STAND TOGETHER RABBI ELI LEVIN

I initiated the Stand Together programme because I wanted Watching people’s reactions to the exhibits was very moving and to do something for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of from the conversations which were taking place, I could see that Auschwitz and also something dynamic in the new building. something special was going on. The opening candle-lighting It was very much born as a South Hampstead project since ceremony was particularly poignant. When Moshe Nurtman, a much of the expertise came from its membership. Holocaust survivor, lit a candle with his children and grandchildren, on the one hand, he was lighting a memorial candle and on the We wanted to see if we could put on an exhibition and bring in other, the light was penetrating forwards through three generations. schools, not only Jewish schools but also non-Jewish ones – a milestone for Holocaust education. The theme of Stand Together A core pillar of the exhibition was that I didn’t just want to talk about was determined by Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 and all the genocide, but I also wanted to be able to express Judaism as a formal events addressed this. But it was also important for living faith. I had the privilege of talking to every group which came us to take the name of the theme and to bring it to life through through the doors. Some had never met a Jew before, some had everything we did. We brought together Jews, non-Jews, adults, never met a rabbi. I wanted to tell them that we were orthodox, but children, people of faith and people of no faith. The attendance modern, not just something of the past. This was a very important levels showed the success of the event. There was an energy “wrap-around” for Stand Together. Going forward, whatever the about the exhibition. Word spread and people were calling to say topic of discussion is or whatever exhibitions we may hold in the they were coming to London, asking if they could visit. future, I want to continue to do that – to bring Judaism to life. FROM VISION TO REALITY Caroline Marcus, a consultant specialising in museum education, was charged with organising Stand Together. Below, she explains how the vision became a reality.

In July 2019, Rabbi Eli Levin, sent me an email: The synagogue’s priority audience was “I would like to put on a powerful Kindertransport exhibit and experience at our new local primary and secondary school Shul… for schools – both Jewish and particularly non-Jewish. Timing is January 2020 pupils. We invited the NHCM education to mark 75 years since the end of the Holocaust. The exhibit would run for a week and team to deliver its expert outreach school groups will be booked in for a visit. We have a beautiful space. Now we need programme. Led by Dame Helen Hyde, expertise for this project, excellent material & speakers and connections with schools. nine museum educators facilitated the Do you think we can pull it off and is the time frame realistic?” learning programme. As such, a diverse audience of predominantly non-Jewish And so began my journey, under my curated programme of Holocaust education, students, experienced the pivotal learning museum learning consultancy Caroline exhibition and discussion. An overarching programme by professionally facilitated Marcus Associates (CMA), to curate aim was for the shul to use its new multi- NHCM educators. The Journey, an Stand Together at South Hampstead. roomed communal centre as an opportunity interactive, enquiry-based programme For an ambitious programme of this scale, to reach out to, and welcome into its “home”, based on NHCM’s award-winning, I wanted to work with expert partners. the local and wider community across all immersive exhibition; The Forever Project, Partners included associate Tali Krikler, faith groups and none and all ages. The an award-winning interactive exhibit and taking the lead as programme manager, 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust The Eye as Witness, a state of the art Marc Cave (acting CEO) and Louise Stafford presented an opportunity to run an VR experience, formed the foundation (director of learning), representing National ambitious programme of Holocaust-related of the secondary and higher education Holocaust Centre and Museum (NHCM), Dr educational outreach and educational events. workshop. The Forever Project and The Bea Lewkowicz, representing The Association South Hampstead’s message was that in a Eye as Witness both proved very popular of Jewish Refugees and Eli Levin, rabbi and climate of rising hate and mutual suspicion, exhibitions and successfully supported director of programmes at South Hampstead. we can discourage hate and persecution the shul to engage with adults and Our vision was for Stand Together at South and champion mutual respect and tolerance young people from the synagogue and Hampstead Synagogue to be a week-long by “standing together”. local community.

