JEWS’ FREE SCHOOL
EVACUATION NEWS SHEET
ISSUE NO. 15 MARCH, 1941

Edited by Dr. E Bernstein, Printed at the Evacuation Headquarters of the Jews’ Free Boys’ School Press, Ely Jewish Boys’ Home, 37 St. Mary’s St., Ely.

ELY WAR WEAPONS WEEK. We have witnessed one of the finest war efforts made by any district in the country. The enthusiasm and activity displayed in the effort, made the week one of the most thrilling we have ever experienced. Although our own contribution was small, as boys have to depend upon the little sums they receive from home, we congratulate the boys who gave their pennies to this glorious War Savings effort. Saving is a splendid habit: saving in the country’s cause is praiseworthy in the highest degree: to all boys who have begun to save, we say GO ON SAVING!

THE GARDEN. Daily we watch the transformation that is being effected in the garden. All the planting has now been completed and we can look forward to a rich reward for all the labour expended. The flower beds are now receiving Mr. Pratt’s attention, and already the garden is showing a trim appearance. An excellent gesture has been made by the boys in subscribing towards the cost of the goal posts, which have now been erected on the playing field with the direction arranged so that playing shall not result in any damage to the allotment.

PRACTICAL CITIZENSHIP. A most attractive scheme is now being tried out by Mr. Cousin at Needham’s. A series of lectures has been arranged to give our boys an insight into the work of running a city. Authorities on the various public utility services give our boys talks on each of these services and in this way an interest is created in the day-to-day work which is essential for the maintenance of the life of a city. This scheme is an interesting extension of the work we have been doing in our London school, where the aim has been to introduce as much reality as possible into the school work. Here is a list of the lectures that have been arranged so far:

THE STORY OF ELY CATHEDRAL
Mr. W. Whetstone (Verger)
THE WORK OF ELY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mr. B.W. Williams (Assistant Clerk and Chief Financial Officer)
THE WORK OF ELY RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mr. C. Wickens (Chief Clerk)
THE LOCAL PRESS
Mr. O.W. Fletcher (Acting Editor of the “Ely Standard”)
LOCAL POLICE WORK
Supt. F.G. Wells
THE WORKING OF A RAILWAY STATION
Mr. R.H. Aggas (Ely Station Master)
ELY FIRE BRIGADE
Mr. W.T. Kempton (Hon. Acting Chief Officer)
THE WORK OF THE POST OFFICE (with films)
Mr. A.H. Boast (Ely Head Post-Master)
THE MAKING OF A BOOK (with films)
Mr. B.E. Dorman (Director of Minster Press, Ely)

THE WORK OF A BANK
Mr. E.B. Brown (Manager of Barclays Bank, Ely)
THE ELY GASWORKS (conducted tour)
Mr. C.B. Staniforth (Manager)
ELY ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
Mr. D.J.M. Waters (local manager of the B.C.H. Electricity Company)
THE FENS
Major G. Fowler (Manager Ely Sugar Beet Factory)
ELY’S WATER SUPPY
Mr. S.H. King (City of Ely Surveyor)

A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR. We all greatly welcomed the visit of Mrs. Hugh Dalton, wife of Dr. Dalton, the Minister of Blockade. Mrs. Dalton, who was accompanied by Miss Fletcher, Senior L.C.C. Woman Inspector, spent some time at the Home and saw the decoration work carried out in the rooms by the boys and inspected the garden. Mrs. Dalton then visited our School at Silver Street where she saw the work of the Junior School.

HAIRDRESSING. The bath room of the Home is converted into a hairdresser’s saloon on Thursday evenings. The younger boys compete for the privilege of serving as “patients” for Mrs. Carver who is initiating a dozen of the older boys into the mysteries of the hairdresser’s craft. These “patients” look particularly spruce after the operations, and now that shampoos are the main subjects of the lessons, they are getting clean-ups that a patron of the Savoy barber shop would envy. The boys are most apt pupils and the knowledge of geometry they acquire in Mr. Cousin’s lessons is giving the hairdressing a mathematical as well as an artistic touch.

THE ZOO
THE ELEPHANT
With tiny tail, enormous trunk,
The Elephant passes, plunk! plunk! plunk!
He gravely shovels buns and rusks
Into the cavern ‘twixt his tusks.

The wondering infants standing by,
He watches with his little eye:
He knows that strength he does not lack,
To take the lot upon his back.

And when again they reach the ground,
Too full of awe to make a sound,
He’s ready for another load,
With which to stride along the road.

Yet when a trunk I try to raise,
I tug and pant to my amaze:
And, though I struggle, find I can’t,
For I am not an elephant. J.Bourn.
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE CONCERT. The Pierrot Troupe gave a further concert at the Women’s Institute on March 7th. Their programme was greatly applauded by the audience. The ‘Fleet’ item, ‘Evacuee’ numbers, ‘Scooter’, ‘Dr. Killem. Quick’ and all the tuneful singing were greatly appreciated. A surprise item was the appearance of a Pierrette, Mr. Joseph’s daughter, Mrs. Carver, who contributed a delightfully sung number.

PURIM SERVICE. A Purim Service was held at Needham’s School on Purim morning. The story of Purim was briefly told by Mr. Cousin who then read select passages from the Megillah, and appropriate prayers from the Prayer Book were recited by the boys all of whom were brought to Needham’s for the service. In the evening a full Purim celebration took place at the Home, a typically hilarious concert having been arranged for the occasion.

NEWS FROM CHATTERIS.

