Elenora Rathbone House opened

On December 7, the Flatlet Home for elderly refugees, Eleanor Rathbone House, Was formally opened. Among those present at the ceremony were Baroness Stocks, the friend and biographer of Eleanor Rathbone ; Lady Warr; Miss Vera Craig (Mrs. Schaerli), formerly Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees; and members of the Rathbone family. In his welcoming address. Sir Henry d’Avigdor-Goldsmid, M.P., Chairman of the Jewish Trust Corporation, recalled the impact made by Eleanor Rathbone on British life and especially referred to her courageous stand in Parliament when the refugees were interned after the fall of France in 1940. He expressed his appreciation to the CBF and the AJR through whose joint efforts the idea of a flatlet home had now materialised. After the consecration of the Home by Rabbi M. Nemeth, Alderman Ernest Jones, Mayor of Haringey, conveyed the good wishes of the Borough whose various social facilities The speaker expressed the hope that the Ministry would see its way to reconsidering its decision and that the Borough of Haringey would also be prepared to subsidise the scheme. Any additional support would be used for the benefit of the residents by reducing the rents to be charged to them. In conclusion, Mr. Dresel paid tribute to the memory of Eleanor Rathbone who had also lent her help to the AJR and had repeatedly spoken at AJR meetings. Mr. H. Oscar Joseph, O.B.E., Chairman of the CBF, recalled that the difficulties encountered in the course of the preparatory work often appeared so great that some of those concerned with the project had become doubtful whether a viable scheme would emerge. ” Yet the AJR never wavered,” he said. The building, Mr. Joseph stated, was a fitting tribute to the memory of Eleanor Rathbone, whose outstanding services to the refugees he vividly remembered. Speaking on behalf of the Rathbone family. [Photo : JEWISH CHRONICLE From left to right: Mr. A. S. Dresel, Rabbi M. Nemeth, The Mayoress, The Mayor (Aid. E. Jones), Sir Henry d’ Avigdor-Goldsmid, M.P., Mr. H. Rossi, M.P., Mr. H. Oscar Joseph^ O.B.E., Mr. John F. Rathbone. Would always be at the disposal of the residents. Mr. H. Rossi, Member of Parliament for Hornsey, stated that, as his own parents had been newcomers to this country, he was well aware of the problems of adjustment with which the refugees were faced after their arrival. The new Home, he said, was at the same time a memorial for those who had not been able to escape from the Continent in time. Mr. A. S. Dresel, Chairman of the AJR, described the amenities offered by the Home, which comprises 48 self-contained one-room flatlets with kitchen and bath, four two-room flats, one three-room flat and one warden flat, the entire building is centrally heated and there are two lifts. Each flat has an intercom to the warden for use in case of emergency. There are two communal lounges, one with TV., and a small kitchen where teas, etc., can be . prepared for social functions. When the building was planned, one of the obstacles arose from the fact that, in the ordinary way, half of the flats would have faced North. This was avoided by the erection of a tower block, and special tribute was due to the architect, Mr-W. Marmorek, F.R.I.B.A., for the ingenious and thoughtful way in which he had designed the building. On the other hand, the need to erect a tower block had unavoidably increased the costs which were considerably Dove the amount assessed by the Ministry of Housing as the basis for the current subsidies. Mr. John F. Rathbone said that when asked for the consent to name the Home after his aunt, he had first hesitated, because Eleanor Rathbone had been a very modest personality who had never liked to put her name into the foreground. She was unsentimental and excelled by a strong sense of humility. Yet in the end he had arrived at the conclusion that she would have been pleased to be commemorated in this way, especially as she had felt a great personal affection for the Jews persecuted by the Nazi regime. The opening ceremony was followed the next evening by a most enjoyable informal housewarming party for the residents and their relatives and friends. Rabbi Dr. G. Salzberger kindled the Chanukah lights and linked the historical meaning of the ” Consecration ” at the time of the Maccabees with the consecration of the new Home. Mr. E. A. Lomnitz, Deputy General Secretary of the AJR, extended a cordial welcome to all residents and expressed the hope that they would develop a happy community life at Eleanor Rathbone House. He also thanked the members of the Ad hoc Committee who had lent a hand to the residents when they moved in, Mrs. R. Anderman, Mr. H. Hirschfeld, Mrs. M. Mautner and Mrs. E. Trent, and the wardens, Mr. and Mrs. Hendry. Mr. Walter Sachs expressed the gratitude of the residents to the organisations and personalities through whose efforts the Home had come into being.