22 Stand Together successfully supported COMMUNITY PROGRAMME South Hampstead Synagogue to: We worked in partnership with organisations, including World Jewish Relief, • Open its doors for the first time to over Jewish Museum London, Association of Jewish Refugees, Camden Council and 650 local children and young people. ’45 Aid Society to deliver our community events. Below are some details of the • Welcome over 1,000 local friends and exhibitions and community events: neighbours of all faiths and none to a synagogue community. Opening & Closing Night Exhibitions & Literature • Curate a programme of Holocaust Ceremonies education, exhibitions and discussion inspiring reflection and debate. We held an opening night event, which ’45 Aid Memory Quilt for The Boys included exhibition tours and a memorial • Highlight the Holocaust’s contemporary Created to commemorate the 70th relevance by challenging perceptions ceremony. Together with special guests, anniversary of the liberation of The Boys, through taking the Holocaust out of its South Hampstead Synagogue lit seven the four quilts contain 156 squares and five “History box”. memorial candles to mark HMD 2020. maps, representing all 732 child survivors Rabbi Shlomo Levin introduced speakers rescued by the British government at the • Present the synagogue as a safe space for Lili Pohlmann and Safet Vukalic. Lili end of World War II. challenging conversations and activism. survived the Holocaust in hiding in Lvov It was a pleasure to work with such a and was brought to London in 1946 through The Forever Project highly professional team to deliver this the efforts of Rabbi Dr Solomon Schonfeld. A digitally interactive experience offered important project. Safet was forced to leave Bosnia due to the visitors the opportunity to have a Q&A campaign of ethnic cleansing of Muslims in session with a life-sized digital projection of the early 1990s. Bergen-Belsen survivor Renee Salt. The closing night ceremony featured a talk The Eye as Witness entitled From pig farmer to world renowned Holocaust educator. This took the form This was a virtual reality exhibition, of a discussion with Dr James Smith which pioneers a radical new way to CBE, co-founder of the NHCM and Rabbi communicate the legacy of Nazi persecution Shlomo Levin. James spoke about how in and genocide to new generations. This a climate of rising hate, we can heed all immersive experience enabled visitors to the warning from history and move from step into a Nazi-era photograph and gain an bystanders to upstanders. appreciation of the problem of perpetrator photography.

Workshops Still in Our Hands: Kinder Life Portraits The photographic exhibition featured 10 Every Object Tells Our Story Kindertransport refugees interviewed for the Visitors were asked in advance whether AJR Refugee Voices Testimony Archive. Caroline Marcus & Tali Krikler they had an object that told their story. A Guide from Bari Weiss Caroline is Director of Caroline Marcus They were invited to bring their family, Penguin Press printed limited edition Associates, a consultancy specialising to photograph their object, write a text pamphlets from award-winning journalist in museum learning and participation. label and collectively curate South and author Bari Weiss entitled Stand She is programme leader for the MA: Hampstead’s Every Object Tells Our Story Together Against Anti-Semitism. These Museums & Galleries in Education, exhibition. Museum staff, archivists, oral were handed out to visitors. UCL Institute of Education. Former historians and community members were experience includes head of learning, invited to tell stories of the Holocaust. We Volunteers the Jewish Museum, London, lecturer used object-based learning methodologies We are incredibly grateful to the 30 South and curator at The National Gallery and to enhance subject specific knowledge, Hampstead Synagogue volunteers who programme and strategic director, Kids make wide connections across gave over 130 hours of their time. Their in Museums. She is chair of Group for disciplines, anchor memory and makes input was invaluable and enabled South some challenging concepts concrete. Hampstead to give all visitors a really Education in Museums, the voice of An archive box has been created to collect positive visitor experience. We are also heritage Learning and a trustee at the the stories. We plan to schedule some indebted to the support we received from National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. similar talks from synagogue members Karin, Harvey and Caroline in the South She accredits a wide range of sites for in order to add to the Every Object Tells Hampstead office and to Lorenzo, Stanley best practice in learning as a Sandford Our Story archive and tell the South and all other support staff who enabled us Award judge and supports arts Hampstead community’s stories. to deliver smoothly on so many occasions. organisations in an advisory capacity.

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