Bedford
The hostel was called Goldington Bury House and was on Goldington Road in Bedford, an historic market town north of London. The site of the old house now lies beneath a block of flats and the former grounds are used by Bedfordshire County Cricket Club. The hostel opened in June 1946 and was run by HeChalutz, a secular socialist Zionist youth movement. It housed 40 people of which about 20 were members of the Boys.
THE HOUSE
Goldington Bury was a large Georgian house surrounded by extensive gardens.
In 1953, Goldington Bury was acquired by Bedford Borough Council. It was eventually demolished in 1964.
THE BEDFORD STORY
Around 20 of the Boys arrived in Bedford in June 1946. The hostel trained them in agriculture and mechanics. While at the hostel, some of the Boys worked in Bedford.
Initially, the Committee for the Care of the Concentration Camp Children were unhappy about the running of the hostel and it was said to have no routine.
In June 1946, boys from Alton arrived at Goldington Bury. They intended to go to Palestine and joined a group of 25 members of HeChaluz.
The Boys
- Bayer, Jacob
- Beil, Abraham
- Bernholz, Sala
- Borgenicht, David
- Buncel, Erwin
- Cygelfarb, Jehoszua
- Dessau, Kopel
- Elkienbaum, Abraham
- Fischer, Berta
- Fischer, Cecilia
- Frydman, Nachman
- Glicksohn, Jacob
- Goldberger, Jan
- Goldstein, Abraham
- Grzmot, Motek
- Gutman, Wolf
- Kutner, David
- Morgenstern, Abraham
- Neuman, Jiri
- Richter, Leiser
- Schindler, Alfred
- Schindler, Max
- Swartz, Rushka
- Wiernik, David
- Zaks, Henryk
- Zwirek, Abraham
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The Staff
The hostel was run by Mr Katz, who was an agriculturalist, and his wife. He eventually resigned, as the children paid no interest in agricultural work.
Dr Gellner, a lady doctor, looked after the children’s health.
Mr and Mrs Epstein,who had been in Windermere.