Local school pupils took part in readings as local religious and civic leaders attended the ceremony at Dugdale Arts Centre

Deputy council leader Ergin Erbil speaks at the event and (inset) a new exhibit — Deputy council leader Ergin Erbil speaks at the event and (inset) a new display at the Dugdale

Holocaust Memorial Day was commemorated in Enfield with a special ceremony at Dugdale Arts Centre – while a new display of artefacts from a survivor who settled locally have gone on display.

Local religious and civic leaders were welcomed with a speech from Enfield Council’s deputy leader, Ergin Erbil, with the event reflecting this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day theme of ‘Fragility of Freedom’, exploring how freedom is fragile and vulnerable to abuse.

A film presentation by pupils from Wolfson Hillel Primary School in Southgate was shown and was followed by readings from pupils at Chace Community School and St Anne’s Catholic School.

The event saw speeches from Rabbi Emanuel Levy from the Palmers Green and Southgate Synagogue, Rabbi Rich from Southgate Progressive Synagogue and Marija Hamza from the Roma Support Group charity.

Cllr Erbil said: “Our event in the borough provided a meaningful opportunity for local people, children and young people and religious leaders to consider how we can all make our society a better place today, free from hatred, prejudice and discrimination.”

A new Holocaust display is now available to view at the Dugdale in London Road, Enfield Town, relating to a survivor who settled locally after the Second World War.

Three cases of artefacts are available to view, relating to Grete Rudkin (nee Glauber), who came to Britain via the Kindertransport in 1939. Grete left behind her mother Else (or Zelma) Glauber. Else, a single mother, did not survive the war. Grete was adopted by Olive Dunand Rudkin, a schoolteacher and Quaker who lived in Enfield. After her studies, Grete became a teacher. She also attended Enfield County School for Girls.

The display includes letters to and from Grete, written between 1939 and 1970, a typed inventory in German of the items Grete brought to the UK, her Fremdenpass or ‘alien passport’, plus school reports for Grete and photographs. The artefacts have been loaned to Enfield Council courtesy of Jewish Museum London and will be on display until Sunday, 18th February.

The Holocaust Memorial Day event in Enfield was filmed and the footage can now be viewed in full on Enfield Council’s YouTube channel:
Visit youtube.com/watch?v=X_t18tU6kqE

For more information on Holocaust Memorial Day:
Visit hmd.org.uk

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