In brief
Historian Amy Williams has uncovered important records that tell the stories of the children who participated in the Kindertransport, including Hanna Zack Miley, who left her parents behind in 1939, never to see them again. Her journey reflects the broader turmoil faced by Jewish families escaping the Nazis.
In July 1939, Hanna Zack Miley embarked on a journey that would forever alter her life, joining nearly 10,000 Jewish children who escaped Nazi Germany for Britain through the Kindertransport. At just 7 years old, she left her parents behind in Cologne, believing she was embarking on a simple trip. "They told me it was a nice trip and I believed it," Miley recalled, reflecting on the bittersweet farewell as her parents stood weeping on the platform. Decades later, at 93 and residing in Phoenix, Arizona, Miley recounted her painful realization that this would not be a vacation, as she never saw her parents again. The Kindertransport, which took place from December 1938 to September 1939, facilitated the exodus of children to safety amidst the escalating terror of the Nazi regime.Recent research by historian Amy Williams has brought this chapter of history into the light, revealing a collection of documents detailing the names and information of many Kindertransport children and their chaperones, housed in the archives of Yad Vashem in Israel. These records help to fill in the gaps of a story that has lingered in obscurity for too long, allowing the world to remember the individual lives behind the bare statistics of the Holocaust. This trove of information underscores the urgency of preserving these narratives and understanding the impact of war on innocent lives. The rescuing of these children highlights not only their immense bravery but also the human cost of hatred and oppression. As memories fade, efforts to share these histories become increasingly important, ensuring the stories of these young Holocaust survivors, like Hanna Zack Miley, are not forgotten.
