JLGB to join national VE Day 80 events as UK honours war heroes
Young leaders to march past Buckingham Palace and attend Downing Street street party as part of historic commemorations
The Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade (JLGB) will take centre stage in the UK’s official VE Day 80 commemorations next week, joining military parades, national services and community celebrations that honour the sacrifices of the Second World War generation.
Seven JLGB adult volunteers and young leaders will march from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace on Bank Holiday Monday, 5 May, as part of a 1,300-strong military and youth procession watched by thousands lining The Mall.
The event will begin with a reading of Churchill’s VE Day speech and end with a flypast featuring 23 aircraft, including the Red Arrows and World War II-era planes.
Two JLGB members will watch the flypast from the Queen Victoria Memorial Grandstand, alongside the Prime Minister and Second World War veterans.Se
Elsewhere that day, four JLGB representatives – one adult leader and three young members aged 8, 11 and 12 – will attend a street party at 10 Downing Street. Hosted in partnership with the Together Coalition and the Big Lunch, the event is part of the wider Great British Food Festival initiative to bring communities together and reflect on VE Day’s legacy.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “VE Day 80 is a chance for us to come together and celebrate our veterans and ensure their legacy of peace is passed on to future generations. Whether by watching on TV or having a street party with neighbours, everyone can take part.”
Thirteen JLGB members will also attend the official Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, 8 May, the exact date marking the end of the war in Europe. One of them, Sam Rose-Issacs, will present flowers to veterans in tribute.
That evening, 300 JLGB members, staff, volunteers and families will attend a national concert at Horse Guards Parade, broadcast live on BBC One and featuring performances from well-known artists and readings commemorating the end of the war.
The group is also using the anniversary to pay tribute to its oldest member, 100-year-old D-Day veteran Mervyn Kersh. A former JLGB recruit who joined at the age of nine, Kersh landed on Gold Beach three days after D-Day and was responsible for supplying vehicles to British troops pushing through Normandy.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP added: “As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, I look forward to joining our veterans, serving Armed Forces personnel and young people to remember the remarkable generation who defended the freedoms we enjoy today.”
A spokesperson for the group said: “JLGB’s active participation in VE Day 80 events underscores its enduring commitment to honouring the past while empowering the next generation to build a better future.”
Find full details of the commemorations and local events here.
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.
