I was fascinated by Isaac Ochberg(1879–1938) who was born in Uman in Russia/now Ukraine. With thousands of other Russians, the Ochbergs went to South Africa in 1894 where Isaac became a successful Cape Town businessman.
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Even though they were scared of being eaten by African tigers, the children were excited. And when Mr Ochberg appeared, with his gingy hair and welcoming smile, the orphans soon called him Daddy.
The Polish authorities put many children travelling to Warsaw on cattle-trucks. Though their passports carried the usual Polish word Paszport with the Polish Eagle, there were no individual photos. Instead group photos appeared, some with 30-40 small children sitting in rows.
They travelled in overcrowded, dirty trains to Warsaw, each child having a tiny package of clothing sent from overseas. In the middle of Warsaw was a restaurant, belonging to Panya Engel, a kindly Jewish woman who the children adored. For several months the Ochberg orphans stayed in local schools, and Panya Engel and friends worked hard to protect them. Just as it seemed as if most of the difficulties had been overcome, there was a serious outbreak of eye trachoma which held up their departure.
From Warsaw, they travelled by river boat down the Vistula to Danzig. There, on the Baltic, they boarded a steamer bound for London, and the other kind people took charge of the orphans. A few of them were again taken ill, and spent the time in London in hospital.
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There was a warm reception when they finally landed in Cape Town in Sept, with huge crowds waiting on the quay for them. So large was the group of children that Cape Jewish Orphanage could no longer house them all, and some went to Arcadia Johannesburg Orphanage instead.
In South Africa, the once-pathetic, poorly dressed children clearly profited from the kindness and instruction they received. There were numerous invitations to Jewish homes, and some of the children were adopted. Special English language classes were organised.
Nicholas Winton saved far more children from murder before WW2 and took them to Britain. But Ochberg set the model for humanitarian heroism in taking c190 Jewish pogrom orphans from the Ukraine and Poland to South Africa after WWI. See the honours he received and the formal dedication that was made in 2011.
Read Ochberg Orphans and the horrors from whence they came, David Solly Sandler, 2014
Isaac Ochberg, March 1921
aish.com
After the old Czarist regime ended in 1917, rival armies were fighting for control. With law and order failing, transport for many thousands of demob'd soldiers ended. Plus vast armies of German ex-POWs tried to make their way home after the Soviets’ Peace Treaty at Brest-Litovsk.
The battles did not start out as particularly anti-Semitic. But owing to the oppression to which they had been exposed for generations, the lives of the impoverished Jews worsened. With famine and typhoid epidemics, ancient horrors surfaced in the misery. Polish and other peasants joined forces with reactionary officers and troops, to kill Jews in pogroms.
The battles did not start out as particularly anti-Semitic. But owing to the oppression to which they had been exposed for generations, the lives of the impoverished Jews worsened. With famine and typhoid epidemics, ancient horrors surfaced in the misery. Polish and other peasants joined forces with reactionary officers and troops, to kill Jews in pogroms.
Survivors begged their cousins in South Africa for help. A great surge of compassion swept the South African Jewish community who would try to save some of the victims, particularly children. But would the Union Government create any difficulties in admitting them?
Ochberg quickly met Gen Jan Smuts, prime minister between 1919–24, who gave the children entry visas. Smuts could have sunk the rescue plan in an instant, had he chosen to. His support was essential and warmly welcomed.
A South African Relief Fund for Jewish War Victims was already in place when Ochberg proposed that the Cape Jewish Orphanage take responsibility for the children. The Relief Fund had to raise £10,000, enough for 200 orphans. [Sadly 400,000+ destitute Jewish orphans were eventually found]. By Jan 1921 the Union Government agreed to give pound for pound to the Pogrom Orphan Fund.
Someone had to go to Europe, so Ochberg made himself responsible in Mar 1921. He travelled to Ukraine for a few dangerous months, visiting lots of villages in the Polish Ukraine and Galicia. Ochberg proceeded from town to town, visiting Minsk, Pinsk, Lodz, Lemberg, Stanislav and Wlodowa etc. When a letter came to him from Port Elizabeth's communal leaders, Ochberg answered and expressed his very great thanks for their boxes of second-hand clothing. The generosity displayed by South African Jewry made it possible to rescue the children. Otherwise they would surely have died of starvation, disease or Ukrainian pogrom wounds.
