The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) is delighted to announce that its Chief Executive, Michael Newman, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for Services to Holocaust Remembrance and Education.
Michael has been Chief Executive since July 2012, having joined the AJR in January 2001. He is an adviser on Holocaust-era restitution issues, guiding refugees and survivors, and their families, with applications for compensation and the recovery of Holocaust-era assets.
Working with the UK government, Michael assisted in the creation of the position of UK Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues and he now advises the incumbent Envoy, Lord Eric Pickles, on Holocaust related matters.
Michael is an active member of the UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), and President of the Anglo-Jewish Association (AJA) through which he serves as a director of the Claims Conference. He is co-editor of Contemporary Human Rights Challenges: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its Continuing Relevance.
Previously, Michael was a consultant to the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) and was a researcher at the Holocaust Educational Trust, the Britain-Israel Parliamentary Group and the Inter Parliamentary Council Against Anti-Semitism.
Chair of AJR, Andrew Kaufman MBE said, “Michael is an excellent and invaluable Chief Executive, hard-working, dedicated and enthusiastic and has made an immense contribution to the refugee community in the UK and, in my opinion, is highly deserving of an honour. It has been my great pleasure to work closely with Michael at the AJR during the past 20 years.”
Michael said, “Serving the unique community the AJR supports is a passion and an honour, and I am so thrilled to accept this award on behalf of our members and those who champion our cause. As the grandson of a refugee who fled Nazi oppression in Germany, I have a personal connection to the lives and stories of our members. These testimonies form part of the AJR’s mission to develop resources that teach about the Holocaust. I am especially grateful to all those who have supported me and from whose wisdom I have benefitted, and to my wonderful colleagues who consistently demonstrate their commitment to furthering our work.”
