Our Mission

1. To Connect those individuals who, many years ago, were directly involved in the Kindertransports and who have since emigrated to North America, and their families and descendants.
2. To Educate and inform the “Next Generations,” as well as the public in general, about the Kindertransports as an important part of Holocaust History.
3. To Support and Advocate for child refugees and children in need today.

The KTA is a not-for profit organization, headed by a membership-elected national Board of Directors with chapters in Florida, Northern and Southern California, and New York. Informal Kinder and next generations networks exist in many other parts of the United States, Canada and in Israel. The KTA publishes a quarterly journal, Kinder-Link, and the Speaker’s Bureau provides materials and speakers for public forums, schools, synagogues, museums and community centers. The KTA sponsors regional informal and social gatherings and from 1990 -2015 held biennial national conventions featuring prominent speakers and workshops on a variety of themes – historical, psychological, generational – suggested by the membership. From 2016 forward, the KTA participates in the annual conferences of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants.

The KTA provides an opportunity for its members to finally express and share feelings often long suppressed; to form new friendships; to enhance understanding between Kinder and their families; and to give meaning to a common historical experience – shaped by the comradeship of the first generation’s own dramatic escape and by the inescapable sense of loss and trauma we share with all Jews of the Holocaust generations.

Activities and Ongoing Projects

Reunions

From 1990 – 2015, the KTA held biennial National Conferences, which featured prominent speakers and multiple workshops on different themes (historical, psychological, generational) suggested by membership. Beginning in 2016, the KTA co-hosts the annual international conferences of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants.

Education

Develop and distribute materials, including the traveling exhibition The Kindertransport Journey, and the Kindertransport Memory Quilt Replicas for educational use in schools, museums, community centers, and support KTA Speakers of all generations,who frequently present our story in synagogues, public forums, and educational settings.

Oral History Project

Record Kinder’s stories in their own words. Since 1992 the KTA has created an archive of Kindertransport history available for use by future generations of researchers and historians. The KTA Oral History Interviews are available to view online through the USHMM and onsite in archives in London, Jerusalem and the Zekelman Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan, which holds the archives of the KTA.

Generations

Subsequent generations participate in and lend their expertise to all KTA activities.

Philanthropy

Raise funds and disburse them to organizations which help children in danger or need, as we once were, and for educational Projects. Support is presently given, but not limited to, the following:

• Financial support of 501c3 charitable organizations which help children in danger or need, as we, or our parents or grandparents, were.
• KTA History and Education Projects: the gathering of oral histories, pictures, documents and artifacts to be ultimately donated to a museum for conservation.
• Development of Projects to raise awareness and knowledge of the Kindertransports.