Open Letter To Oskar Deutsch : ONE DAY SAMMY AND BENJI WILL READ THESE WORDS

 

o.deutsch@ikg-wien.at

office@ikg-wien.at

Dear Mr Deutsch,

I write to you, as do many others, to ask your help in reuniting Beth Alexander with her two sons, Sammy and Benji. I read about Beth's battle many years ago and was shocked and appalled to discover last month that this distressing situation is ongoing and that she now has no access to her sons at all. 

As the leader of Vienna's Jewish Community please use your position and influence to help Beth and her sons. 

To put it into a global perspective, this situation has developed against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, a world now opened up by the internet revolution. People's connectivity with one another has become so strong that in just a few weeks an online platform has gathered together a strong international group of thousands of supporters and activists, whose sense of justice has been outraged and whose hearts bleed for Beth and her sons. These people want to help reunite Beth with her children and are prepared to fight for this. 

The Internet has also enabled a rapid and widespread dispersion of ideas and knowledge. Pertinent to the story behind Beth Alexander's case, there has been a shift in knowledge about and attitude to women's issues. #MeToo was born, and this is just the beginning of opening up conversations about the types of abuse women suffer at the hands of men. Beth was in abusive relationship and what was once seen as an isolated issue occurring within a small Jewish community can now be seen in the wider contexts of violence against women, emotional abuse, post separation abuse and most sadly parental alienation. 

As it happens I was also in an abusive marriage. My ex husband once threatened me, when I was pregnant, that if I left him, he knew powerful people who could have me certified mentally unfit to look after my children and he would get full custody. He had no basis for this threat, it was made to control me, to scare me, keep me in my place and said with venom and spite. Some men- and also women- do take this sort of threat further to hurt the other parent, often resulting in very sad and hurtful consequences for the children. This threat hung over me for a long time. Incidentally my ex husband's family had escaped Vienna in 1938. Having learned of Beth's experience, I thank G-d that my marriage did not break down in Vienna. 

One day Sammy and Benji will read these words, these letters written to you. They will know of Beth's fight for their right to their loving mother and who helped to right a wrong and who did not. I respectfully urge you to be on the right side of history and use your influence to change the path of these lives. Please take up the cause of Beth and her twin sons and work towards a situation where they can benefit from being a family and the boys can benefit from knowing their mother and her love for them.

Yours sincerely

#openletterstodeutsch #reunitingbethwithhersons