Holocaust survivors gain recognition on Queen's Birthday Honours list
The Honours list, which was delayed due to the coronavirus, features a particularly large number of Jews this year.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSBritain's Queen Elizabeth poses after awarding Captain Tom Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain July 17, 2020.(photo credit: REUTERS/CHRIS JACKSON)
A number of holocaust survivors have been named in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, which each year recognizes outstanding achievements of people across the United Kingdom.Eva Glicksman, Hana Kleiner, Marcel Ladenheim, Tomi Komoly, Nelly Ben-Or Clynes, Lady Zahava Kohn, Lili Stern-Polhmann and Professor Peter Lantos have all been awarded MBEs and BEMs for services to Holocaust education, according to the Jewish Telegraph, while Renate Inow and Lilian Black have both been awarded an OBE, again for services to Holocaust education.Jewish News also named Ellen Davis, Samantha Hunt, Mordechai Kahan, and Elfriede Starer as Holocaust survivors who have picked up honors in the list.Lilian Black, of Leeds, said: “I am pleased and deeply honored to have received this award on behalf of the Holocaust refugee and survivor community, especially in the north of England. It also recognizes the importance of the legacy being preserved for future generations to learn from through HSFA's Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre at the University of Huddersfield.”The Honours list, which was delayed this year due to the coronavirus, features a particularly large number of Jews this year.Among them are Rabbi David Meyer, director of Partnerships for Jewish Schools, who was awarded an OBE for services to education, and Jeffrey Leader, the director of the Jewish schools inspectorate Pikuach, who receives an MBE. Karen Sugarman, executive vice-president at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, also received an MBE, for services to life-limited young people and their families.Mehri Niknam has had her MBE upgraded to an OBE for her Jewish Muslim interfaith work, while Simon Morros, former chief executive of Jewish care, received an MBE for his services to the Jewish community. Meanwhile Rabbi Avrohom Sugarman, head of Gateshead's Haskel School, received an MBE for his work with children with special educational needs.There were also awards for those in the arts. Actress Maureen Lipman, a household name in the UK, was made a Dame for her services to charity, entertainment and the arts following a 50-year career in television and film. Interior Kelly Hoppen, who is already an MBE, received a CBE for services to GREAT, the government's international marketing campaign.But it was the Holocaust survivors who were the main focus.KAREN POLLOCK, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, who was upgraded from MBE to CBE, commented: “I am deeply touched that the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust has been recognized in this way.
“This is a tribute to the Holocaust survivors I have the privilege to work with whose strength, determination and zest for life inspire me every day. It is also thanks to the dedication of a brilliant team who work to ensure young people not only learn about the Holocaust but stand up to antisemitism, racism and hatred today." she said.“Our mission has never been more important, and I am delighted that our combined efforts have been recognized.”Dr. Marcel Ladenheim said: “Coming to England as a nine-year-old refugee in 1948 changed my life completely. Unlike my own childhood, I was able to bring up a family of three children and five grandchildren in absolute safety. I will forever be grateful to Britain, the kindness shown to me by the English people and am hugely honored to be recognized alongside my fellow survivors.”Meanwhile, the Association of Jewish Refugees, of which many of the survivors are members, offered its congratulations to those named on the list.“That more people are staying at home and accessing information online has added value to AJR’s testimony projects, Refugee Voices and My Story, which enable many survivors and refugees to share their stories for posterity so that the world never forgets," chief executive Michael Newman said. "They are an inspiration to us all and rightly deserve their accolades.”According to the UK government, 1,358 candidates were selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level this year across the two lists, Birthday and New Year's, including 537 awarded the BEM, 561 awarded an MBE, and 260 an OBE. Of those, 1,069 (72%) of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity. Some 49% of the recipients were women.
