Verbunden (Our September 2019 Prayer Update)
Dear Friends,
The Lord has brought us together with the Benecke family, stretching his arm out over the Atlantic Ocean between Trieb, a German village in Oberfranken (northern Bavaria) and Phoenix, Arizona. We form a team of seven—Hubertus, Dodo, Ludwig and Cecily Benecke, Cheri Beckenhauer, and George and Hanna.
Gradually, over the last two years, the Lord has been leading us to serve together in the work of Eifel Fellowship, one of the family of ministries of Antioch Network.
We have already held two six-day residential retreats hosted by the Beneckes in their home, a former monastery, in Trieb—the first in October 2018 and the second in May of this year. Called in German Jüngerschaftswoche, the retreats have been focused on the spiritual formation of Christlikeness in the life of Jesus’ disciples. The retreat text is George’s forthcoming book Maturing toward Wholeness in the Inner Life, now being prepared for publication in both English and German.
Our heads and hearts are filled with new visions. For example, George is now writing the material for a retreat on Leadership after the Pattern of Jesus…
The First Kindertransport Exhibition in Berlin
Academics in the School of Arts and Humanities have recently opened a new Kindertransport exhibition, ‘At the End of the Tunnel’, in Berlin. The outdoor exhibition is the first Kindertransport exhibition ever to show in Berlin, and the first in Germany to present the event from a German-British perspective.
‘At the End of the Tunnel’ is a result of a collaboration between Professor Bill Niven and Midlands4Cities PhD student Amy Williams from Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Dr Andrea Hammel from Aberystwyth University and Norbert Wiesneth of PhotoWerkBerlin. Bill and Amy have previously collaborated on several indoor exhibitions around the Kindertransport, which were recently shown at the British Embassy in Berlin in 2018. After impressing and inspiring PhotoWerkBerlin with their approach, the project ‘At the End of the Tunnel’ was created….
Am Ende des Tunnels (At the End of the Tunnel)
The Kindertransport remembered.
The opening of an exhibition in front of the Charlottenburg, Berlin railway station on 15 August and continuing until 13 October, 2019. A united German/British venture.
Eighty years ago, between November 1938 and September 1939, ten thousand Jewish children were rescued from certain death in Germany, and hastily received in England.
The story is told with posters displayed on Litfasssäulen, an old way of informing the population.
“Litfasssäulen” from 1933, a time of National Socialist propaganda
“Litfasssäulen” today, Charlottenburg
So how did my old photos end up among those posters in Berlin today, so many years later?
The short answer is Instagram! The longer answer is that Amy Williams and I became IG friends when she responded to my postings. Amy is completing her PHD at Nottingham University, her topic is the Kindertransport and especially during this year of the 80th Anniversary she is in much demand as a speaker in Europe and beyond.
Amy has read, A Garland for Ashes and when she was invited to speak at the opening of “Am Ende des Tunnels” she asked if the designer could use the pictures from my book for the display.
Amy’s hand holding A Garland for Ashes against the picture of my Visa
Amy’s words in remembrance of the Kindertransport, spoken in front of Charlottenburg Railway Station 80 years after Jewish children said goodbye to their parents in that place and began their journey to life. And my brief words to the group of German/British witnesses:
Amy’s Speech
This exhibition presents a German-British perspective of the Kindertransport which is significant for several reasons. This year both Britain and Germany are commemorating the 80th anniversary of this historical event. Kinder who live in Britain and other countries such as America are travelling back to Germany to retrace their journeys. Reenactments have brought many different generations and nations together in remembering the Kindertransport. Kinder also come to Germany to speak with school children and place memorials like the Stumbling Stones. This binational perspective is also important because this exhibition is the first to reflect upon the history and memory of the Kindertransport from these different national angles.
This multiperspectival exhibition highlights how the Kindertransport took place in many different contexts – it is a complex narrative. The first bollard considers what the Kinder’s lives were like prior to their departure, why they had to flee from their homes, and how this rescue operation was organised in Germany. The second bollard traces the Kinder’s journeys to their different host nations, how the refugee children were treated in Britain, what happened to the children during and after the Second World War, and their movements beyond British shores. The final bollard is perhaps the most personal because it focuses on the Kinder’s testimonies. We are not only presenting the national narratives but also the local and individual narratives of the Kindertransport. The history of the Kindertransport is transnational but memory of the Kindertransport seems to be nationally framed.
I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank the Kinder we have worked with on this project: Ruth Parker, Ruth Barnett, Inge Lammel and William Dieneman. Thank you all for sharing your stories with us. Thank you also to Hanna Miley, a Kindertransportee from America, who is supporting this project from across the pond. You’ll see Hanna’s photos featured in the exhibition. This exhibition as you’ll shortly see is bilingual. It presents two nations but it also connects to how some Kinder have retained their German even though they eventually learned English. Many Kinder talk about how they are caught between two worlds (Germany and Britain) and this is represented here through language.
German and British memories of the Kindertransport are connected through this exhibition as they are also connected through Frank Meisler’s transnational memorial network.
