On 26th March we were delighted to join with the Department of Communities and Local Government at a special event to honour British soldiers who saved the life of a young Jewish girl.
The families of William Fisher, Edwin Hambling and Bill Keeble were presented the British Heroes of the Holocaust Medal by Communities Secretary Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP. The Medal, an initiative of the Holocaust Educational Trust, is given to recognise the brave efforts of British citizens in saving Jewish people during the Holocaust.
Before awarding the medals, Rt Hon Eric Pickles said:
"In the midst of the darkest days of human history, William Fisher, Edwin Hambling and Bill Keeble and their fellow prisoners of war, were shining beacons of hope."
"At a great risk to themselves they showcased the very best of British values – tolerance, respect and compassion – to save the life of a stranger."
William, Edwin and Bill were part of a group of ten British prisoners of war who smuggled Sara Rigler, a young Jewish girl from Lithuania, into Gross Golmkau camp and nursed her back to health, saving her after she had escaped from a death march.
The event also marked the launch of a project to restore a Torah scroll, saved from the Nazis after being given to a Polish shepherd by a Rabbi in the town of Filipów, Poland before he was sent to Treblinka. 'From the Depths' will work with Holocaust survivors across the globe to restore the Torah and the special event saw the first lines restored by Holocaust survivors.
Speaking at the event, Holocaust Educational Trust Chief Executive Karen Pollock MBE said:
"We are particularly proud that our initiative to honour British Heroes of the Holocaust has meant government recognition for the courageous acts of so many, and is today being presented to the families of the final three individuals who saved a young Jewish girl's life in the final days of the Holocaust."
"We are delighted to be part of this special event - this Torah would have been treasured at the heart of the Jewish community in Filipów before the Holocaust and it is incredibly poignant that it is being restored in such a beautiful and symbolic way."