Bernstein, Philip Hans

None

ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE DEPARTMENT AND NOT TO INDIVIDUALS JEWISH REFUGEES COMMITTEE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT. TELEPHONE No.: BLOOMSBURY HOUSE, MUSEUM 2900 BLOOMSBURY STREET, LONDON, W.C.1. CODES: REFUGEES, WESTCENT, LONDON Ref. No. SL/JH/RN 5th December, 1939. Miss Mina Kaufmann, 143, West 86th Street, NEW YORK CITY, U.S.A. Dear Madam, re: OPPENHEIMER, Julius & Elsa. M/26906. At the request of Dr. Hans L. Lehmann, we send you herewith our cheque for £266: 11: 1d being refund in full settlement of the amount deposited by him. Kindly acknowledge receipt on the attached form. Yours faithfully, Financial Secretary. Encl:

This letter from the Jewish Refugees Committee at Bloomsbury House, London — the central hub for Jewish refugee assistance in Britain — confirms the refund of £266/11/1 previously deposited on behalf of Julius and Elsa Oppenheimer (case number M/26906). The refund was requested by Dr. Hans L. Lehmann, who had originally deposited the funds as a financial guarantee for the Oppenheimers' stay in England. The cheque was sent to Mina Kaufmann in New York, connecting the London and New York branches of the family's rescue network. This letter is the companion document to the receipt in 0002, which records the same amount. Bloomsbury House at Bloomsbury Street, WC1, served as the headquarters for multiple Jewish refugee organizations during the war years, coordinating transit, sponsorship, and resettlement for thousands of refugees. The reference number M/26906 and Dr. Lehmann's involvement suggest a structured process through which guarantors could reclaim deposits once refugees had moved on from Britain.

2 family (from Ralf, Stadthagen). Dr. B. was formerly a lecturer at the University of Berlin and has now been in the same position at the University of Princeton for about 3 years. His wife is a very good acquaintance of mine; the father of this gentleman was also very well known to me. The in-laws have for their part already written to their son-in-law. He will gladly stand by you not only with advice but also with action. So please take the time to get in touch with him immediately. I am delighted [to hear] and for all that R. has stood by me in the most necessary way, I ask you to convey my best thanks. What are the other relatives in New York doing? And how are Dr. Max and his brothers? From his father, and also from Ida, I have heard nothing despite the greatest effort. Dr. Rosenthal has been in San Francisco since June, where he is currently working as an instructor in military service training. He believes he will eventually find a position there in his field. His address is: Dr. Rosenthal c/o Dr. Hans Aberg, 3147 Mission Street, San Francisco, California, née mother of Mrs. Dr. Seebach. [She] passed away last year and was buried on the farm. If you would send condolences there, that would be very appropriate. From Anna I have heard nothing since last month. Josef is still in Gross-Breesen. Beyond that, I have no further news to report. I would like to close now with the wish that you may stay healthy and that you can have your mother come to stay with you. Stay very well, greet all acquaintances, and receive the warmest greetings and kisses from your uncle Simon

2 Familie (aus Ralf, Stadthagen). Dr. B. war früher Dozent an der Universität Berlin und ist jetzt seit circa 3 Jahren in gleicher Position an der Universität in Princeton. Dir Frau ist eine sehr gute Bekannte von mir, auch der Vater dieses Herrn war mir sehr bekannt. Die Schwiegereltern haben ihrerseits bereits an Ihren Schwiegersohn geschrieben. Derselbe wird Dir gerne nicht nur mit Rat, sondern auch mit Tat zur Seite stehen. Also Dir also bitte so viel Zeit [nehmen] Dich sofort mit demselben in Verbindung. Ich freue mich von [Herzen] und was mir zuvor R. in allernotiger Weise beigestanden hat und bitte ich Dir hiermit meinen besten Dank zu bestellen. Was machen die übrigen Angehörigen in New York? Und wie geht es Dr. Max und seinen Brüdern? Von seinem Vater, ebenso auch von Ida habe ich trotz grösster Mühe nicht gehört. Dr. Rosenthal ist seit Juni schon in San Franzisko, wo er sich augenblicklich als Instrukteur beim Militärdienst zur Ausbildung beschäftigt. Er glaubt dort irgend eine Anstellung in seinem Fach später zu erhalten. Die Adresse von ihm ist: Dr. Rosenthal c/o Dr. Hans Aberg, 3147 Missionstreet, San Francisco / Californien, geb. Mutter von Frau Dr. Seebach. [Sie] ist bereits voriges Jahr verschieden und auf der Farm beigesetzt. Wenn Du dahin kondolieren würdest, wäre dieses sehr angebracht. Von Anna mehr ich seit letzten Monats nichts gehört. Josef ist noch in Gross Breesen. Vielmehr weiss ich auch nicht zu unterrichten. Ich möchte jetzt mit dem Wunsche schliessen, dass Du gesund bleiben mögest und lass Deine Mutter bei Dir sehen kannst. Bleibe recht gesund, grüsse alle Bekannten und empfange die herzlichsten Grüsse und Küsse von Deinem Onkel Simon

This continuation reveals Simon's network of contacts and the scattered state of the family by late 1941. The reference to Dr. Breuer at Princeton University reflects the network of German-Jewish intellectuals who had emigrated to American academia. Dr. Rosenthal working as a military instructor in San Francisco shows Jewish refugees contributing to U.S. military preparedness before America's entry into WWII (December 1941). The mention of "Josef is still in Gross-Breesen" refers to the Gross-Breesen agricultural training farm near Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), a Zionist-inspired agricultural training center that prepared young Jews for emigration through farming skills. Communication was limited to Red Cross messages, and Simon expresses hope that Mina can bring her mother to the United States. Simon's closing wish — that his niece stay healthy and be reunited with her mother — carries poignant weight given his own impending fate.