AddThis SmartLayers

Holocaust memorial unveiled after paper's appeal

A memorial to a Holocaust survivor has been unveiled in East London following an appeal by a weekly newspaper.

When Ilford resident Leon Greenman died aged 97 in February last year, the Ilford Recorder asked its readers to raise funds for a lasting tribute to the former Auschwitz inmate, who dedicated his life since his release from the death camps to campaigning against hatred and prejudice.

They responded by raising £5,000 towards the construction of the memorial which was unveiled on Monday.

Editor Chris Carter is pictured, right, at the memorial plaque with Leon’s long-term carer, Ruth-Anne Lenga.

Said Chris: “Leon was a remarkable man and his story touched the hearts of our readers – and the staff here. A memorial in his honour felt the right thing to do and our readers’ response put the seal on that.

“The ceremony was extremely poignant and the memorial very well received. Such appeals are what local newspapers are about and we should feel proud we have helped provide such a vital and important memorial for this borough.”

Ruth-Anne Lenga added: “The people of Redbridge have carried out a very important act. This memorial is so appropriate as Leon saw education and teaching as the key to changing the world.

“Not only does this pay respect to a truly remarkable man, but it also sends out a very important message of a world where everyone has the right to live in freedom.”

Leon’s story is all the more tragic because, being a British citizen he should not have been sent to the camps, but his passports and those of his wife Else and baby son Barney, were lost, and they were arrested.

The family were sent to Birkenau, where Leon was separated from Else and Barney and he never saw them again. He made a pledge that if he survived the horrors at the hands of the Nazis he would devote his life to telling his story and campaigning against prejudice.