When Henny Wenkart was ten years old, her life was endangered. Like all Viennese Jews in 1939, Henny was no longer welcome in her native city. Nazi Germany had annexed Austria and was implementing plans to eradicate the Jewish community.
Fortunately for Henny and 49 other youngsters, a couple in Philadelphia cared deeply about her fate and felt compelled to act.
Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus had no personal reason to be concerned about Henny or anyone in Europe. Neither had relatives who were personally threatened by Hitler’s rise to power. But the Kraus’ had a remarkable moral compass and they refused to stand by as Germany was poised to dominate the world.
Gilbert Kraus, frustrated by the lack of action in the US to provide a safe haven, decided that he and his wife would do whatever was necessary to save Jewish lives. His plans were met with resistance. The Roosevelt Administration kept the doors firmly shut to refugees. Even the Jewish community in Philadelphia urged the Kraus’ to drop the idea. Anti-Semitism was rampant on this side of the Atlantic, and Jewish leaders feared that this endeavor might fuel the negative feelings.
But Gilbert, a 42-year-old attorney, was known for his stubbornness. When he had an idea, he took action.
A Jewish-sponsored sleep-away camp outside Philadelphia had 50 available beds that summer. This solidified the Kraus’ plan. They would find children to fill each of those beds.
The initial steps could be managed while still in the US. After multiple attempts, Gilbert was finally able to secure 50 visas. Eleanor worked diligently to get 50 affidavits signed. Friends, family members, and complete strangers signed on the dotted line, agreeing to be responsible for a child after he/she arrived in the States.
Gilbert sailed to Europe to see if he could secure approval from Germany and select the children who would return with him. He was disappointed to discover that he was unable to manage the tasks alone. The workload was too large. He asked Eleanor to get on the next ship headed for Europe.
The decision to work together in Europe had enormous ramifications. The Kraus’ had to leave their two young children at home with family. One wonders whether there can be any stronger demonstration of selflessness than the decision to leave one’s own children in order to rescue others’.
The Jewish community in Vienna notified families about this rescue mission. Henny’s parents were among the many who brought their children to the Jewish Center where the arrangements were being planned. When they arrived, Henny, aged 10, asked those in charge whether her two-year-old sister could be placed on the list. That wasn’t possible. Only older children were eligible. No doubt touched by the girl’s concern for her younger sister, they offered Henny one of the available spots. Henny had a week to decide whether she would be among those sailing to New York.
Once offered a place on the boat, Henny immediately knew that she would say yes. But she waited days before telling anyone her answer.
“I stayed in bed all week. I couldn’t sleep or eat. I didn’t have a decision to make. The minute they said that I could go, I was going.”
It was a complex situation. Jews were facing such desperate prospects that it was nearly unthinkable to refuse passage to safety. Her parents were clear that they wanted Henny on the boat. Yet, Henny was laden with guilt. While she’d face a lifetime of opportunities in the United States, her parents and sister would face imminent danger.
“I never got over that I was leaving my parents and sister in danger and saving my own life. I have never fully dealt with it.”
Fortunately, Henny’s parents and sister attained visas and, within months of Henny’s arrival, they joined her in America.
Henny first settled in Providence, RI, with an uncle. She attended Pembroke College, the women’s affiliate when Brown University only accepted males. After earning a BA degree, Henny enrolled in Columbia University’s School of Journalism for a Master’s degree. She went on to Harvard for a Ph.D. in philosophy, where she also taught philosophy and writing.
Henny spent nearly 30 years in New York City living a very accomplished life. She taught philosophy and writing at Stern College, published poetry, edited literary journals, founded the Jewish Women’s Poetry Workshop, and raised three children.
Nearly two years ago, Henny became critically ill. She had been living alone in New York: she and her husband had separated. Her children urged her to leave her beloved Manhattan apartment for a life-care community in the Boston area where they lived. She needed a more supportive living arrangement.
Henny has since recovered and is coming to terms with the realities of her life.
“I could go home now, but I don’t have a home.”
Certainly, it is no easy feat to keep active the mind of a 90 year old woman with a Harvard doctorate in philosophy. But Henny is resourceful. She’s writing her first novel and leading a writing workshop.
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Henny has returned to Vienna twice since the war ended. It was painful. The city was still unwelcoming to Jews.
“There are no more Jews. It was the Jews who gave Vienna life. It became a boring city without the Jews.”
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The effort to bring Henny and 49 other Jewish children to this country is beautifully described in a documentary titled 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. & Mrs. Kraus. The movie, which is available on HBO, is based on a book written by the Kraus’ grandson-in-law. Henny is among a handful of speakers in the film who were saved by Mr. and Mrs. Kraus.
In the documentary, Henny makes a poignant observation about the situation in 1939.
“It wasn’t a matter of people being unable to leave Europe. Anybody was still able to get out. The trouble was, there wasn’t anywhere to go. If there had been more doors open, everybody could have been saved. Everybody.”
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I was quite moved by Henny’s story, not only for its insights into an earlier historical time, but for its relevance today.
The United States severely limited entry to refugees. The plight of the MS St. Louis ocean liner was infamous. After being refused entry by Cuba, the ship moored near US ports, with the futile hope that its 900 Jewish passengers would be granted permission to disembark to safety. Disturbingly, the US also refused entry and the ship returned its passengers to Europe, where many of its passengers were murdered by the Germans.
The US government had the clout and resources to assist the Kraus’ effort in addition to implementing their own rescue attempts. Tragically, no action was taken. Any gratitude for the Kraus’ courage is sobered by the realization that these 50 Viennese children comprised the largest group to be accepted into the US during World War II.
It’s been decades since that war and, once again, our borders are closed to scores who face danger in their homelands. When we turn our backs on those who desperately need entry, we are repeating a shameful history.
When Henny mentions the multitudes that might have been saved if borders had been opened, she was referencing 1939. It’s a message that is hauntingly relevant in 2019.
What an amazing woman! Excellent story.
Fascinating story, a piece of history I didn’t know about. Thanks for telling us about Henny.
I’m so glad that Henny’s parents and sister were able to attain visas as well. What a remarkable story, and sol relevant to today. There is a Ken Burns’ movie, “The Sharps’ War” about a similar couple.