Bid for Kindertransport memorial in Essex town
A fundraising drive aims to erect a statue to Kindertransport children in Harwich, near where 10,000 children spent first few weeks in the UK.
A Kindertransport memorial is set to be erected in the Essex port town of Harwich to commemorate the child refugees who came to the town.
On 2 December, 1938, hundreds of children, many Jewish, arrived in Harwich as part of a rescue mission to get them out of Nazi-occupied Europe.
While several Kindertransport memorials have been established across Europe, one does not yet exist in town, despite 10,000 children spending their first weeks in the area.
The planned statue, which is in construction by artist Ian Wolter, will show five children descending from a ship’s gangplank. Also planned is a town trail, audio bench and new information boards which will be strategically placed around the town.
However, it will only be realised if £140,000 is raised – with around £70,000 already raised so far.
Michael Newman, from the Association of Jewish Refugees, which has donated £22,500 to the project, said: “As a sponsor of this important project, we are committed to ensuring that future generations will learn about Harwich’s role in welcoming thousands of Jewish refugee children who were forced to flee from Nazi persecution.”
The chair of the appeal, Mike Levy, added: “We are sure that Harwich will at last be recognised for the crucial role it and its townspeople played in the rescue of children destined otherwise for murder in the Holocaust.”
To find out more or donate visit www.kindertransport-memorial.org
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
