Debra Barnes

Debra has worked for the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) since 2017. She ran AJR’s testimony project, My Story; a collection of 45 individual life story books of Holocaust survivors and refugees.

Debra is now Head of Next Generations, working specifically with the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of survivors to enable them to celebrate their heritage and keep their important family stories alive.

Debra studied journalism and has written a novel, The Young Survivors, based on her own family’s Holocaust story. She also tells her mother’s incredible story of survival in schools and to communities all over the UK as part of her voluntary work with Generation 2 Generation. Before joining AJR Debra worked in corporate communications. She has two daughters and is excitedly awaiting the birth of her first grandchild in the summer.