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Did you know this secret about London’s ancient walls?
In the 1500s, workers repairing the London Wall made a startling discovery: Hebrew inscriptions on the stones.
Where the Barbican stands today was once the site of England’s medieval Jewish cemetery.
Following the expulsion of Jews in 1290, the cemetery was destroyed, and the headstones were repurposed as building materials for the city walls.
In 1938, thousands of German and Austrian Jewish refugees who had fled to the Sudetenland were forced to flee again, this time to Prague, as Nazi Germany demanded and occupied Czechoslovakia’s border regions.
Following the Munich Agreement in September 1938 and the German occupation of Prague in March 1939, a critical rescue effort was galvanised: the Kindertransport from Czechoslovakia.
As Kindertransport scholar Dr Amy Williams explains, Britain’s relief efforts during this period extended beyond Jewish refugees, offering refuge to political dissidents, including social democrats and communists fleeing Nazi persecution.
Reflecting on history helps us honour the courage of those who sought refuge and the resilience of those who saved them.
Shaping the future of Holocaust education, together.
This week, AJR brought together leading voices from across the UK’s Holocaust education and remembrance sector for Remembering & Rethinking 2026 at Holocaust Centre North in Huddersfield.
As the UK’s leading dedicated funder of Holocaust education, we unveiled a landmark new report exploring the sector’s strengths, challenges and opportunities for greater collaboration.
The findings highlight the significant impact of AJR-funded projects, which have reached more than 123,000 people since 2023, while calling for stronger partnerships, shared learning and more consistent ways to measure impact.
At a time of rising antisemitism, rapidly changing technology and the passing of the survivor generation, working together has never been more important.
We were also honoured to receive a message from Prime Minister Andy Burnham recognising the importance of our collective work.
Thank you to our speakers, partners and everyone who joined us for two days of thought-provoking discussion and a shared commitment to turning insight into action.
Swipe through some highlights from the conference.
Photos by Alex Beldea
Today, we remember the victims of the 7 October attacks and all those whose lives were forever changed.
We hold in our thoughts the families who lost loved ones, those who survived, and all those who continue to live with the trauma of that day.
May the memory of those who were murdered be a blessing.
On October 7, 1944, members of the Sonderkommando at Auschwitz-Birkenau staged an armed uprising against Nazi forces.
Working inside the gas chambers and crematoria, the Sonderkommando witnessed the heart of the extermination operation daily and knew their unit was slated for liquidation. Over months, female prisoners working at a local munitions factory smuggled small quantities of gunpowder to aid the plan.
During the revolt, members set fire to and destroyed Crematorium IV, rendering it inoperable, and killed several camp staff. The Nazi response was ruthless, resulting in the murder of over 450 prisoners.
This historic act highlights the extreme danger and immense tragedy associated with resistance inside the death camps.
Myth busting: Kindertransport
‘The Kindertransports only came to Britain.’
The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) mourns the passing of our much-loved member Rev. Bernd Koschland MBE, a Kindertransport refugee, minister, teacher and dedicated Holocaust educator.
Born in Fürth, Germany, in 1931, Bernd witnessed the violence of Kristallnacht as a seven-year-old, when his father was arrested and taken to Dachau. In March 1939, aged eight, he was sent alone to Britain on the Kindertransport. His sister Ruth later also escaped, but their parents were unable to leave Germany and did not survive the Holocaust.
Bernd went on to devote much of his life to Jewish education and teaching. He was a longstanding member of the AJR and became closely involved with its Kindertransport group, serving on its committee - helping preserve the experiences of his generation. In retirement, he shared his testimony with countless schoolchildren and was appointed MBE in 2018 for services to Holocaust education.
In 2019, the AJR was privileged to record Bernd’s remarkable testimony as part of its My Story life-story project preserving his memories in his own words for future generations.
AJR CEO Michael Newman OBE said: “Bernd was a treasured member of the AJR community and a passionate educator who understood the importance of passing memory from one generation to the next. He gave so generously of his time and his testimony, always with warmth, humour and humanity. We are immensely grateful for everything he contributed to the AJR and to Holocaust education, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family. May his memory be for a blessing.”
Retracing steps of survival and hope.
Mandy Seal shares her father Herbert’s journey, from fleeing Berlin in August 1939 to finding refuge at Kitchener Camp in Sandwich, Kent. Treading the same cobbled streets he once walked brings his story full circle.
