Kindertransport refugee and ‘legendary’ volunteer Harry Heber passes away aged 95

Harry Heber with his sister Ruth Jacobs at the Chanukah party and 80th anniversary of AJR at the Austrian Embassy, in London, December 2021 (Credit: Adam Soller Photography)[Missing Credit]

Their escape had been facilitated by the Central British Fund for German Jewry, now called World Jewish Relief, which helped Jewish refugees flee Nazi persecution.

Heber went on to build a new life in Britain, qualifying as an optician. Following his retirement, he put his professional skills to work helping vulnerable people overseas.

In 1998, he began voluntarily running World Jewish Relief’s Optical Programme, continuing for more than two decades. He made more than 60,000 pairs of prescription glasses for people in need across 15 countries, including older Jewish people in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

Among those he helped were people in Belarus affected by the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. “His work helped thousands regain their independence and ability to read, carry out everyday tasks and leave their homes safely,” WJR said.

Harry Heber in WJR's office with his 1930s registration slip (Credit: WJR)[Missing Credit]

He completed more than 8,500 hours of voluntary service and in 2019 received the Edwards Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Volunteering Award from the Jewish Volunteering Network.

In the 2023 New Year Honours, he was appointed an MBE for charitable services and Holocaust education.

Despite the experiences of his childhood, Heber remained closely connected to his Kindertransport story and to the refugee community. He was a long-standing member of the AJR and lived for many years in St John’s Wood, London.

In 2016, he and Ruth returned together to Harwich, 77 years after arriving there as child refugees.

The Holocaust Educational Trust described Heber as a “true mensch”, saying that the Kindertransport had given him “a chance to live a full life” which he had “paid back tenfold”.

Michael Newman OBE, chief executive of the AJR, said the charity was “deeply saddened” by the passing of Heber. He was a man who “devoted much of his life to helping others” and “remained deeply connected to his Kindertransport experience and to the AJR community throughout his life,” Newman said.

Harry Heber with his sister Ruth Jacobs, and author Meriel Schindler at the Chanukah party and 80th anniversary of AJR at the Austrian Embassy, in London, December 2021 (Credit: Adam Soller Photography)[Missing Credit]

Paul Anticoni OBE, chief executive of World Jewish Relief, described him as an “absolute legend” and the charity’s longest-serving volunteer.

As a volunteer, Anticoni said Heber provided “the gift of clear eyesight to tens of thousands of vulnerable individuals across the world. His dedication and commitment to assisting others was shaped by the help he received as a child. He was a truly special, deeply kind gentleman who made us laugh and inspired us all.”

The Holocaust Educational Trust said: “The Kindertransport gave him a chance to live a full life, he paid this back tenfold, giving back to the lives of countless others.

“His legacy is not one defined by harrowing beginnings, but by his passion for helping others in his own unique way.”

Reflecting on his volunteering, Heber once said: “I saw an opportunity to help and to give something back.”