Join us for a fascinating two-day international forum for descendants of Holocaust survivors and refugees. Whichever generation you are, we hope you will find this forum valuable and interesting, as will educators and those from other communal organisations. TO REGISTER CLICK HERE
Originally planned for April 2020, but cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are now delighted to present a new programme of panels and speakers for our forum. In the intervening period the AJR have addressed many of the original themes in individual online events during lockdown, all of which are available for catch-up on the AJR YouTube channel.
Please note the programme for Sunday 3 October 2021 will be held entirely online. The programme for Monday 4 October 2021 will be held in person at Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge, and simultaneously online. For those joining us in person, refreshments will be served, and there will be opportunities during the day to visit the ‘marketplace’ with representatives from partner organisations.
This forum is sponsored by the Chelsea Foundation. Please see more about their Say No to Antisemitism campaign here.
COVID Policy for Monday 4 October at Stamford Bridge: All visitors will need to provide proof of one of the following to gain entry to this event: Proof of a negative Lateral Flow Test carried out no earlier than 48 hours prior to the event day or proof of a full Covid-19 vaccination (with the second dose having been received at least 14 days prior to the event day). Proof of full vaccination should be supplied via your NHS Covid Pass on the NHS app, or a vaccination letter supplied by your GP. Guests displaying a negative Lateral Flow results should do so on the NHS app, or via text message or email from NHS Test and Trace. We ask all visitors to take a lateral flow test before coming to the event.
The following schedule is subject to changes and will be updated to reflect any amendments.
Sunday 3 October (online only) 10am – 5pm UK-time
10.00am Welcome
10.15am The Second & Third Generation in conversation. William Baginsky (2G, AJR’s Board of Deputies of British Jews representative) in conversation with his daughter Rabbi Charley Baginsky (3G, Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism UK)
11.00am Telling our Family Stories. How the Next Generations are taking on the role of story teller, to educate young people and keep their family Holocaust stories alive. With Generation 2 Generation, Northern Holocaust Education Group, and Gathering the Voices Scotland.
12.00pm The Next Generations Confronting the Legacy of Nazism. Three of AJR’s recent ARSP volunteers (young German students committed to take action for reconciliation and peace, international understanding and human rights) discuss their experiences of working with AJR, why they felt compelled to do so, and what they learnt from it. Chaired by Dr Susanne Frane, Head of Culture & Education, German Embassy London.
1pm Lunch break
1.25pm Welcome back
1.30pm UK Holocaust Memorial. Co-chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, Rt Hon Lord Eric Pickles talks about the forthcoming Memorial and Learning Centre in Westminster.
2.00pm Keynote Speaker. Irit Felsen PhD, US-based clinical psychologist specialising in trauma and traumatic loss, with a special focus on Holocaust survivors and their families.
3.00pm Bridging the Generation Gap. Dov Forman and his survivor great-grandmother Lily Ebert discuss writing a Sunday Times Best Seller together and becoming social media superstars with 1.4 million TikTok followers
4.00pm Keynote Speaker. Join professional storyteller Lisa Lipkin as she regales you with humorous and poignant stories about growing up as the child of a Holocaust survivor. In this piece she looks beyond the second generation to future generations, exploring how we can walk into the future with a proactive, joyous approach to Judaism, not one that is solely stitched together by victimisation.
- Online workshops at 11am and 3pm with Gaby Glassman on Being Second Generation–Sunday 3 October. Ticket holders may sign up for one of two online workshops in which participants will explore together how being second generation affected their lives. Each workshop will be limited to 15 participants. Gaby, a psychologist and psychotherapist, has facilitated second generation and intergenerational groups in the UK and abroad since the 1980s. As spaces are limited, priority will be given to AJR members. Should you wish to join the AJR, please CLICK HERE to go to our membership form. This session is exclusively for those who are children of survivors and refugees.
Monday 4 October (in person in London with online access) Timings 9.15am – 5pm UK-time
09.15am Welcome
09.20am Say No to Antisemitism. Chelsea Football Club Chairman, Bruce Buck, updates us on the leading efforts of the football club to combat antisemitism.
09.30am The Importance of Reaching Out to the Next Generations. Thoughts from Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism.
10.00am Author Michael Rosen will speak about his two recent books for children ‘The Missing’ and ‘On the Move’, both of which have second and third generation themes.
11.00am Dr Bea Lewkowicz, From Refugee Voices to Next Generation Voices. Introduction of AJR Next Generations Testimonies and Panel Discussion with Susie Kaufman and Helen Sterne on the experience of being Second Generation and of having given their testimony to this new Next Generations initiative.
12.00pm Keynote Speaker. Second generation writer, sociologist and award-winning journalist Anne Karpf talks about her memoir, The War After, 25 years after it was published.
1pm Lunch
2pm The Legacy of Objects, Documents and Photographs. Archivists and curators from The Wiener Holocaust Library, The National Holocaust Centre and The Imperial War Museum each introduce an artefact and its donor to look at the reasons behind, and the value of, donations of family objects.
3pm Elisha Wiesel, son of noted Holocaust survivor, award winning novelist, journalist, human rights activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Eli Wiesel, will be in conversation with Stephen D Smith, current UNESCO chair on Genocide Education and Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation.
4pm Communications between the Generations. Representatives of UK second and third generation groups discuss communication between all generations.
5pm Farewell
In partnership with Jewish News