80 Trees for 80 Years
During 2021 and 2022, to mark its 80th anniversary, the AJR launched an ambitious nationwide initiative to plant 80 native oak trees across Great Britain in honour of the people, places and communities connected to Jewish refugees.
AJR Creates a Living Legacy Across Great Britain
Today, the project has successfully concluded, with more than 80 trees now planted in towns and cities across the country.
The Trees captured the imagination of communities throughout Britain, with local groups, councils, schools and organisations coming together to host ceremonies, educational activities and commemorative events around each planting. From Scotland to the South Coast, these living memorials now stand in neighbourhoods across Great Britain, bringing an important piece of European history into local public spaces and connecting communities with the stories of those who sought refuge in Britain from Nazi persecution.
Each tree was planted in a location with a meaningful connection to Jewish refugees — including towns and cities that once housed refugee hostels, welcomed Kindertransport children, supported displaced families, or became home to refugees who went on to make lasting contributions to British society.
More than a commemorative project, the initiative reflects the AJR’s ongoing work to memorialise, preserve and celebrate the extraordinary impact Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors have had on every aspect of life in Great Britain. Through these trees, the stories of courage, resilience, creativity and contribution are rooted permanently within the communities that helped shape them.
The project also created a lasting environmental legacy. Britain’s native oak trees are in decline, and the planting of more than 80 new trees contributes valuable habitats for wildlife while creating spaces that future generations can enjoy for decades to come. Alongside many of the trees, time capsules were buried containing key facts about the refugee community and personal histories from AJR members, ensuring these stories continue to be discovered and shared in years ahead.
Photographs and stories from the tree plantings, together with the locations and histories behind them, continue to form part of a growing national record of Britain’s refugee heritage. View the locations and stories behind them on the UK Holocaust Map.
The AJR is deeply grateful to the many communities, volunteers, partner organisations and supporters who helped make this landmark project possible. Through these living memorials, the legacy of Jewish refugees in Britain continues to grow — rooted in local neighbourhoods and woven into the shared history of Great Britain.
The Queen's Green Canopy
The 80 Trees for 80 Years project was also recognised by the organisers of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), the nationwide tree-planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The AJR’s contribution formed part of a wider national effort to create lasting environmental and community legacies across the United Kingdom.
Marnie Gaffney MVO, Head of Communications for QGC, described the AJR initiative as a “wonderful initiative”, recognising both its environmental impact and its powerful role in commemorating the experiences and achievements of Jewish refugees in Great Britain.
“We would be very proud and honoured to take part in the 80 Trees project. I think this is a great living memorial idea.”
Teacher at a large secondary school in Horndean, Hampshire
“We are 100% behind this exciting project and are sure we can find a perfect location”
Tourism manager in the Peak District town of Buxton
“This is a really excellent concept and we would definitely like at least one oak tree”
Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Essex
“This seems to me a project very much worthy of support”
Councillor in Haslemere, Surrey
“What a fantastic idea! We would be thrilled and honoured to host a tree!”
Chief Executive of The Fed, Manchester
“We are delighted that you have chosen Shefford. Planting this tree will be the start of the Town Council’s new tree planting programme”
Town Clerk, Shefford in Bedforshire
“I have just heard that Leicester City Council has been in touch with you about planting an oak tree. I can’t tell you how happy I am that this is going to happen.”
AJR member, Leicester
“This is a fantastic project and we in Millisle would certainly want to be part of it.”
Leader of Millisle Community Association, Northern Ireland
“The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation is delighted that the AJR is marking its 80th anniversary by creating a living legacy for its members. There are very few aspects of British culture and society that have not positively benefitted in some way from the thousands of Jewish refugees who found refuge here from Nazi persecution. Their arrival and contribution is a hugely important part of Britain’s own narrative surrounding the Holocaust. The planting of these 80 trees will help to convey this story to audiences throughout the UK, prompting deeper understanding of the Holocaust, and of Britain’s responses to it. The Foundation looks forward to helping the AJR to share its members’ stories with communities around the country and, eventually, through the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.”
The Rt Hon Lord Eric Pickles, United Kingdom Special Envoy for post-Holocaust issues
“I can think of no finer blessing than this, with which to honour the legacy of those who sought refuge in this country, made it their home and have contributed so much to its success. May the symbol of these 80 Oak trees, marking 80 years of the AJR, inspire us all to be just like them.”
Chief Rabbi Ehraim Mirvis
