Care home holds Holocaust exhibition telling poignant stories of six residents who fled Nazi persecution

A care home in Didsbury has unveiled a Holocaust exhibition at its synagogue featuring photographs and the stories of six of its residents.

Belong Morris Feinmann care village which was originally founded by Jewish refugee, Morris Feinmann, is home to five Holocaust refugees and a Holocaust survivor.

The exhibition which is on display at the home’s synagogue is being held to honour them and the millions of Jews who suffered persecution at the hands of the Nazis in World War II.

Care home residents - Frances Waldek, aged 100; Gisela Feldman, 98; Frania Strauss, 97; Sonja Sternberg, 96; Hans Rose, 94; and Peter Mittler, 91; have each provided their own words about life during this horrific period in history and the struggles they faced.

Their remarkable stories accompany portrait photographs by Gwen Riley Jones.

Angela Luckett, religious and cultural coordinator at Belong Morris Feinmann spearheaded the project. She said: “The Holocaust touches the lives of all of us and the foundations of our care village were borne out of our plight, having been originally set-up by Jewish refugee, Morris Feinmann, to help those fleeing Europe in WWII and settle here in Manchester.

“We’re very passionate about preserving history and that is the aim of the project, to document an important part of our story and to educate future generations.”

Among those photographed by Gwen Riley Jones for the Belong exhibition includes former University of Manchester academic, Peter Mittler.

At the age of eight, he fled Nazi-occupied Austria following the devastation of Kristallnacht, ‘Night of Broken Glass’, which saw violent anti-Jewish demonstrations across the continent.

After being put on Kindertransport, he arrived in the UK in 1939 and lived with foster parents until he was reunited with his parents in 1942.

He went on to build a distinguished career, heading up the country’s first research centre for special educational needs and more recently, he has championed the rights of people living with dementia.

Sisters Gisela Feldman and Sonja Sternberg also feature in the exhibition. This year, they were awarded British Empire Medals for their services in teaching people about the horrors of the Holocaust.

The siblings have dedicated their lives to Holocaust education, sharing their personal experiences, the plight of modern refugees, and keeping alive the memory of those lost so that future generations all over the world continue learning about WWII.

Ms Feldman said: “We are the last generation of eyewitnesses – people cannot deny what we experienced. It is said that bad things only happen if good people do nothing, and this is what drives us to educate others to do better.”

The sisters fled Nazi persecution in 1939, along with 900 Jews, travelling via sea to Cuba on a journey now coined the ‘Voyage of the Damned.’ The ship was denied entry to the country and later, the USA, forcing it back to Europe where some of the refugees were rehomed throughout the continent. Some lost their lives, along with the sisters’ father and 30 of their relatives.

Angela Luckett added: “We shared a wonderful L’chaim with family and friends for the unveiling of the portraits. It was very moving and it’s important that no-one forgets our past – we invite everyone from the community to come and have a look.”

The Holocaust exhibition can be viewed at Belong Morris Feinmann.

click here for more details or to contact Belong Morris Feinmann