Over 300 people, including four generations of the ‘Boys’, attended the ’45 Aid Society’s 79th anniversary annual reunion dinner on Sunday night.
The event, taking place in the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, London, saw in-depth discussions between Holocaust survivors and subsequent generations, with Lord Eric Pickles, the government’s Special Envoy for post-Holocaust Issues, Lord John Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, and former MP Joan Ryan also in attendance.
The evening began with the ’45 Aid Society’s traditional memorial candle lighting ceremony, where survivors Jackie Young, Harry Olmer, Joanna Millan, Mala Tribich, Rachel Levy, and Zdenka Husserl, plus third generation relatives, lit six memorial candles to represent the six million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust.
First one is of Lord John Mann, Chairman Angela Cohen, Lord Eric Pickles and Joan Ryan (Credit: John Rifkin)
The reunion dinner was organised by a team from the Society’s 2nd generation, headed by Chairman Angela Cohen MBE, and Vice Chairman Philip Burton.
In her opening remarks, Cohen paid tribute to the many fallen IDF soldiers who have fought to serve and protect Israel in the months since October 7, as well as the civilians who have been murdered and hostages still in captivity.
Private Secretary to the prime minister, Tim Kiddell, gave the loyal toast to King Charles, followed by Michael Helfgott, son of the late Sir Ben Helfgott, toasting the State of Israel.
Jackie Young interviewed by Louisa Clein, at the '45 Aid Society reunion dinner (Credit: John Rifkin)
Jackie Young, one of the youngest members of the Boys who was brought to the UK aged 4, was interviewed by actress and second-generation Louisa Clein. Young spoke poignantly about his search to find out about his past, as documented on the BBC’s ‘DNA Secrets’ programme. Only at aged 19 did Young find out that he was not only born in Austria but also that he had spent over two and a half years in a concentration camp.
BBC journalist Hannah Gelbart also shared the stage with TV personality Rob Rinder, both of whom are third generation. Among the many things they discussed, the two spoke about their reactions to finding out as children about their respective grandfathers’ experiences during and after the Holocaust.
Hannah Gelbart and Rob Rinder talk at the '45 Society Aid reunion dinner (Credit: John Rifkin)
Attendees on the evening also heard from Domonic Townsend, lead teacher for the UCL Beacon School, Nottingham University Samworth Academy, who has been working to develop a programme to teach the Holocaust to deaf children.
Entertainment was provided by singing group Jewish Encore and Shir.
Chairman Cohen said: “We enjoyed a wonderful celebration. The Boys taught us that, although they went through unspeakable horrors, we must always look forward and celebrate life: they showed us the art of simcha. It was wonderful to see the ’45 Aid family growing, with further involvement this year by the third and even fourth generation.
“We are very much looking forward to celebrating our historic 80th anniversary reunion dinner next year.”
The Boys are a group of 732 tightly knit child survivors of the Holocaust, both male and female, who escaped mainland Europe to find safe harbour in the Lake District, England. Their story was told in the 1997 book ‘The Boys: The true story of children who survived the concentration camps’ by the late Sir Martin Gilbert.
