Former residents pay tribute to Norwood orphanage - The Jewish Chronicle

Norwood Children's Home’s 110 years of operation spanned from 1863 to 1973. Located in West Norwood, south London, the orphanage provided “home-like accommodation” for over 2,000 Jewish children.

Born in 1958, Barry Garfield told the JC why he ended up in the Norwood orphanage, which was also called the Arnold and Jane Gabriel Home. “My mother was ill from when I was six months old, and I ended up in care prior to going into a Norwood family unit when she died in 1962. My father’s brothers advised against him sending me to [the orphanage] but he couldn't look after me.”

During his time at Norwood, Barry described himself as “always a troublemaker. I had no problem making friends.” However, Barry explained the difficulty of life after a broken childhood. “I find it hard to make personal relationships and have low self-esteem. I ended up driving a taxi as it meant working alone.”

Sukkot in the orphanage (Photo: Hidden Treasures)[Missing Credit]

Nevertheless, his outlook remains positive. “You have to use the cards you’ve been dealt,” Barry said. “It could have been better, could have been worse. I was fortunate to be in a family unit, rather than the imposing main building.” Barry has now been with his current partner for over 30 years and lives in London.

Ruth Freedman grew up in the orphanage, after her father, Jack Wagman and mother Aileen Shine met while working as a housemaster and teacher, respectively. Jack later went on to become the principal. Ruth explained that the children in the orphanage had felt like “one big family”.

However, she acknowledged that she was luckier than many of them, who had to attend Norwood because they came from difficult environments. “I had the best of all worlds there. I was never short of friends, and I recall fondly communal activities like concerts and Seder nights.”

Looking at photos from the days of the Norwood Children's Home (Photo: John Rifkin)[Missing Credit]

Ruth described how Norwood has changed over the years, beginning as an institution-like orphanage, shifting to family units in the 60s and now providing different services entirely. “The Norwood that I knew was the most amazing organisation. Now it’s changed so much, offering broader services, but no less amazing. Services meet the needs of today’s society, just as they did 50, 60, 70, 80 years ago.”

Both Ruth and Barry were speaking after local councillors, religious leaders and former Norwood Children’s Home residents attended the unveiling of a memorial fountain in the grounds of the Jewish orphanage.

The deeply moving ceremony was a tribute to those who had lived there and a chance for the surviving ex-residents to share their recollections.

The commemorative fountain (Photo: John Rifkin)John R. Rifkin Photographer

The fountain itself commemorates the 8,000 boys and girls who found refuge at the home from their challenging domestic situations, both in the UK and abroad.

At the event, which was organised by the Norwood Old Scholars Association (NOSA), Norwood’s chief executive Naomi Dickson addressed guests, saying: “Norwood is determined to help ensure children today get the best possible start in life, as they did at our orphanage, and go on to live rich, meaningful and fulfilling lives at the heart of their communities.”

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Topics:

Norwood

Norwood Children's Home

NOSA