Letter of Recommendation
Object numberM1995/031:006
TitleLetter of Recommendation
DescriptionLetter of recommendation from the Australian Jewish Welfare Society (AJWS) for Tom Keleman, 16 December 1949. It certifies that Tom Keleman served as the accountant, that he was very conscientious and his work is held in high esteem by this organisation and the auditors. "Mr Keleman also has a very good grasp of social work and is tolerant and very understanding."
Tamás (Thomas or Tom) Janos (John) Keleman, was born on 7 September 1927 in Budapest, Hungary. His parents: Béla Kohn/Kelemen and Lujza (Louise) Kelemen neé Muria. On 19 March 1944, German troops occupied Hungary. Jewish schools had to close. Tom and classmates were called to the school for a meeting. A courier service was being organised by the Jewish Council. 50 boys volunteered. All Jewish households had had their telephones confiscated so that the courier service became the only mode of communication between the Jewish Council, the SS and the Jewish community. Jews in Budapest had to move into Csillagos házak—Star of David houses by 2 June 1944. The couriers delivered “summonses” to Jewish households that were forced to relocate. Tom returned to their apartment in November 1944 to find it empty, except for his grandparents. His mother, father, and aunt—on separate occasions had been taken. He never saw them again. He found refuge at the Spanish Government safe house. He worked as a courier running errands and obtaining medicines. He contacted his sister, Magda, at the International Red Cross hospital. She told him that it was safe for him to join her. On the 15 January 1945 Russian soldiers liberated the hospital.
Returning to their family apartment, 13 members of their remaining family shared a three-bedroom apartment with one bathroom. Both his grandparents died in early 1946. Tom decided to escape from Hungary. Once in Austria he was employed by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) and later the American JOINT. He met May Risker a social worker who organised a Landing Permit for him to Australia (M1995: 031: 001). He arrived in Sydney on the SS Ville d’ Amiens on 19 July 1947. He was greeted by his guardians Julian and Vi Rose. Tom was the first orphan and welfare guardian boy sponsored by the Australian Jewish Welfare Society (AJWS). He was employed at the AJWS as an accountant and social worker assisting migrants (M1995: 031: 005). He worked closely with the American JOINT, helping Jewish refuges needing assistance. He left the AJWS in 1951 and bought a delicatessen in Maroubra. He helped scores of Hungarian refugees who began to arrive at the end of 1956, helping them to find jobs. In 1988 he volunteered his services to War Crimes Investigation in Sydney and helped in the Canadian War Crimes investigation in the case of Imre Finta—a former gendarme officer in Hungary who had overseen deportations from Szeged (M1995: 031:008). He became involved in various Jewish communal organisation: B’nai B’rith and the Sydney Jewish Museum and was awarded an OAM in 2005. He passed away in 2015 having led “a sour sweet life” (the title of his memoir).
Tamás (Thomas or Tom) Janos (John) Keleman, was born on 7 September 1927 in Budapest, Hungary. His parents: Béla Kohn/Kelemen and Lujza (Louise) Kelemen neé Muria. On 19 March 1944, German troops occupied Hungary. Jewish schools had to close. Tom and classmates were called to the school for a meeting. A courier service was being organised by the Jewish Council. 50 boys volunteered. All Jewish households had had their telephones confiscated so that the courier service became the only mode of communication between the Jewish Council, the SS and the Jewish community. Jews in Budapest had to move into Csillagos házak—Star of David houses by 2 June 1944. The couriers delivered “summonses” to Jewish households that were forced to relocate. Tom returned to their apartment in November 1944 to find it empty, except for his grandparents. His mother, father, and aunt—on separate occasions had been taken. He never saw them again. He found refuge at the Spanish Government safe house. He worked as a courier running errands and obtaining medicines. He contacted his sister, Magda, at the International Red Cross hospital. She told him that it was safe for him to join her. On the 15 January 1945 Russian soldiers liberated the hospital.
Returning to their family apartment, 13 members of their remaining family shared a three-bedroom apartment with one bathroom. Both his grandparents died in early 1946. Tom decided to escape from Hungary. Once in Austria he was employed by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) and later the American JOINT. He met May Risker a social worker who organised a Landing Permit for him to Australia (M1995: 031: 001). He arrived in Sydney on the SS Ville d’ Amiens on 19 July 1947. He was greeted by his guardians Julian and Vi Rose. Tom was the first orphan and welfare guardian boy sponsored by the Australian Jewish Welfare Society (AJWS). He was employed at the AJWS as an accountant and social worker assisting migrants (M1995: 031: 005). He worked closely with the American JOINT, helping Jewish refuges needing assistance. He left the AJWS in 1951 and bought a delicatessen in Maroubra. He helped scores of Hungarian refugees who began to arrive at the end of 1956, helping them to find jobs. In 1988 he volunteered his services to War Crimes Investigation in Sydney and helped in the Canadian War Crimes investigation in the case of Imre Finta—a former gendarme officer in Hungary who had overseen deportations from Szeged (M1995: 031:008). He became involved in various Jewish communal organisation: B’nai B’rith and the Sydney Jewish Museum and was awarded an OAM in 2005. He passed away in 2015 having led “a sour sweet life” (the title of his memoir).
Production placeAustralia
Production date 1949-12-16
Object namereferences
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 208.00 mm
height: 265.00 mm
Language
- English
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Tom Keleman