Holocaust and genocide survivors come together for tea
Guests gathered at private north London home to hear Holocaust Memorial Day Trust's plans for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau
Holocaust survivors, survivors of more recent genocides, and their families came together for an afternoon tea reception in support of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) on Thursday 23rd May.
The event, held at the private home of Lady Rosa Lipworth CBE, a former hidden child during the Holocaust, offered a chance for attendees to connect and hear about HMDT’s plans for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Amongst the guests were Shoah survivors Vera Schaufeld, John Hajdu, Martin Stern, Joan Salter, Mala Tribich and Steven Frank.
Chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman said: “It was truly heart-warming to see survivors and supporters of HMDT come together for an afternoon of tea ahead of next year’s significant anniversary.
“Lady Lipworth was a most amazing host and sharing the impact of Holocaust Memorial Day in such a beautiful setting was truly wonderful. As we approach the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia, it is more crucial than ever to remember and learn from the past to build a better future.”
Smajo Beso OBE, a survivor of the genocide in Bosnia, spoke about his experiences and the importance of understanding the dangers of prejudice and violence in our own time: “As the Holocaust moves further into history, there is a danger that people begin to believe that its relevance is also fading.
“Nothing could be further from the truth: my experience from Bosnia shows, the patterns of de-humanisation and division that led to the murders of six million Jews, Romani and others are still present in our world, and without eternal vigilance we are always at risk of repeating the catastrophe of the 1940s and 90s.”
The event culminated in a fundraising appeal to support HMDT’s efforts leading up to Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January 2025.
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.
