The New School And The Kindertransport Association Commemorate The Kindertransport Movement

The New School is proud to announce a series of free public events in recognition of the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport movement, an organized rescue effort of Jewish children that took place in the months leading up to the outbreak of World War Two. This special multi-day program of performances, screenings, and panel discussions is a collaboration between The New School's College of Performing Arts, The New School for Social Research, the university's Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, and The Kindertransport Association (KTA), a national not-for-profit organization that unites Kindertransport survivors and their descendants.

In the months leading up to World War Two, the Kindertransport movement enabled the safe passage of nearly 10,000 predominately Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland to Great Britain, where they were placed in foster homes, hostels, and farms. These children were often the only members of their families who survived the Holocaust. The KTA shares their stories, honors those who made the Kindertransport possible, and supports charitable work that aids children in need.

"The Kindertransport rescue movement provided sanctuary for children facing persecution," said Will Milberg, dean of The New School for Social Research. "Sanctuary is also at the heart of The New School for Social Research. Our University in Exile brought nearly 200 persecuted scholars from Nazi Europe to the U.S., and today's New University in Exile Consortium is helping endangered scholars from around the world to build a productive intellectual community in American universities. I am thrilled to be collaborating with the College of Performing Arts and the Kindertransport Association on this multidisciplinary, multimedia, and multifaceted event, which will help us examine an important historical moment as well as the latest research on migration and family attachment and separation."

The three-day series of events will include a film screening, panel discussions with renowned scholars, artists, and activists. They will also include the U.S. premiere of Carl Davis's Last Train to Tomorrow, performed by The New School's Mannes Orchestra, Mannes Prep Senior Chorus, and acting students from the School of Drama.

"The lives of some 10,000 children were saved as a result of the Kindertransport Movement. Yet, awareness of this historic movement often goes unrecognized in the United States. Forms of creative expression, like music, can help us to remember, process, and understand these historic events. Carl Davis's Last Train to Tomorrow does just that, and also offers us a portal into the inner worlds of the children, parents, and heroes who were a part of the movement. At The New School, we look forward to spending three days with Carl and with the Kindertransport Association to remember and commemorate The Kindertransport Movement through performance, conversation, and scholarship," said Richard Kessler, Executive Dean of the College of Performing Arts.

"I'm so excited that the U.S. premiere of this important piece will be at Lincoln Center with Mannes School of Music," said Davis. "I am conducting the work for the fifth time and have to brace myself for a direct assault on my emotions in which I try to express the many themes of the Kindertransport story - separation, isolation, and rejection. Looking at today's world, 80 years on, what could be more relevant? It's vital to continue to raise awareness of the plight of child refugees, and I look forward to seeing you all on Friday, April 12th."

"The first Kindertransport carrying children to safety in Great Britain arrived on December 2, 1938," said Melissa Hacker, filmmaker and President of the Kindertransport Association. "80 years on, the KTA is thrilled to join with The New School to bring greater awareness to this little known piece of Holocaust history. We must also remember the courageous parents who made the choice to send their children far away, not knowing who would take care of them, and not knowing what would happen to themselves, and the children who were not able to join the Kindertransport."

Following is a full list of the events and performances taking place at The New School. Please register here to reserve a seat.

Wednesday, April 10, 4:00 pm, Ernst C. Stiefel Concert Hall at The New School's Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 4th Floor

Film Screening: "My Knees Were Jumping: Remembering the Kindertransports"

Directed by Melissa Hacker and narrated by Joanne Woodward, this documentary tells the story of the Kindertransport children and their children, the next generation. Although these boys and girls were rescued from death at the hands of the Nazis, they had to live with separation from their parents and sometimes other siblings. In this groundbreaking film, these Holocaust survivors, now adults, who, in many cases, were never reunited with their families, share their memories. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the director, Melissa Hacker, moderated by Deirdre Boyle, Associate Professor, School of Media Studies at The New School.

