The Kindertransport stands out as one of the most extraordinary stories of survival during the Holocaust. Thousands of children living in Central Europe were sent to the safety of Great Britain—albeit without their parents—during World War II. The stories of these Kinder vary widely (watch the documentaries Into the Arms of Strangers or My Knees Were Jumping to learn more), but they also share much common ground. Kinder grew up and lived in Britain, the United States, Israel, and many other countries, and most never reconnected with others who also survived, thanks to the Kindertransport. In the late 1980s, the Kindertransport Association was formed to reunite Kinder, raise awareness of the Kindertransport, and engage with charitable efforts. 
 
This November, in the Los Angeles area, the Kindertransport Association (KTA) will hold its 2012 conference, one emphasizing international and intergenerational aspects of the Kindertransport. This year’s event will feature a number of compelling speakers, including UCLA professor Vincent Brooks and Shoah Foundation director Stephen Smith; award-winning films; and interactive workshops. Learn more about it by reading the official KTA announcement below and visiting the Facebook page.
 
created at: 2012-05-21
Kindertransport Conference 2012
Generation to Generation: Honoring the Legacy, Transforming the Future
Irvine, California
November 2-4, 2012

The Kindertransport Association will hold its biennial international gathering, Kindertransport Conference 2012—Generation to Generation: Honoring the Legacy, Transforming the Future, in Irvine, California, November 2–4, 2012. The conference will feature multi-generational and interactive workshops, award winning films and many speakers including Vincent Brooks, professor at UCLA—speaking about Jewish émigré filmmakers—and Stephen Smith, director of the Shoah Foundation. Most importantly, Kindertransport survivors will have a chance to share their stories with other survivors as well as those of the second and third generations.

We of many generations will be honoring the legacy of the Kindertransports, a rescue movement that took place on the eve of World War II and saved nearly 10,000 German, Austrian, and Czech children at a time when much of the world turned a deaf ear. Most Kindertransport children never saw their parents again. On the brink of World War II one country, the United Kingdom, acted quickly to save Jewish children from the grips of the Nazi regime while the rest of the world stood still and complacent. The Kindertransport is the story of parents making a heartbreaking decision to save their children’s lives by sending them to strangers in another land, knowing they might never see them again. It is also a story of children surviving and creating new lives for themselves after living through an unthinkable tragedy. And now, nearly seventy-five years later, it is a universal story of hope and steadfast determination.

This conference, organized mostly by the second generation, will be an opportunity for survivors of the Kindertransports, kinder and their children and grandchildren to join together in celebrating and honoring the legacy of the Kindertransports with an eye to passing the torch to the next generations. Kinder and their extended families—wherever they live in the world—are invited to attend. Scholars and researchers are also welcome.

The Marriott Hotel and Conference Center is located in a beautiful part of Irvine, California and is offering an affordable discounted rate that will extend both before and after the conference for those wanting to make a longer visit. The location is easily accessible from three local airports, and for those needing special assistance to or from the hotel or while in attendance, we will do everything possible to be of help. Local nearby attractions include Disneyland, Hollywood, many museums, The Long Beach Aquarium, Knotts Berry Farm, and Lego Land. The Marriott is 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

Details, registration forms, and online payment are available on the Kindertransport Association website. (Note the $50 discount with early registration.) Or if you would like registration materials emailed to you, or to receive more information, please write to kt2@kindertransport.org or call Jeff Wolff at 949 215-2491.

Kindertransport Conference 2012 on Facebook 
KTA on the web

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