Memorial service held at UK’s only Stumbling Stone
There are thousands of brass plate 'stones' or 'stolperstein' across Europe commemorating Holocaust victims
An educational charity has held a unique memorial service in London to commemorate a victim of Auschwitz.
StandWithUs UK led the event on 14 February alongside the UK’s only Stumbling Stone (or Stolperstein), in Golden Square, Soho. As of December 2019, some 75,000 of these brass plates have been installed across Europe at the last place of residence or work for victims of the Holocaust.
This particular brass plate commemorates the life of Ada van Dantzig who died in Auschwitz on this exact date. Amongst those in attendance were local MP Nickie Aiken, Annabel Pattle and Louise Cohen from the Holocaust Educational Trust, (HET), Betti Blatman who is a second-generation Holocaust survivor, as well as staff and students from StandWithUs.
Devora Stoll, the charity’s director for strategic partnerships, thanked everyone for taking the time to come and pay their respects. She reflected on how, “this small 10 centimetre brass plate in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world was able to bring all of us together. It may seem insignificant to a passer-by, but to us it keeps Ada’s memory alive. We can never underestimate the impact our actions can make, no matter how small.”
Ada was a Dutch Jew who studied and worked in London. She became concerned for her family in the Netherlands as Hitler rose to power, and finally returned to Rotterdam in 1939. She and her family were arrested in France as they tried making their way to Switzerland, and later murdered in Auschwitz.
As the cleaning ceremony for the stone went underway, Nickie Aiken MP, alongside Betti Blatman polished the stone, whilst StandWithUs UK Emerson Leadership students helped; this symbolised the idea that the memory of the Holocaust must be kept alive with every generation.
Following a recitation of the poem ‘Shema’ by Primo Levi, read by HET Ambassador Caitlin Murphy, Rabbi Yisroel Lew of Bloomsbury Chabad recited Kaddish to conclude the ceremony.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
