The girls of Tynemouth's Holocaust safehouse
How Tyneside鈥檚 Jewish Community opened a hostel for girls during WWII 鈥� and how their remarkable stories were nearly lost to history.
Shortly before the start of the Second World War, around ten thousand Jewish children were accepted into the UK. They were put onto trains by their parents - with no idea where they were going or if they would ever see their families again. In 1939, more than 20 girls between the ages of five and 14 made their way to the north east of England, to the seaside town of Tynemouth. The local Jewish community opened a hostel in Percy Park which became a safe-haven for the girls. But decades later, their stories had almost been completely forgotten. That is, until 麻豆社 Radio Newcastle's Jane Downs, came across a small part of the story completely by chance. Intrigued, Jane and colleague Joanna Lonsdale have spent the past year piecing together the history of the house in Percy Park and found out about the girls who stayed there. For 5 Minutes On, they share how they managed to pull it all together.
Their five-part documentary 鈥楾he Girls 鈥� the Holocaust Safe House鈥� - narrated by Lauren Laverne - is available on 麻豆社 Sounds.
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Image Credit: 麻豆社 News
