“I stood proud in my kippah”: Jewish teen takes centre stage with royals at national VE Day service
Yavneh College pupil Sam Rose-Isaacs took part in service at Westminster Abbey, marking 80 years since defeat of Nazi Germany
A Jewish teenager has described his “unbelievable” pride at being part of today’s historic Westminster Abbey service, marking 80 years since VE Day.
Sam Rose-Isaacs, a Year 12 student at Yavneh College in Borehamwood and long-time member of the Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade (JLGB), was one of several young people chosen to distribute white roses to Second World War veterans during the national ceremony attended by royalty, political leaders and military figures.
Wearing his JLGB uniform and a kippah, Sam walked solemnly through the Abbey carrying a basket of flowers, which he and fellow youth representatives offered to elderly veterans in the front rows. The event was broadcast live on the BBC.
“I felt insanely proud to be able to represent the Jewish community,” Sam told Jewish News. “Apart from the Chief Rabbi [Sir Ephraim Mirvis], a Reform rabbi [Joshua Levy] and a Liberal rabbi [Charley Baginsky] who were also there, in terms of screen time, I was one of the only Jewish people visibly representing. It wasn’t just for me or my family; it was for the whole Jewish community around the world.”
As the procession neared the front of the Abbey, Sam found himself just feet away from Princess Catherine. “We made eye contact and smiled at each other,” he said. “I felt on top of the world. Knowing this is a once-in-a-lifetime event made it even more special. I was standing there in my kippah, in uniform, with the JLGB logo on either side of my arms, and I just felt so proud.”
Sam said he received a message from JLGB asking if he would like to take part in the service after the BBC asked for youth representatives. “I said yes straight away,” he said. “JLGB has been a huge part of my life since Year 4; it’s helped me connect more to my Jewish identity and given me so much confidence. The leaders and staff make you feel supported and ready for anything.”
His mother, who watched the broadcast, was overcome with emotion. “When I called her afterwards, she was crying,” he said. “And a family friend who’s known me since I was nine was crying too. I’ve had messages from cousins, and I’m now on my school’s Instagram and JLGB’s too.”
Posting on social media, Yavneh College wrote: “To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, one of our Year 12 students, Sam, took part in the service at Westminster Abbey.”
Now back at school, Sam hopes to share what he learnt with others. “Some of my friends didn’t really know what VE Day was,” he said. “Now I can tell them. It’s a celebration of victory, yes, but also a time to remember those who didn’t make it out of the war, who didn’t survive so that we could.”
Asked what he’ll carry forward from the experience, Sam said: “Always be proud of my religion. Always be proud to be British. Always be proud to be Jewish. And proud to be part of the younger generation that knows what happened and passes that on.”
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.