A South African Relief Fund for Jewish War Victims was already in place when Ochberg proposed that the Cape Jewish Orphanage take responsibility for the children. The Relief Fund had to raise £10,000, enough for 200 orphans. [Sadly 400,000+ destitute Jewish orphans were eventually found]. By Jan 1921 the Union Government agreed to give pound for pound to the Pogrom Orphan Fund.
Someone had to go to Europe, so Ochberg made himself responsible in Mar 1921. He travelled to Ukraine for a few dangerous months, visiting lots of villages in the Polish Ukraine and Galicia. Ochberg proceeded from town to town, visiting Minsk, Pinsk, Lodz, Lemberg, Stanislav and Wlodowa etc. When a letter came to him from Port Elizabeth's communal leaders, Ochberg answered and expressed his very great thanks for their boxes of second-hand clothing. The generosity displayed by South African Jewry made it possible to rescue the children. Otherwise they would surely have died of starvation, disease or Ukrainian pogrom wounds.
At first Pinsk was isolated by the fighting and Ochberg and helpers were thrown on their own resources. The 3 Jewish orphanages in Pinsk had few beds, bedding and clothes - they used flour bags to sleep on. Typhus spread in the orphanage and shells were bursting in the streets. A notorious Ukrainian fanatic descended with his gangs and the pogroms raged for a week. The Federation of Ukrainian Jews did its best to assist but with civil war raging over large areas of Poland and elsewhere, and only a minimum of transport in operation, progress was slow. As order was restored, supplies began to arrive, first from Juedischer Hilfsverein in Berlin, and then from U.S Joint Distribution Committee: cocoa, condensed milk, cooking oil and clothes.
One day the orphans heard that a "man from Africa was coming". He was going to take some of them away with him and give them a new, safe home. Nearly all the orphans had lost both parents, many in pogroms, on the Ukrainian border, at Minsk, Pinsk and other places.
One day the orphans heard that a "man from Africa was coming". He was going to take some of them away with him and give them a new, safe home. Nearly all the orphans had lost both parents, many in pogroms, on the Ukrainian border, at Minsk, Pinsk and other places.
Group passport photo
The Observation Post
Confronting Ochberg was how to make his choice from the vast number of destitute children. He chose 8 children from each orphanage, making a total of 200 for whom he had funds. Since the South African Government had specified that the children must be in good health, of reasonable intelligence and willing to leave, the cream of each orphanage was selected.
Even though they were scared of being eaten by African tigers, the children were excited. And when Mr Ochberg appeared, with his gingy hair and welcoming smile, the orphans soon called him Daddy.
The Polish authorities put many children travelling to Warsaw on cattle-trucks. Though their passports carried the usual Polish word Paszport with the Polish Eagle, there were no individual photos. Instead group photos appeared, some with 30-40 small children sitting in rows.
They travelled in overcrowded, dirty trains to Warsaw, each child having a tiny package of clothing sent from overseas. In the middle of Warsaw was a restaurant, belonging to Panya Engel, a kindly Jewish woman who the children adored. For several months the Ochberg orphans stayed in local schools, and Panya Engel and friends worked hard to protect them. Just as it seemed as if most of the difficulties had been overcome, there was a serious outbreak of eye trachoma which held up their departure.
From Warsaw, they travelled by river boat down the Vistula to Danzig. There, on the Baltic, they boarded a steamer bound for London, and the other kind people took charge of the orphans. A few of them were again taken ill, and spent the time in London in hospital.
Warm reception awaited the orphans
who came ashore in Cape Town, late 1921.
Observation Post
There was a warm reception when they finally landed in Cape Town in Sept, with huge crowds waiting on the quay for them. So large was the group of children that Cape Jewish Orphanage could no longer house them all, and some went to Arcadia Johannesburg Orphanage instead.
In South Africa, the once-pathetic, poorly dressed children clearly profited from the kindness and instruction they received. There were numerous invitations to Jewish homes, and some of the children were adopted. Special English language classes were organised.
Nicholas Winton saved far more children from murder before WW2 and took them to Britain. But Ochberg set the model for humanitarian heroism in taking c190 Jewish pogrom orphans from the Ukraine and Poland to South Africa after WWI. See the honours he received and the formal dedication that was made in 2011.
Read Ochberg Orphans and the horrors from whence they came, David Solly Sandler, 2014