Recha Freier
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Recha Freier (born October 29, 1892 in Norden, Ostfriesland; died April 2, 1984 in Jerusalem) founded the Youth Aliyah organization in 1933. The organization saved the lives of 22,000 Jewish children by helping them to leave Nazi Germany for Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel. In 1981, Freier was awarded the Israel Prize for her work. [1]
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[edit] Youth Aliyah activities
In 1932, when the Nazis began firing Jews from their jobs because of their Jewish origins, Freier conceived the idea of Youth Aliyah. "The utter senselessness of Jewish life in the Diaspora stood palpably before my eyes," she wrote. She devoted the rest of her life to the rescue of Jewish children and arranging for their transport to Palestine. Freier left Germany in 1940 when she felt there was little more she could do there. Before immigrating to Palestine, she helped smuggle 90 Jewish children out of Yugoslavia.
In 1957, Freier founded the Israel Composers Fund and sponsored the Israel Testimonium, a music event that took place in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. She wrote poetry and prose, and some of her poems were set to music by German Jewish composers. [2]
[edit] Published works
Let the Children Come!
[edit] Commemoration
Kikar Recha Freier, a square in the Jerusalem's Katamon neighborhood, is named after her.
[edit] References
http://www.berlin-judentum.de/englisch/freier.htm
