Harrow Arts Centre - 26th January

Keep The Memory Alive was the theme for this evening of children’s choirs and speakers. The Worshipful Mayor of Harrow, Cllr. Ajay Maru was in attendance as were Rabbi Mendel Lew and Rabbi Danny Bergson. Choirs from Aylward School and Belmont School sang in perfect harmony.

It is one hundred years since the Armenian massacre and Ara Sarafian talked about this genocide. We then heard from Kenmore Park School choir and Heathland and Roxeth school choirs.

I then read my own poem KinderTransport and several other poems which I hope helped keep the memory alive.

Our compere was my friend Jack Lynes.

Stanmore Library - 27th January

Year six from St John’s Church of England school were welcomed by me, Vicky, Hill, Gillian and Ivor (all from the Jewish Poetry Society) and Hetty and Melville. All the children had either written or downloaded poetry about the Holocaust which they read to us.  I think I can speak for the whole panel when I say how impressed we were with the quality of the poetry.

I asked the children whether they had any questions for us and there was an immediate show of hands. Charlotte, Daniel, Reese, David were just some of the children who asked searching questions such as whether any of us had had family members in a concentration camp. Hetty was able to reply that both her parents had been in one and had met after the war in a Displacement Persons Camp where they married.

Ivor then played some songs on his guitar ending with Over the Rainbow which the children joined in which.

The poems will be on display in Stanmore library so please feel free to browse.

I truly believe our grandchildren’s future will be in safe hands after meeting such sensitive and intelligent children in the last two days.