Man whose family fled Nazis now ‘giving something back’ by helping Ukrainians

A man whose family fled the Nazis in 1939 has said he is “giving something back” by taking in Ukrainian refugees.

Jim Cator is one of several sponsors working with World Jewish Relief to provide homes for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion and is currently waiting for a second family to arrive from Odesa after hosting a mother and two children for five months.

His own family history has played a role in motivating him to provide accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.

The trauma of displaced people is something I feel quite deeply about from my family contacts

His grandmother was born in Ukraine, but pogroms – an organised massacre of an ethnic group, and in particular Jews in the early 20th century – forced her to flee to Germany, when Mr Cator’s mother was born.

But in 1939, Nazi persecution forced her to flee again along with Mr Cator’s mother and aunt, with the family ending up in England with the help of a Jewish refugee charity.

Discussing his motivation for helping Ukrainian refugees now, he said his “family links” had played a big role.

He said: “These people could be my family, three or four generations down the line.

“The trauma of displaced people is something I feel quite deeply about from my family contacts.”

World Jewish Relief, which has matched Mr Cator’s family with refugees seeking accommodation in the UK, provides another family link.

Then called the Central British Fund for German Jewry (CBF), the charity provided support for Mr Cator’s family when they arrived in the UK in 1939, giving them clothing, money and train tickets.

Now living in the Black Country, Mr Cator said he and his wife had “enjoyed” hosting a Ukrainian family for five months, adding it meant they had been able to “give something back” after the help his ancestors had received.

He said: “We could see all the things on the television and for the first time we have actually been able to respond directly, not just by giving money.”