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Some significant milestones have been marked in 2025, including the 80th anniversaries of the end of the Second World War and the liberation of Bergen-Belsen and the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. A host of events are taking place this month as part of the Jewish community’s contribution to remembrance and education – honouring its service in HM Armed Forces and ensuring the sacrifices of those whose lives were lost are never forgotten. The annual Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX) Parade this year takes on special significance as it is likely to be the final “decade” anniversary veterans and survivors will join. AJEX parade 2024 (Stan Kaye Photography)[Missing Credit] This year’s parade, which takes place on Sunday, November 16 under the theme of “Carrying Them Forward, Marching Together”, will be staged, as it is every year, at The Cenotaph in Whitehall. Among the marchers will be Henny Franks, a Kindertransport refugee who fled Nazi Germany to serve in the British Auxiliary Territorial Service, who will turn 102 in February. Standing to attention on Horseguards Parade (AJEX)[Missing Credit] Also at the march will be Mervyn Kersh, who turns 101 in December. Mervyn, who landed on the beaches of Normandy shortly after the start of the D-Day invasion, said remembrance is a mitzvah, and that for this year’s AJEX march, “every Jew who possibly can be in Whitehall, should be in Whitehall”. Ruth Brook Klauber, 101, who fled Nazi Germany as a child and went on to serve in Britain’s Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during the war, will be at the AJEX pre-parade reception to meet people. Mervyn Kersh, 100, with a photo of himself as a young soldier (Credit: Daniel Ben-David)[Missing Credit] The parade will this year be reviewed by Brigadier Melissa Emmett, with Jon Tyler and Lt-Col Adam Shindler MBE serving as Parade Commanders. Spectators of all ages, whether they have familial or have direct links to service or not, are strongly encouraged to attend. In recognition of this 80th anniversary year, AJEX is encouraging attendees who have been before to bring eight new people to the march, whether that is family, friends, or colleagues to help increase participation and ensure remembrance is carried forward. This year, too, spectators are encouraged to wear any medals that belong to the family. Wreaths laid at the Cenotaph[Missing Credit] AJEX chief executive Fiona Palmer said the parade “reminds us and the country around us of the immense contribution and sacrifice made by British Jews in the Armed Forces. At a time of growing challenges, it has never been more important for our community to stand together, march together and carry forward the memory of those who fought for freedom.” A podcast series launched earlier this year by AJEX chair Dan Fox seeks to bring previously untold Jewish military stories to life, delving into the experiences of Jewish soldiers, sailors and airmen and women told in their own words. Each episode features a different veteran who reflects on their early life, their contributions and sacrifices in HM Armed Forces, and life after the war. The first eight episodes of the podcast, For Honour’s Sake, have been released, featuring veterans such as Brook Klauber and Franks. Fox said hearing directly from veterans was “a rare privilege and a vital reminder of their enduring legacy. This podcast series honours the legacy of Jewish service in the British Armed Forces and ensures these voices continue to inspire generations to come.” Henny Franks lays a wreath at The Cenotaph[Missing Credit] Later this month the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) will host a two-day conference on the future of Holocaust education. Remembering and Rethinking 2025: Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust, which takes place on November 17 and 18, is the fourth in AJR’s series of international forums, which began in 2019. Experts from more than three dozen relevant organisations will speak at the conference, some of whom are coming from abroad, and numerous panels will be held on topics ranging from the changing landscape of Holocaust education globally to bringing Holocaust education to life locally and in the classroom. The conference is supported by the Austrian and German embassies in London as well as Dangoor Education. Tickets and more information are available on Eventbrite. Alex Maws, Head of Education and Heritage at AJR, said Holocaust education “has never been more important”. AJEX parade (Charlie Jepson)[Missing Credit] AJR’s conference, he said, would provide “a vital opportunity for experts and stakeholders from around the world, including survivors and their families, educators and institutions from the UK, to come together, to share best practice, and their experience and learning. “This conference is not only about how we teach the Holocaust – it’s about why it is critically important that we continue to do so.” Ruth Brook Klauber[Missing Credit] On November 11, the AJR will also host a service to mark the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht at Belsize Square Synagogue at 2pm. Officiated by Masorti’s Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and the synagogue’s Rabbi Gabriel Botnick, it will feature an address by Hedi Argent, a Holocaust survivor and witness of the 1938 pogrom.
