50 Children: One Ordinary American Couple's Extraordinary Rescue Mission into the Heart of Nazi Germany
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About this ebook
Based on the acclaimed HBO documentary, the astonishing true story of how one American couple transported fifty Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Austria to America in 1939—the single largest group of unaccompanied refugee children allowed into the United States—for readers of In the Garden of Beasts and A Train in Winter.
In early 1939, America's rigid immigration laws made it virtually impossible for European Jews to seek safe haven in the United States. As deep-seated anti-Semitism and isolationism gripped much of the country, neither President Roosevelt nor Congress rallied to their aid.
Yet one brave Jewish couple from Philadelphia refused to silently stand by. Risking their own safety, Gilbert Kraus, a successful lawyer, and his stylish wife, Eleanor, traveled to Nazi-controlled Vienna and Berlin to save fifty Jewish children. Steven Pressman brought the Kraus's rescue mission to life in his acclaimed HBO documentary, 50 Children. In this book, he expands upon the story related in the hour-long film, offering additional historical detail and context to offer a rich, full portrait of this ordinary couple and their extraordinary actions.
Drawing from Eleanor Kraus's unpublished memoir, rare historical documents, and interviews with more than a dozen of the surviving children, and illustrated with period photographs, archival materials, and memorabilia, 50 Children is a remarkable tale of personal courage and triumphant heroism that offers a fresh, unique insight into a critical period of history.
Steven Pressman
Steven Pressman was a magazine and newspaper journalist for more than thirty years. He is the author of Outrageous Betrayal: The Dark Journey of Werner Erhard from est to Exile, and the writer, director, and producer of the HBO documentary film 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus.
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Reviews for 50 Children
36 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Apologies to those who have been waiting for my review of this book. I’m not up for writing a thorough review, but I hope my impressions are useful to you, especially regarding deciding whether or not this book is for you.I found the account gripping and suspenseful, even though the reader knows from the very start pretty much what is going to happen.From previous reading, I knew most of what was going on during the period and yet the details told still managed to shock me at times – great examples including excerpts from the NY Times, State Dept. memos, and the memories of those involved with this rescue.I get more and more angry at the U.S. the more I learn. I get so exasperated with human beings. Luckily, this story is mostly about the bravery, heroism, and empathy expressed by some very good people.I was particularly grateful for the details given of what happened with everyone, and surprised that there were so many children that couldn’t be currently tracked re what happened to them. I hope they or their significant others see the plea at the end of the book, and come forward with information. I had to smile because so many of the personalities/behaviors of certain children left me not at all surprised by the adults they became. I was very touched to read about some of their post rescue lives and accomplishments.There is an exceptionally fine and informative Afterword by Paul A. Shapiro of the United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumThere is no gorgeous language but it is a well written straightforward account.The photos of the children, others involved, documents, the times & places of the era were so important to me, especially the family portraits of the children and their families.The last year I’ve had a reading dry spell, but this book was easy for me to read, and very enjoyable.SPOILER: I was very surprised that so many of the parents and siblings got out and how so many of them also got out before the worst of the Holocaust, in 1939 and 1940. The relatively few exceptions were so heartbreaking, more so because of how many were able to escape the worst of the Holocaust.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I learned so much from this book. I think it is the first book I have read that clearly and succinctly explained America's view on the fate of the Jews at the beginning and during the Holocaust. What was known and when. Quite frankly I was appalled, so much more could have been done. So little actually was, and I had no idea of the stigma and prejudice that the Jews faced here in America. Of course there are as always a few good people that made a difference, not all Jewish, and these few attempted to do as much good within the law as they could. Gilbert and Eleanor Krauss were a well to do Jewish couple that managed with some help to bring 50 children from Austria, to America. Wonderful people that risked much to travel to Berlin and Austria during Hitler's rise to power.There is humor, as when the children arrived in America and are confronted with food they had never seen before, such as jello. Their are poignant and heartfelt moments, sadness of course.The Kraus's were amazing people, and I am glad that the author updated their lives afterward, although they had to deal with a tragedy of their own. He also updates the reader with the lives of the other good people who were involved and lastly the lives of the children that could find, now elderly themselves.All in all an amazing book showing, at least for me, another side of the Holocaust. At the end of the boo, Paul Shapiro who is the Director of the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies writes, "What each person does can make a world of difference,"If only more people had felt that way.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Children who can be saved and tracking them after extra ordinary is what this book is about. The two heroes of this story are ordinary people from Philadelphia PA who used their wits and talents to save 50 children from certain death at the hands of the Nazis.