Nine young activists have teamed with Manchester Jewish Museum to create stories of sharing and connection as part of the museum’s third Trailblazer event.

Aged 16-18 the students from King David High School have uncovered a series of stories to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

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Responding to this years’ Holocaust Memorial Day theme, ‘Being a light in the darkness’, the nine activists from King David High School, Crumpsall, have been uncovering stories from the Museum’s own extensive archives, their own family histories and from speaking to Cheetham Hill residents about their own experiences and responses to Holocaust Memorial Day.  They have worked with theatre practitioner Kate Bradnam and the Museum’s Creative Producers Data Laughlin and Dr Laura Seddon to weave the stories into commemorative artworks, filming the process and telling the stories behind each creation.

These hidden stories, which will be included in the final film, include that of Hilde Davidsohn who fled Berlin and leaving her sister and mother behind and came to Manchester on a domestic visa, never to see her family again. Young activist Rivky will be commemorating her story by sculpting a bust of Hilde with a concealed speaker inside. Another activist, Beila, will be creating a sculpture of commemorative stones to celebrate Leicester Road in Cheetham Hill which became home to many Jewish refugees, and was where Beila herself lived when her family first moved to Manchester.

Manchester Jewish Museum will share the final film on Thursday 28 January, the day following Holocaust Memorial Day through their website, social media and YouTube channel.  The artworks and films will then be gifted to community partners from Cheetham Hill.

More information is available on the Manchester Jewish Museum website.

image courtesy Manchester Jewish Museum