The story of Ellen and Nelly, orphaned, after World War II.

In 1937, 17-year-old Ellen and her sister 12-year-old Nelly, were living with their parents in Paris. The girls’ father, an American, went back to the US to secure visas for the entire family. Sadly, weeks later after his arrival, he was found dead in Chicago. He died of tuberculosis.

Being trapped in Paris, with no possibilities to migrate, the mother, of Jewish and Romanian origin, decided to convert herself and her daughters to Catholicism in 1941. However, this did nothing to avoid the mother’s terrible fate in the upcoming years in a concentration camp by the hands of the Nazis in 1944.

Following World War II, Ellen and Nelly, were now living in a Catholic convent in Versailles, France. They were parentless and hopeless.

It was their long-lost Jewish aunt in New York who enquired about the whereabouts of the girls. She contacted an agency to help locate the girls; the agency found them and wanted to place the sisters in a Jewish children’s home with the objective to prepare them to migrate to Palestine. The girls profusely refused this plan, and it was at this moment that ISS intervened.

For ISS, it was important to assess if their Jewish aunt would take proper care of the girls or if by contrary, with the proposition made by the agency, the girls would have a better future in Palestine in a Jewish children’s home. This meant much more than assessing economic stability, a house or proper education. It meant an understanding of the girls’ traumatic experience and acceptance of the girls’ background, needs and their best interests. Overall, a place they could truly call home.

ISS engaged in interviewing and counseling, and conducted home studies and psychological assessments. After 18 months of meticulously sorting out and ensuring all legal paperwork was in order, the girls were able to reunite with their great aunt and her family in New York, which included her husband, and their older daughter. Ellen and Nelly were making friends, attending school, studying English, making meaningful connections, and making New York their new home. Overall, a place they could truly call home.

ISS was determined to find what solution would be in the girls’ best interest. In the end, after assessing their individual needs and personalities, ISS opted that it would be most positive to find them a home with their related family despite religious differences. This interesting multi faceted case then became a teaching tool for training social workers in casework methods at Columbia University School of Social Work.

Civilians, especially children, are most affected by wars. Worldwide and over 100 years, ISS has set the pace and a rigorous methodology to assist families and children reunite and find a place to call home.

Source

Fehrenbach, Heide. “War Orphans and Postfascist Families: Kinship and Belonging after 1945” in F.  Biess. 2010.