Fred Worms: personal papers

This collection contains the personal papers of Fred Worms, a former Jewish refugee who emigrated to England as a student. He became a highly successful businessman and philanthropist who contributed to developing cultural, sporting and religious facilities in Jerusalem and Israel.

Included is correspondence relating to the opening and development of an exhibition on the history of Jewish sport at the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt am Main in collaboration with the Pierre Gildesgame Sports Museum, arrangements for a visit to Frankfurt as part of a programme for former Jewish refugees, invitation to an exhibition entitled "The Rothschilds - A European family", the 30th anniversary of Maccabi Germany 1995, and claim for a German pension.

Fred Worms (1920-2012) was born into an Orthodox family in Frankfurt am Main. Both of the families of his parents, Leo Worms (1896-1949) and Meta Löwenthal (born in 1894), had been living near Frankfurt for several generations. His parents divorced when he was ten years old. As life in Germany became increasingly dangerous for Jews, his mother decided to send Fred to London on a student visa in April 1937. Fred's sister Vera (born 1923), a fashion designer, and his mother emigrated to the UK in 1938 and 1939 respectively whilst his father emigrated to France. He was briefly interned as an 'enemy alien' when war broke out. Between 1939 and 1945 he studied at the Institute for Chartered Accountants London.

Fred Worms became a successful businessman working in the engineering, motor car and real estate industry in post-war Britain. He married Della Rosenberg (born 1931), a general magistrate, in London in 1951. They had three children who each moved to Israel. Worms was co-chairman of B'nai B'rith International Council in 1960. He was also president of the Maccabi World Union from 1982 to 1986 and elected honorary president from 1994. He was a founder and chairman of the Kfar Maccabiah (Maccabiah Village Company) in Ramat Gan, Israel, which hosts the Maccabia Games and he championed the development of the Pierre Gildesgame Sports Museum. Worms was also a founding member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Executive Board.

He received an OBE in 1998 for exceptional efforts as chairman of the B'nai B'rith Housing Association of Great Britain, which secured housing for the elderly. Through the Fred and Della Worms Charitable Trust and the separate Fred Worms Charitable Trust, the couple supported numerous causes in Britain and Israel, particularly those supporting education, cultural heritage, the arts, the environment and conservation. Worms was honorary treasurer of the Central Council of Jewish Social Services, trustee of the Jewish Educational Development Trust and vice-president of the British-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

Chronological

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Donated by Fred Worms

2009/22

See Video Archive for related material (2009/22)