The J.F.S. PLAY-CENTRE has now been in full swing at its new home in the King Edward School for some months. We feel sure that the parents of the large and increasing number of children who eagerly look forward to the evening’s pleasure at the Centre must derive much satisfaction from the knowledge that on four evenings a week from 5 o’clock to 6.30 such a place of amusement is available. We have just completed the Winter TABLE TENNIS tournament in which upwards of 300 games were played. The winner in the Senior Section was Arnold Grundman with Sidney Aspress a very close second – and Max Heuzler achieved the best score in the Junior Section and so gained promotion for the Spring Tournament which began on March 17th and in which 32 players are taking part.

All the usual indoor games are provided, with DARTS an easy favourite. Soon we shall have trained a number of modern Hoods and Tells and shall be issuing a challenge to the Local Darts experts. The little ones are chiefly interested in the various ‘Comics’ which we have collected – but we could do with a much better supply of these.

The centre is bared to no child evacuee, and we are pleased to have visitors every evening from the Robert Montefiore, the King Edward, the Davenant and the Cromwell Schools. The longer evenings have now made OUTDOOR activities possible, the footballs as usual being in great demand.

SERVICES are still held every Sabbath in the Zion Hall in Park Street, the good attendance and decorum being a very pleasing feature. An exposition of the Sedra is given each week by Mr. D. Spero and the Haphtorah Reading – generally in English – is preceded b a brief instructional talk about its historical background. A special PURIM service was conducted on the morning of Thursday, March 13th. Since our last news was published Sidney Slavny has become Barmitzvah.






We cannot conclude these notes without sharing our latest “howler” with our News Sheet readers. Recently an epidemic broke out among our boys (due no doubt to crook films) and threatening notes of a bloodthirsty nature were to be found daily even on the sacred tables of the masters. This was the gem, complete with skull and crossbones, the last before the practice was forbidden. It read “If you do not give me one penny by Monday morning, you die to-night” Dear G….E and he wouldn’t hurt a fly.

NEWS FROM SUTTON.

We are now happily established in our new home, the Vicarage Room, to which we were transferred early this year. We were a little alarmed at the leg injury sustained by Mr. Myers soon after our arrival in our new home, but we are glad to say that Mr. Myers is now well and is able to get about again. We have been doing a good deal of outdoor work recently; we have watched the tractor plough at work and seen the fields of winter wheat, and the rooks just beginning to nest. Some of us have been taking part in the seasonal occupations, such as ploughing and draining, and one of our boys, Geoffrey Overon is earning a reputation in the village as an expert in milking cows. An outstanding event was the excellent concert in aid of the Woollen Comforts Fund given on Feb. 22nd in the Vicarage Room by the J.F.S. Pierrot Troupe, under the direction of Mr. H.H. Joseph. The hall was crowded and a useful sum was realised for the Fund. Jack Rosenthal celebrated his Barmitzvah last month: he had been fully prepared for his Reading of the Law by Mr. J. Myers.

MY FOSTERMOTHER

Specially written by Mr. H.H. Joseph for his grandson; Peter J. Wilson on his first appearance in the J.F.S. Pierrot Troupe.

Who welcomed me when I came down
To Ely from old London Town
And said “don’t cry you silly clown?”
MY FOSTERMOTHER!

Who criticises hands and feet
Examines bed, from ‘neath to sheets
Takes “comics”, fruit and cakes and sweets?
MY FOSTERMOTHER!

Who daily in the larder spies
Then look at me in mild surprise
And says “my CAT don’t eat mince pies”!
MY FOSTERMOTHER!

Who sticks the stamp on when I send
My letter home at each week-end
In case the “two and half” I spend?
MY FOSTERMOTHER!

Who make me sadly turn about,
Do “forward bend” then lands a clout
Because my trousers’ seat’s torn out!
MY FOSTERMOTHER!

But when I fight with other guys,
Or get the cane for telling lies,
Who pats my head, and wipes my eyes!
MY FOSTERMOTHER!

Although at times her nerves I test,
I think she likes her little guest;
And SHE – well SHE’S one of the best!
MY FOSTERMOTHER!

VICTORY IN THE EAST

The great General Wavell came,
Who now has won unending fame,
Forward with his troops from Mersa Matruh,
Sidi Barani was taken too.
Sollum, Bardia, Trobruk,
Where the famous ‘Electric Whiskers’ shook,
Then keeping Musso on the run,
He took Benghazi and every gun.
Harry Stern (Age 12)

THE ROOFSPOTTER

When the sun has gone down and night has begun,
I watch like a mother does over her son,
Over London, over you and every one,
I stay and watch till my work is done.

I stay on my roof with a watchful eye,
Ready to do, and ready to die,
For England, for King, and for London Town
I help to keep the Nazis down.

When the far-of morning comes at last,
The Huns that were here have all now passed,
I finish my watch and have done my part,
Though my body is cold, I’m proud in my heart.
Hugo Geier (Age 13)

THOSE TWINS

Those twins! Those twins! Those dreadful twins,
Who look so sweet and good,
You’d never guess the mischief that
They would do if they could.

Who put the water in the ink?
The sugar in the stew?
And took the blue bag from the sink
To paint their noses blue?

Their uncle came to tea one day,
Just as the clock struck four;
But very soon he went away,
And came to tea no more.
R. Brunning (Age 11)

THE SNOW

The white flakes fall upon the ground,
And when they fall you hear no sound;
Because they are so light and white,
To see them fall is our delight.

And then we all went out and found,
The earth was covered all around.
We took some snow and squeezed it tight;
How lovely was the snowball fight.
Oswald Reich (Age 11)

THE FIRESIDE

It’s nice to sit around the fire,
And see the flames jump higher and higher;
And hear the crackling of the log,
While at my feet there lies my dog.
C. Wilson (Age 10)



Printed by M. Solomons, W. Kramer, D. Rosenblatt, W. Cohen, M. Sugarbread & A. Lichtenstein.