The Right Child for the Right Family

As I made my way to Bevis Marks Synagogue in London, I marveled at the picturesque sight of children hurrying to catch a school bus. Meanwhile, Liverpool Street Station buzzed with energy as busy passengers rushed to board their trains, weaving through the bustling crowds. This living canvas reminded me of the fascinating mysteries of seasonal change and humanity, with spring and children symbolizing new life and hope. My vision and reflections were further materialized by Fur Das Kind, a remarkable bronze sculpture I noticed as I left the station.

Reading the inscriptions on the plaque of the Fur Das Kind sculpture, I discovered that the creator of this masterpiece, symbolizing the humanitarian efforts during World War II, was Frank Meisler, an Israeli architect and sculptor. As a researcher with an innate urge to delve deeper and seek the more resonant meaning of any phenomenon, I learned that the story of Fur Das Kind dates back to the late 1930s, depicting one of the largest migrations of unaccompanied minors, as Britain rushed to evacuate nearly 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied territories at the outbreak of World War II. What further mesmerized me is that the sculptor Frank Meisler was one of those children, who later in life said, “We entered the train as children and left the train as adults…”

Upon further reading and research, I discovered that despite being relocated to safer places, not all of the children’s futures were smooth or promising. One of these children, reflecting as an adult, emphasized the importance of having “the right child in the right family.” This poignant statement prompted me to explore similar mass migrations of minors during turbulent times throughout history. Some stories recount children taking only a cherished book or an inherited ornament from their family home. Others are more heart-wrenching, with children leaving home with just their parents’ final kiss as the only living memory.

I returned to Fur Das Kind at Liverpool Street Station, I viewed the sculpture of children with luggage on a railway platform from a new perspective. Their expressions and postures convey a poignant mix of hope, fear, and uncertainty as they embark on an unknown journey – a pattern tragically familiar for child migrants around the world, both then and now.

In sound scientific research, once a phenomenon’s background is established, a hypothesis must be proposed. Continuing my clinical training in London, I draft a hypothesis for an in-depth study to explore what constitutes the “right child for the right family.”

In memory of Frank Meisler, the great sculptor who passed away in March 2018, leaving a profound legacy to the children of the world.