Progressively Speaking: Why do we need a permanent Shoah in Westminster?
Rabbi Aaron Goldstein reflects on a topical issue and applies a progressive Jewish angle
Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue recently twinned with the Progressive Jewish community in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, formerly known as Lemberg and Lwow/Lvov.
In Lviv, there is only a wall standing of the once magnificent Golden Rose Synagogue and a poignant memorial.
Similar in design to that proposed for London, it is far more subtle and includes moving testimonials. Visiting, I am in tears thinking about the hundreds of thousands of Jews from this city murdered by the Nazis.
Families from our shul recently visited Hamlyn and Hanover to lay stolperstein (stepping stones) outside homes of their murdered relatives.
Our members have also sponsored stolperstein outside homes and shops of Jews of Kolín, Czech Republic. One of our Torah scrolls is from Kolín and we have displayed a damaged Czech Scroll as a reminder they survived, but the Jews of our Torah towns didn’t.
All of these examples are “meaningful locations that best reflect the impact of the Holocaust” – the government’s stated aim for a Holocaust Memorial in London.
Jewish communities of all denominations in Britain have similar ways of keeping alive the memory of those who perished. But what about reaching non-Jews, especially young people who live in areas where there are no or very few Jews?
I’m unconvinced on the memorial for Parliament Square and am sympathetic to criticism from British peers, who all lost family in the Shoah. But even if it did, do we really need another London-centric memorial?
The message of the Holocaust is already being delivered around the UK by many organisations, including the Holocaust Educational Trust, Holocaust Memorial Day and The Journey outreach project of the National Holocaust Centre and Museum. I believe the money would be better spent reinforcing the efforts of these organisations in educating future generations of Britons.
The goal should be to make every school in the UK “meaningful locations that best reflect the impact of the Holocaust”.
- Rabbi Aaron Goldstein serves Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue
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.
