A pair of native oak trees are being planted at Argyle Road in Southport and Alexandra Park in Crosby as part of a nationwide campaign marking the 80th anniversary of the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) – the national charity providing social and welfare services to Holocaust refugees and survivors in the UK.
80 Trees for 80 Years has seen native oak trees planted all around Britain in honour of people and places that symbolise the enormous contribution made to every walk of British life by refugees who escaped from Nazi Europe.
Argyle Road, Southport was chosen because it was home to the Harris House Kindertransport hostel, which provided sanctuary to 19 Jewish girls who fled Nazi persecution in Europe in 1938. The tree has been sponsored by the chairman of the AJR, Mike Karp, whose own mother was one of those girls.
Alexandra Park, Crosby was chosen by AJR member Rachel Hall, whose grandparents Hans & Rahel Liebeschuetz fled Germany in 1939 and eventually chose to make their home in Blundellsands. They named their house ‘Dockenhuden’ after the village outside Hamburg that they had left.
Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) Chairman, Mike Karp, said: “As well as helping to mark the heritage of our members and a place of historic interest associated with them, the planting of this tree enables the AJR to give back to and create a living legacy within the country that became home to the Jewish refugees.
“Britain’s native oak trees are in decline and new trees are desperately needed. We hope these 80 special trees will be appreciated by future generations and provide natural habitats for other native species for many decades to come.”
Clare Carragher, Mayor of Sefton, said: “I was honoured to be invited to the tree planting in respect of the 80th anniversary of the Association of Jewish Refugees.
“It was under an oak tree that Abraham gave refuge to God and his two angels, who were disguised as travellers. In Celtic legend, the oak tree is the tree of life.
“This tree is a symbol of strength stability and wisdom, and may Sefton always be a safe place of refuge for those who need it.”
Cllr Trish Hardy, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “It is an honour for our Borough to be part of the campaign marking the 80th anniversary of the Association of Jewish Refugees.
“I’m thrilled that the people of Sefton have the opportunity to visit the two native oak trees in Southport and Crosby and use as a place to reflect on the history and incredible impact of Jewish refugees.”
The trees at Southport and Crosby will act as platforms for telling the story of Britain’s Jewish refugees and celebrating their remarkable contribution to British life. They also form part of The Queen’s Green Canopy – the unique tree planting initiative which marked HM Queen Elizabeth ll’s Platinum Jubilee and whose organisers have adopted the AJR’s project as a “wonderful initiative”.
The tree is also featured on the new UK Holocaust Map (www.ukholocaustmap.org.uk), a new online resource which helps to tell the story of the Holocaust and British responses to Nazism.
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Notes on the AJR for Editors:
The AJR is the leading national charitable organisation exclusively delivering social, welfare and volunteer services to Jewish victims of Nazi oppression living in Great Britain.
The AJR is also the largest supporter of Holocaust educational programmes, projects and initiatives to commemorate the Holocaust in the UK.
The AJR has produced the ground-breaking audio-visual testimony archive, Refugee Voices. This collection of 250 filmed interviews creates a legacy of the experiences of the refugees and will advance and enhance Holocaust research for future generations. Refugee Voices enables Holocaust researchers and scholars to watch up to 500 hours of film and read fully edited and transcribed accounts. For the first time, researchers will also be assisted by time-codes that, together with a summary sheet and key words section, direct users to specific sections of the films. Details are at www.refugeevoices.co.uk
AJR Chief Executive, Michael Newman, is a member of the UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which brings together governments and nongovernmental organisations to raise awareness of the Holocaust and places political and social leaders’ support behind the need for Holocaust education, remembrance, and research.
