VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS: Shrouded in fear
Concealing our national Holocaust memorial betrays its very purpose. Britain, we are better than this.
Hiding the UK’s Holocaust memorial under a plastic sheet out of fear it could be targeted by pro-Palestinian demonstrators last weekend was not just a security measure. It was a surrender. A national disgrace.
That wretched blue tarpaulin didn’t just cover stone and steel.
It didn’t just conceal the haunting quotation from the Book of Lamentation etched into its surface: “For these I weep. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people.”
No, it did something far more damaging.
It smothered the values we live by.
The Hyde Park authorities likely felt they were doing the right thing by hiding the memorial following acts of vandalism on other national monuments.
The Rochdale war memorial was vandalised with the words “Free Palestine” before Remembrance Sunday, the Machine Gun Corps Memorial at Wellington Arch was draped in Palestinian flags and the Field Marshal Earl Haig statue on Whitehall spray-painted.
But by concealing our national Holocaust memorial, they betrayed its very purpose.
It isn’t just a monument. It’s a weapon against hate.
By hiding it, we disarm ourselves. We let evil win and allow the shouts of the wicked drown out the whispers of their victims.
Britain, we are better than this.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
