The War Memorial at the Willesden Jewish Cemetery was the site of a poignant event held by AJEX JMA on Sunday. As a dedicated crowd gathered despite the rain to honour the memory of Jewish servicemen and women who lost their lives in service. The event was marked by a series of moving tributes and the presence of notable guests.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the wreath laying, which included a special tribute by the two great-great nieces of Richard Headley Montagu, who perished at Passchendaele. Montagu is amongst the many Jewish servicemen with no known grave, making their participation particularly significant and touching.
"We are deeply grateful to everyone who braved the weather to join us," said Fiona Palmer, Chief Executive of AJEX "The presence of the great-great nieces of Richard Headley Montagu added a profound personal connection to the ceremony."
The event led by Dan Fox, National Chair and Major Rabbi Reuben Livingstone included key contributions from the local cadet force, the standard bearers, Sheila Taylor and Ivan Sugarman.Jonathan Lewis delivered a short but impactful keynote address, sharing pen portraits of those with no known grave that deeply resonated with those in attendance.Brian Bloom led the laying of poppy markers at the Commonwealth War Graves and Ron Shelley led the poetry readings.. Thank you to Rabbi Helfman who officiated at the Jewish Liberal Cemetery where prayers, poems and a wreath laying followed on from the earlier proceedings. And a big thank you to the Met police for being with us too.
