the Mizrachi youth group, it is most probable that
the organisation in Magdeburg known as Brith Chaluzim Dathiim was in fact the local
Mizrachi group. However, other than the linguistic link in its name, no other evidence
has been located to support this.
69
Correspondence from Der Magistratsschulrat Magdeburg, An den Herrn
Regierungspräsidenten zu Magdeburg, 6 February 1937, Bestand Rep. C 28 II,
Signatur Nr. 131, LHASA MD, op. cit., p. 138.
70
No documentation confirming the existence and operations of these organisations in
Magdeburg has been located.