Introduction
About eighteen months ago Felix and Josh, from
Lebanon Park. Others have written about the
Hampton School, discovered an obscure reference
impact of reading Tom Palmer’s book.
to something called a ‘kinderhostel’ which existed
There are lots of people who we would like to
in Lebanon Park, a road close to where they lived
thank for their help in this Holocaust Memorial
in Twickenham in the late 1930s and through
Day project. First, we’d also like to thank our MP,
the Second World War. They discovered that the
Munira Wilson, for her powerful words that open
‘kinderhostel’ was home to ten Jewish boys who
this booklet. Similarly, we’d like to thank all the
had been forced to flee Nazism in their home
teachers who worked very hard to make it possible
countries just before the Second World War. Josh
for their students to attend the session with Tom
and Felix researched further and were able to
Palmer and for everyone’s responses to appear in
discover more about the boys who
this booklet during such trying times.
came to Twickenham, were honoured
Importantly, we’d also like to thank
to find many of the relatives of those
the families of the boys who came to
boys... and were privileged to find one of
Twickenham in 1939. They have been
those boys still alive and well, living in
wonderfully supportive with their time
the USA.
and precious images and memories of
In December last year young people
the boys in later life. Lastly, we’d like
from eight secondary schools around
to extend a huge thank you and ‘well
the London Borough of Richmond met online with
done’ to all the students who gave up
the author Tom Palmer. The students had already
their spare time to write such moving responses
read Tom’s book, ‘After The War’, about a group of
and reflections. They are all a hugely fitting way
boys who had survived the Holocaust and came
to remember the boys who lived in the Lebanon
to Britain in 1945. For the next hour, the students
Park ‘kinderhostel’ and their families who were
asked Tom how he approached writing a story
left behind.
based on the truth of the most troubling and dark
Thank you for reading our booklet. We hope that
period of human history.
you find it worthwhile. In a difficult time of rising
What follows is the students’ creative responses
Holocaust denial and antisemitism we think it
to the true story of the boys who fled from Nazism
is important for everyone to mark Holocaust
and lived in our borough. Some of the students
Memorial Day and we hope that you think this is a
have also written reflections on why it is important
meaningful way of doing so.
for us all to learn about the story of the boys of
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