Wednesday, April 10, 7:30 pm, John L. Tishman Auditorium at The New School, 63 5th Avenue, First floor

A preview performance of Carl Davis's Last Train to Tomorrow

The Mannes Orchestra
Carl Davis, Guest Conductor
The Mannes Prep Senior Chorus
Matthew Brady, Conductor
Students from the School of Drama
Staging by Jennifer Holmes

The program will include Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral", conducted by Guillaume Pirard

Thursday, April 11, Starr Foundation Hall at The New School's University Center, 63 Fifth Avenue, Lower Level, 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Art in Conversation with History: Creative Responses to The Kindertransport

• Miriam Steele, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director, Center for Attachment Research, The New School for Social Research
• Jennifer Holmes, Associate Dean, The New School's College of Performing Arts
• Carl Davis, Composer
• Melissa Hacker, Filmmaker and President of the Kindertransport Association
• Ilse Melamid (rescued by the Kindertransports in 1939), member, Board of Governors, The New School for Social Research

There will be a reception from 5:00 - 6:00 pm

Thursday, April 11, Starr Foundation Hall at The New School's University Center, 63 Fifth Avenue, Lower Level, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Dividing Lines: On The History Of Child Separation, Psychological Impact, Memory, Identity, And Trauma

Introduction by Will Milberg, Dean of The New School for Social Research

• Miriam Steele, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director, Center for Attachment Research, The New School for Social Research
• Adam Brown, Associate Professor of Psychology, The New School for Social Research
• Andrew Painter, Fellow from Practice, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at The New School
• Ilse Melamid (rescued by the Kindertransports in 1939), member, Board of Governors, The New School for Social Research

Friday, April 12, 7:30 - 9:15 pm, Alice Tully Hall, 1941 Broadway

Carl Davis's Last Train To Tomorrow, U.S. Premiere

The Mannes Orchestra
Carl Davis, Guest Conductor
The Mannes Prep Senior Chorus
Matthew Brady, Conductor
Students from the School of Drama
Staging by Jennifer Holmes

The New School's College of Performing Arts presents the U.S. premiere of Carl Davis's Last Train to Tomorrow at Alice Tully Hall. Carl Davis, the legendary composer and conductor, will conduct the work himself.

The program will include Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral", conducted by David Hayes, artistic director of the Mannes Orchestra.

The College of Performing Arts at The New School was formed in the fall of 2015, bringing together Mannes School of Music, the iconic 100-year-old conservatory; the legendary New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and the innovative and ground-breaking School of Drama. With each school contributing its unique culture of excellence, the College of Performing Arts creates opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration, innovative education, and world-class performances. As part of the formation of The College, Mannes has moved into the newly renovated Arnhold Hall in Greenwich Village, a state-of-the-art facility designed especially for the performing arts. Also housed in Arnhold Hall are The School of Jazz and the School of Drama's BFA program. As a part of The New School, students and faculty across the College of Performing Arts experience a supportive and rigorous environment with enhanced opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in a wide array of disciplines, from the visual arts and fashion design, to the social sciences, to public policy and advocacy, and more. CoPA has over 900 degree and diploma seeking students, including a variety of programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as Mannes Prep, a pre-college program with 400 students.

Founded in 1919, The New School was established to advance academic freedom, tolerance, and experimentation. A century later, The New School remains at the forefront of innovation in higher education, inspiring more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students to challenge the status quo in art and design, the social sciences, the liberal arts, management, the performing arts, and media. The university welcomes thousands of adult learners annually for continuing education and executive courses and public programs. The New School maintains a global presence through our online learning portals, research institutes, and international partnerships. Learn more at www.newschool.edu.

The Kindertransport Association is a volunteer-run non-profit founded by Kindertransport survivors and members of the second generation in 1990, 51 years after the Kindertransports. KTA members speak in schools, community centers and synagogues, hold local gatherings, and co-host the annual World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants conference. www.kindertransport.org