Hanna’s Words
“Am Endes des Tunnels”
I let the words rise from my memories, and for me they carry contrasting emotions both pain and hope. Shortly after Kristallnacht, in November 1939, a train carried three of us through the local tunnel. My parents and I left Gemünd, our small home town, for the last time.
The journey ended for Amalie and Markus Zack, when they were herded into a gas van in Chelmno Poland. on May 3, 1942.
While for me that tunnel led to life and the long journey from bitterness and hate to forgiveness and freedom.
My thoughts are flooded with gratitude when I think of the Kindertransport. I received the gift of life through the love of my parents and the strangers who responded to the emergency.
Why are we here today, standing together in the street, near to the Charlottenburg Bahnhof?
Why are some of us with you only in our thoughts?
Why are we remembering people and events from 80 years ago?
Could it be among the many answers to those questions there is an underlying desire to face our fears about our world today?
And so I am thankful for every public remembrance that addresses the capacity for evil that we all carry.
I would like to end by sharing the Aaronic Blessing with you,
“The Lord bless you & keep you;
The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you & give you peace.”
Listening to Amy
Can you see Greetje Saunders on the far left of the group with copies of Meine Krone in der Asche in her hands? The German version of A Garland for Ashes.
Greetje and her husband, David were part of the pilgrimage to Poland in 2010 to pray in Chelmno, at the place of my parents’ ending.
I marvel at the convergence of people, places and events….
Am Ende des Tunnels.
Our June 2019 Prayer Letter
Coffee with Susan
One day after arriving in Germany, we met with Susan, our narrator for the audio edition of A Garland for Ashes. We listened as she recounted her family story, amazed by the links between us: Jewish history, Holocaust, escape of her father from Vienna.… Now we understand her fervor for excellence in reading Hanna’s story.
First Stop: Gemünd
We met Charlotte, a journalist sent by a Dutch magazine, to walk around Hanna’s home town and record an interview to be published in the July edition of Eva magazine…
The Ministry of Reconciliation: Changing the Effects of the Past on the Present and Future
Our February 2019 Prayer Letter
Many Irons in the Fire
Grace and peace to you, Our Dear Friends.
One: George’s book, Maturing toward Wholeness in the Inner Life, is being edited in English, and translated into German, by two gifted young friends. So far it has been published only on our website. Lord, lead us as to how to expand the influence of this message.
Two: From April 28 to May 4 we will once again lead a six-day retreat on “Discipleship to Jesus” (Jüngerschaftswoche) in Trieb, Germany with the Benecke family. Maturing toward Wholeness in the Inner Life will be our textbook. The retreat will include shared meals, Liturgy of the Hours, teaching, practical work, and spiritual practices. Lord, please bring the participants of your choice….
AZ House of Representatives
During the House’s regular Floor Session on February 18, 2019, a Resolution was read expressing unanimous support for Holocaust Education in Arizona public schools. Hanna Zach Miley was a guest of Rep. Michelle Udall, Education Committee Chair, and gave the opening prayer that day. There was also a performance from Violins of Hope, featuring a violin and music from the Holocaust. (photo credit: Noleen Thurman)
Hanna the Storyteller by Amy Cogdell
Our Father is a teacher; but first He is a storyteller. A very patient artist indeed, willing to spend millennia, perhaps eons as we count them, unfolding His plots and themes, developing His cast of characters, adorning His tapestry with motif and symbol. His story is alive, eternally present. The drama is real and all creation is caught up in the march towards its glorious end.
Jesus was also a storyteller. When He encountered hearts hardened to instruction, He often spoke in parables. Doubters threw their hands up in frustration; but those in tune with the Story passed down through the prophets felt their hearts thrill. Foreshadowing was moving quickly toward climax. The Good Shepherd was among them, gathering His sheep. The Vineyard Owner had come to gather His harvest. The merciful Father was searching for his prodigal children. The King’s Son was issuing invitations to His own wedding feast, and they were invited! This Messenger was the Story’s center.
George the Teacher by Amy Cogdell
Crowds gathered around Him again, and once more, according to His custom, He sat down to teach them. – Mark 10:1
Our Father is a teacher. The Source of Wisdom delights to instruct those who will listen. His teaching is a gift of revelation and intimacy. When YHWH called Israel apart for Himself, He entrusted them with the Law. The Law was a window into His heart. It was a tutor, educating a nation to stand as a witness to the coming Kingdom.
How did the Lord teach Israel to worship? By loving Him alone. By honoring His Name. By resting on the Sabbath and ensuring their servants and animals would rest as well. By keeping faith with their spouses and speaking truthfully to one another. By guarding their inmost hearts and rejecting all covetous thoughts. God called Israel to walk with Him with by imitating His character. What a striking contrast to the demonic gods of other nations who reveled in drunkenness, prostitution and child-sacrifice!
Podcast Episode: Healing the Wounds of History
How is Christ’s glory revealed upon Gentile Nations (Isaiah 60:2)? One way is by force–at the 2nd coming. But force is not God’s preferred way. The second way is by grace–as God heals wounds caused by sin, imbedded in history, through grace-empowered actions of God’s people. Here are four components of such ways with stories connected with healing wounds of the Holocaust.
(George Miley) Recorded 1/06/2019
