King’s New Year’s Honours tea at Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ centre

Jewish Care welcomed recipients of this year’s King’s New Year’s Honours to a celebratory tea at the charity’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre.

The event celebrated the achievements of centre members who received royal recognition this year for their services to Holocaust education and the community.

Distinguished guests Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Lord Levy, Jewish Care’s honorary life president, were joined by fellow members, staff and volunteers from Holocaust education and partner organisations, including the Holocaust Educational Trust, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Association of Jewish Refugees, World Jewish Relief, JW3 and 45 Aid Society.

Honour recipients at the tea included Holocaust survivors and centre members, Lily Ebert, Susan Pollack, Harry Olmer, Harry Heber as well as Yvonne Bernstein, Michael Brown. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, TV presenter Rachel Riley, World Jewish Relief Hon Life vice president, Linda Rosenblatt and AJR Chair Michael Karp.

Volunteers from Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors Centre presented the Honour recipients and members of the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre with flowers.

Jewish Care’s honorary Life president, Lord Levy, said: “It’s wonderful and uplifting to see the members together at the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre. I wish all of the Honours recipients a truly hearty mazeltov and I pay tribute to each of you, and to many of those who have received recognition before, for the wonderful work that you have done. It is truly remarkable.”

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said: “We are blessed to be in a wonderful country that recognises Jews and Judaism and welcomes peoples of all faith and none. A country that recognises those who are survivors of the worst atrocity the world has ever known, and those who stand up and fight against antisemitism.

“I am in awe of survivors; those who have been honoured on this occasion and those who have been honoured in the past and will no doubt be honoured in the future as well. Thank you, Jewish Care, for everything you do for thousands of people within our community and the truly remarkable way that you do it.”

Honour recipient, Susan Pollack, said: “It’s amazing and just so lovely to be here all together at the centre since we started coming so many years ago.”

Lily Ebert said: “We do everything we can to tell the world what happened and it is also up to our children and our grandchildren to continue to tell our stories.”