"Part of the Family" is an ongoing project attempting to catalogue the lives and experiences of Jewish refugees who lived with Christadelphians during the 1930s and 1940s. To that end, if readers know of anyone who could possibly be included in a future volume, please contact us.
In 1938 and 1939, via a movement known as the Kindertransport, thousands of Jewish children were taken from Nazi occupied territories to safety in Great Britain. They came to a new family, a new country, and a new life. Approximately 250 of these children were sponsored by Christadelphians.
Often the Holocaust is considered in terms of statistics: how many perished and how many were affected, so much so that at times the individual stories are lost in the numbers. This series examines the experiences of the individuals who came to England as children and lived with Christadelphians.
Ten of these child survivors, and their families, participated in the effort to bring about this first volume.
These are their stories.
"An invaluable illumination of small acts of astonishing bravery and generosity in the darkest days of war." - Kirkus (starred review)
"Part of the Family recalls the terrors of the Holocaust while commemorating heroic humanitarian efforts that saved lives. It illuminates the Christadelphian faith as well as the resilience of the Jewish people. It's a welcome addition to Holocaust history and literature." - Foreword Clarion Reviews
"Hensley weaves in wonderful details...In addition to the individual stories, he provides historical context, copious footnotes, more than 100 photos, pertinent maps, an extensive glossary and a bibliography. Readers with an interest in WWII, the Holocaust or religion will enjoy – and learn from – this revealing book." - BlueInk Review
"PART OF THE FAMILY is a thoroughly researched, deeply moving, and nuanced look at a less well-known aspect of the Holocaust." - IndieReader
The full Part of the Family documentary has now been finished! Check it out below:
Below are some short vignettes of the Kinder:
Mrs. Ursula Meyer lived with the Sawyer family near Birmingham, England. We've had the pleasure of meeting her and recording her testimony.
To learn more about her experiences, read her full biography in the book.
In the video below, Mrs. Rella Adler was gracious enough to tell us about her experiences with Philip and Lilian Adams, a Christadelphian couple from Sheffield.
To learn more about her experiences, read her full biography in the book.
Ernst Billig came to live with the Moores when he was just four years old. He tells his story below––and his full story can be found in Volume 2.
Max Rubinstein came to England with his sister Pauline. He tells their story of life with Harry and Phyllis Whittaker. His full story can be found in Volume 1.
Aish.com is a well-known Jewish news site. They wrote up a story related to our project:
Breaking Israel News described the role of Christadelphians and the Kindertransport:
"The Lost Story of How One Christian Sect's Biblical Beliefs Kept 250 Jewish Children Alive"
Hear about this project on the radio show "Locals Only":
Read about the research and the book in The Ventura County Star:
The Part of the Family project has made it into Australian media! Read the write up at Jewsdownunder.com:
Christadelphians, Kindertransport, & Rescue from the Holocaust
Jason Hensley, Ph.D., is the principal of a small private school in California and a professor of religion and Holocaust studies at Gratz Academy. He frequently lectures about the Holocaust, as well as the Bible, Christianity, Judaism, and related topics throughout North America. Contact him via email, or find him on Facebook.
