Jewish war orphans, Holland

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 1556 WL 907
Held at	: Wiener Library   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/ ›
Full title	: Jewish war orphans, Holland
Date(s)	: 1947-1949
Level of description	: collection
Extent	: 1 folder
Name of creator(s)	: Committee for War Foster Children

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Committee for War Foster Children (Commissie voor Oorlogspleegkinderen) was established by the Dutch government on 13 August 1945. The committee's objective was to ensure that the fate of the children orphaned as a result of the war and the Holocaust be secured in the children's best interest. The stance taken by the committee was controversial from the outset.

Jewish groups felt that they were under represented on the Committee given that 84% of the children were Jewish. They argued that Jewish children, instead of being allowed to go to Jewish foster parents, were encouraged to stay with their existing (non- Jewish) foster parents. The committee, determined to be non-denominational, argued that if the children were happy in their adopted, non-Jewish environment, and it could not be proven that they came from orthodox family backgrounds, it would be in their best interests to stay put.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers concerning Jewish war orphans, 1947-1949, consists of case papers relating to the fate of Dutch Jewish foster children whose parents died during the Holocaust. Eleven cases are represented here, out of a total of 1363.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
Dutch

System of arrangement:

The order of the case papers relating to 11 individuals has been retained. Copies have been weeded out and the papers have been arranged chronologically.

Conditions governing access:

Open

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies can be made for personal use. Permission must be sought for publication.

Finding aids:

A detailed description exists on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Deposited by Office of the Chief Rabbi in 1990.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Compiled by Samantha Velumyl.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
March 2008