KTA Founder Eddy Behrendt Dies

Eddy (Edward) Behrendt, Founder of the Kindertransport Association, a Holocaust Survivor Group, passed away on November 9, 2005 from multiple organ failure in Eugene, Oregon. His beloved wife,Sarah was by his side through this very painful process. "I found it more then symbolic that he died on Kristallnacht." His fervor for the world to know and accept responsibility for the mass annihilation of a people was overwhelming.

Eddy Behrendt was born January 30,1930 in the Free City of Danzig, which after World War II was renamed Gdansk. Prior to WWII although a Free City under the jurisdiction of the League of Nations, the culture and language was predominantly German. In fact, in the early 1930's, the rise of Nazism was stronger in Danzig than on many parts of Germany.

In 1939, at the age of 9, Mr. Behrendt being of Jewish faith was one of 10,000 young children who escaped with their lives from the Holocaust just prior to beginning of the war. Hitler allowed them to leave with 3 conditions. They had to leave alone without, their parents or any family members,the ages were from 3 to 17 years of age and it would cost $250.00 per child, a ransom so to speak. Since few other countries were willing to take them in, the British people stepped forward. They raised the money and took in the children and were rescued from certain death. It is recorded that their peers one and a half million perished in the Holocaust. Out of the 10,000 children who were saved approximately 80% never saw their parents again.

Eddy lived in England until he was 16, found his Mother who had escaped illegally to Palestine (now Israel.) He then at 17 came to the states as his Father who had been a prominent attorney in Danzig was living in New York City. He was allowed to enter this country as a derivative citizen.

He served 4 years in the U.S. Army, being a member of the Trust Tankers stationed in Trieste, Italy. This Army group was under the auspices of the U.N. Security Council during the Korean Conflict. Eddy holds an undergraduate and graduate degree and retired as Senior Director of Corporate Personnel with American Home Products (Wyeth) Corporation in NYC in 1993.

He and his wife first moved to Phoenix/Scottsdale area where he served on the Board of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association. In 1995, he and his wife Sarah went to Eugene, Oregon for a vacation and fell in love with the ambiance and University life style and stayed.

In 1989, Eddy Behrendt founded and became the first President of the Kindertransport Association. A part of Holocaust history that had truly never been explored. With the help of the Simon Wiesenthal Center they started searching for the Kindertransport children that had come to the United States. They were called the Children of the Train. It took every waking hour, many letters, money, and dedication but within a year these children, now on their way to being seniors met in the Catskills for a Reunion of emotional proportions. They had over 500 Kinder as well as families.

After, he had retired, the gavel was turned over to others. After he and his wife went to Eugene, Oregon they decided to form and found another organization which was a learning class for all students 10 years old to college level regarding WWII and the atrocities millions had become victim too. It was called "Reach and Teach." Eddy and his wife Sarah hit the road so to speak in their motor home and traveled for over four years back and forth across the country teaching the youth in our school system the facts about Holocaust history and related events. He also taught this history through on-line computers. They had residences in Lake Delhi, Iowa and Alton, Ill. during this period due to the size of our great land. He was also able to reach several thousand students via computer from all over the world. Eddy was also an adviser to the Committee on the Genocide and Intolerance of the National Council of Teachers in English as well as having written and presented papers on Holocaust education worldwide.

He leaves his wife Sarah, the families children,grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as his brother, sister-in-law and many beloved friends, colleagues and students. There will be a Memorial service on November 9, 2006 at his crypt in Eugene, Oregon.

A Memorial Fund is being established and contributions may be sent to the; Eddy Behrendt Memorial, 1574 Coburg Rd. Eugene, Or. 97401. "May his memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved him."

Read "The First Step" --Eddy Behrendt's Kinder-Link article about the founding of the KTA.