“She spoke with remarkable warmth, compassion, and resilience, often alongside her beloved husband, Bob…”
Ann was born Hannah Kuhn in Berlin in 1928, escaping to the UK in 1938 after Kristallnacht, a pogrom which saw Nazis destroy synagogues and Jewish-owned shops, businesses and homes in Germany and Austria.
As she boarded the train, it was the last time Ann saw either of her parents, who were deported to Auschwitz in 1942.
Once in England, Ann was looked after by two sisters, Sophie and Millie Levy and met her husband at a club for young Jewish refugees. The couple married in 1950.
Last January, Ann and Bob jointly received the Jewish Volunteering Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of 70 years of supporting the Liberal Jewish Synagogue with its endeavours, including education and leadership. The couple later became vice presidents of Liberal Judaism.
Speaking at the JVN event, Benita Hart, chair of the LJS, told guests she had nominated the Kirks because they had led “lives of service, dedication, love and loyalty….They have led by example and their humanity shines through.”
Ann and Bob are survived by one son, David, and three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Their other son, Andrew, predeceased them.
