Israelite Educational Institution Wilhelm-Auguste-Viktoria-Foundation

The German-Israelitic Community Association (DIGB) in Steglitzer Strasse in Berlin founded a home for feeble-minded but educated children in 1907 to mark the silver wedding anniversary of the imperial couple. A new foundation was established for this purpose, the Wilhelm-Auguste-Victoria Foundation. The special thing about this home was that it was the only school that took in physically disabled Jewish children. Sally (Samuel) Bein was appointed head of the school. The Potsdam Department for Church and Education approved the home and school for 20 children on September 5, 1908. The first children were admitted on October 20, the school was officially founded on October 25 and classes began in November 1908. Classes were not divided according to age, but according to ability and disability. Lessons were kept short and constant contact with teachers and pupils was possible. Lessons were also often held in the open air and the children were encouraged to move around to keep them focused. The school placed great emphasis on religious education, which meant that the home practiced Jewish traditions and held religious services. From the upper school onwards, religion was a subject and the pupils in the lower classes learned Hebrew and the history of Judaism. Sally Bein had the children do manual work to prepare them for their future careers. After the National Socialists came to power in 1933, the school remained open. Sally's daughter, Hanna Lotte, emigrated to British India and given the situation, Sally planned to follow her and was granted permission to export removal goods in 1939, but did not emigrate. Sally was able to fend off the wishes to close the „Judenheim“ and held out until 1942. On April 14, 1942, the first group of pupils and teachers was deported to the Warsaw ghetto. The second group with Sally Bein was sent to the Sobibor extermination camp on June 2.