Eva Michaelis-Stern

Eva Michaelis Stern (1904–1992) was a Jewish Zionist who dedicated her life to humanitarian endeavors, particularly rescuing and assisting Jewish individuals during the turbulent times of World War II. Her significant contributions were centered around the Youth Aliyah movement, where she played a vital role in helping Jewish children escape Nazi persecution and find sanctuary in Palestine. Serving as the co-founder and director of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kinder und Jugendalijah in Germany during the 1930s and later as the director of the Youth Aliyah office in London throughout the war, Michaelis-Stern showcased remarkable resourcefulness and unwavering determination, ultimately saving numerous lives.
After retiring from Youth Aliyah, she established organizations such as Hovevei Yerushalayim for civic improvement projects in Jerusalem and participated in AKIM, the National Association for the Habilitation of the Mentally Handicapped in Israel. Additionally, she established the Clara and William Stern Memorial Fund at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and philanthropy.
==Early Life and Education==
Michaelis-Stern was born on December 29, 1904, in Breslau, Germany. She was the youngest of three children born to Clara and William Stern. Her father, William Stern, was a renowned professor of psychology and philosophy at the University of Breslau. In 1916, the family relocated to Hamburg, where William Stern assumed a professorship at the University of Hamburg and became the director of the Psychological Institute.
After graduating high school, Eva attended a two-year training program for gymnastics teachers. Despite being raised in a family removed from Jewish life, Michaelis-Stern developed an interest in Zionism.
==Career==
===Involvement in Zionist Youth Movements===
During her time as a gymnastics teacher in Hamburg and Berlin, Michaelis-Stern became involved in Zionist youth movements and worked with the Jewish settlement organization in Hamburg-Altona. In 1926, she visited Palestine for the first time, and in 1928, she received an invitation to teach gymnastics at the Ben Shemen agricultural school in Palestine. However, her stay was cut short due to illness, leading her back to Germany.
Between 1928 and 1932, Michaelis-Stern worked at the Ahawah Jewish orphanage in Berlin.
===Work in Youth Aliyah===
In 1933, Michaelis-Stern joined the administration of Youth Aliyah, an initiative established in 1932. The movement focused on preparing German Jewish teenagers, aged fifteen to seventeen, for a new life in Jewish kibbutzim in British Mandate Palestine or communal settlements. She played a pivotal role as a co-founder and director of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kinder und Jugendalijah, which functioned as the fundraising branch of the Youth Aliyah organization in Germany. Despite the vigilant monitoring of the Gestapo, Michaelis-Stern facilitated the emigration of numerous Jewish children to Palestine. In 1938, following interrogation by Adolf Eichmann, she and her fiancé, Dolf (Adolf) Michaelis, who held a position in the Executive of the Zionist Federation of Germany, immigrated to Palestine.
===Role in Youth Aliyah in London and World War II===
At Henrietta Szold's request, Michaelis-Stern established a Youth Aliyah office in London, as well as committees in Warsaw and Prague. In London, she took on publicity and fundraising tasks previously handled by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft in Berlin. Her husband managed the Intria company, facilitating fund transfers under the Ha'avara agreement. After the November 1938 pogrom, Michaelis-Stern assisted Youth Aliyah candidates in leaving Nazi Germany for neighboring countries. She distributed certificates, secured funds for transportation, arranged transit visas and maintained contact with Youth Aliyah groups until their departure. During World War II, she helped over 1,000 children in various countries, often relying on her resourcefulness. Notably, she wrote a guarantee on Youth Aliyah stationery to enable the rescue of 300 children in Denmark. Michaelis-Stern remained in England throughout the war, represented Youth Aliyah on the Women's Appeal Committee, and served as honorary vice chairman of the British Youth Aliyah committee.
===Return to Palestine and Post-War Contributions===
In 1945, after the war ended, Michaelis-Stern and her family returned to Palestine. She served as the director of the International Relations Department of Youth Aliyah in Jerusalem until 1952. Following her retirement, she founded Hovevei Yerushalayim, an organization focused on civic improvement projects in Jerusalem. She actively participated in AKIM, the National Association for the Habilitation of the Mentally Handicapped in Israel, and established sheltered workshops and hostels for them. Michaelis-Stern set up the Clara and William Stern Memorial Fund at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to support the education and training of social workers who work with individuals with disabilities.
Michaelis-Stern contributed to various publications, including the German-language periodical Mitteilungsblatt. In 1989, she published a book titled "Emissaries in Wartime London," featuring her articles on Youth Aliyah during World War II and an essay by her husband, Dolf Michaelis, detailing his wartime work.
===Eichmann Trial===
During the Eichmann trial, Michaelis-Stern , who had previously been interrogated by Adolf Eichmann in 1937 and accused of spreading anti-Nazi propaganda, was interviewed as a potential witness. The televised trial commenced on April 11, 1961, intending to raise awareness about the crimes committed against Jews. One year later, Eva's former sister-in-law, Hanna Arendt, published her book titled "Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil." However, Michaelis-Stern held a different perspective from Arendt and expressed her disagreement by contributing a counter description in a chapter of the book "Die Kontraverse."
==Awards and recognitions==
For her remarkable achievements in rescuing children and aiding the handicapped, Michaelis-Stern received recognition from the Israel Ministry of Social Welfare in 1980.
==Personal life==
In March 1938, Michaelis-Stern married Dolf Michaelis in Jerusalem and had a son David Michaelis in 1945, who is a veteran journalist, and filmmaker. She passed away in 1992 in Jerusalem.
==In the media==
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==References==
Category:1904 births
Category:1992 deaths
Category:Zionists
Category:Humanitarian