With numbers growing by the hour AJEX expect the commemoration to reach even more over the coming days.
Comments of praise, Remembrance and thanks flowed throughout the Ceremony from both individuals and organisations far and wide. Large numbers of individuals of all ages and representatives of many national and global veterans and community organisations joined the online event, spanning the generations from Scout groups and primary school children to veterans of the Second World War and National Service.
The AJEX Remembrance Parade and Ceremony has been a major annual event for the UK Jewish community, since its beginnings in the 1930’s by kind permission of the late King George V. This year, due to Covid restrictions, the Annual Parade and Ceremony could not take place at The Cenotaph but instead, for the first time ever, took place as a poignant online Remembrance event.
The online event, narrated by newsreader and TV presenter Natasha Kaplinsky OBE, commemorated over 150 years of contribution and sacrifice by the Jewish community. It included a pre-recorded symbolic Ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall and historic footage from past Parades honouring all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice whilst on service to the Crown.
AJEX National Chairman, Mike Bluestone, opened the event commenting "It is with a sense of deep sadness that we could not meet together in person at the Cenotaph this year, but I am pleased we were able to come together at this online event as a community."
The Ceremony and event featured contributions from senior leaders including Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Marie Van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies, Baroness Annabel Goldie DL, Minister of State for Defence in the House of Lords, The Venerable Martyn Gough QHC, Chaplain of the Fleet and Archdeacon for the Royal Navy, AJEX Chaplain Rabbi Major Reuben Livingstone and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg. Highlighting the way in which the legacy of Remembrance is being passed onto the next generation, representatives from the Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade (JLGB) were key participants in the pre-recording of the ceremony at The Cenotaph.
The Ceremony included prayers, wreath laying and a two- minute silence. Buglers from the Rifles Regiment played the Last Post and Reveille. Adon Olam was sang by school children from Nancy Reuben Primary School and the central ceremony part of the online event concluded with the National Anthem.
Ahead of the event, Her Majesty The Queen, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Una Cleminson, Chair of The Royal British Legion, sent letters of support.
Mike Bluestone said: "We are incredibly proud of our achievement in marking this year’s Remembrance Parade online. We were determined more than ever to honour those that served, and although we could not meet in person, we still came together online to remember. I thank everyone for joining us to share this vital act of Remembrance." He added: "May we all be able to meet again to parade next year at The Cenotaph. We will continue to remember the contribution of our community to HM Armed Forces."
As part of the AJEX 2020 Campaign, school children wore red on Friday, individuals across the community recited a special Remembrance Prayer at home on AJEX Shabbat, veterans hosted live Zoom Q&A’s and AJEX created a buzz on social media with people posting Remembrance photos, pledges, sharing stories and changing their social media profile picture.
To further follow and support AJEX visit: www.ajex.org.uk
If you would like to watch the 2020 AJEX Ceremony of Remembrance you can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/AJEX_JMA
