A newly-knighted Stephen Fry and one of Britain’s most senior civil servants have been recognised by the King in the New Year honours list, alongside a host of communal leaders.
Fry, 67, whose mother Marianne was the daughter of Hungarian Jewish immigrants to the UK, and who lost a number of relatives in Auschwitz, was knighted not for his acting and broadcasting work, but for his role as president of MIND, the mental health charity. He receives his honour for his services to mental health awareness, the environment and to charity.
Tamara Finkelstein becomes Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath. Already a Companion of the Order, she is Permanent Secretary, at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She said: “I am so delighted to be recognised for public service, which is grounded in the Jewish values of my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve the country and citizens who gave my parents a place to build a happy home”.
Dame Tamara Finkelstein with her mum and brothers
A number of people have been honoured for their work in Holocaust education and for their support for the planned Holocaust memorial.
They include Dr Alfred Garwood, himself a survivor, who is made MBE; two long-serving and recently retired trustees of the Association of Jewish Refugees, Eleanor Angel and Frank Harding, both also made MBE; civil servant Michael Livingston, of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, who receives an OBE; Professor Gilly Carr, Professor of Conflict Archaeology and Holocaust Heritage, also made OBE; and Dr Toby Simpson, director of the Wiener Holocaust Library, again made OBE.
Dr Carr, a Fellow of St Catherine’s College at Cambridge University, is a renowned expert on the Holocaust as experienced in the Channel Islands. She said: “I am absolutely thrilled for my research and teaching to be recognised in this way. I’ve been working hard on behalf of victims of Nazism and the Holocaust for 15 years, and for this to be seen as nationally important and worthwhile encourages me to continue my work with vigour.”
Michael Livingston, honoured for his services to Holocaust education and public service, said: “I am immensely proud and fulfilled that this honour recognises my contribution — and that of my colleagues — to public service, towards national security, justice and home affairs, the COVID-19 response, and grassroots and elite sport in the UK at Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as well as my broader contribution to the Civil Service, and my communal service.
“But I am beyond proud that my citation first recognises my service to Holocaust education — by ensuring tens of thousands of civil servants have commemorated the Holocaust over the past decade. It is a fitting legacy and tribute to my Grandpa Fred Weiss, a refugee from Nazi Europe, and to my late mum, Eleanor Livingston, who passed away on 2 December, days before I heard I was to receive an OBE”.
The Association of Jewish Refugees paid heartfelt tribute to their trustees, Eleanor Angel and Frank Harding, both made MBE.
Eleanor said: “I was stunned and blown away to receive an MBE. The AJR has been a big part of my life and I am so proud to have been involved in the support it has provided over many decades and of the life-changing help it continues to deliver to so many refugees and survivors. It has been the privilege of my life to follow my dear parents who were immersed in the work of the AJR, in particular my late father, Theo Marx, who served as chairman. I wish the AJR many more years of continued success.”
Frank said: “It is a great honour to receive this award, and I am so grateful to the AJR for nominating me. The culture, heritage and contributions of the refugees have always fascinated me, and I am delighted to have played a role in supporting and recognising them. My late parents, who came as refugees from Germany in the 1930s, would be so proud. May the AJR go from strength to strength.”
The AJR’s honorary life president, Andrew Kaufman, said: “Having worked alongside Eleanor and Frank for many years, I am delighted they have been rightly recognised by his Majesty for their devotion to the AJR, and, in particular, for their deep personal interest in the lives of the Holocaust refugees and survivors.
“Eleanor has long championed the welfare of our remarkable community as well as the selfless volunteers who help us to deliver our mission. As well as his skills and professional expertise, Frank’s legacy is our wonderful plaque scheme which narrates the stories and contributions of the refugees in perpetuity”.
Dr Toby Simpson, Luciana Berger, Tracy Ann Oberman, Jonathan Freedland (C) Blake Ezra Photography 2024
Dr Toby Simpson, director of the Wiener Holocaust Library in central London — founded, incidentally, by Tamara Finkelstein’s grandfather, Alfred Wiener — said: “The Wiener Holocaust Library has a unique and astonishing history, powerful collections and a vital mission. It has been the privilege of my life to help make our holdings as accessible as possible, along with amazing colleagues who deserve most credit. The need for a trusted, independent repository of evidence of the Shoah is clear against a background of resurgent antisemitism and misinformation. This honour is therefore very special for me personally. My hope is that national recognition will play a small part in making the Library still better known and cherished.”
A Library spokesperson said that Dr Simpson’s “prestigious award recognises his contribution to Holocaust memory through his leadership of the Library.
“Toby has led the Library since 2019, during which time he has overseen the transformation of this unique collection and engagement with the archive from a massive global audience. He joined the Wiener Holocaust Library in 2011, setting up a new programme of exhibitions, tours and events. Since that time, the Library’s audiences, activities and impact have steadily increased and it is now more widely recognised than ever as a world leader in Holocaust research, education and remembrance.”
Interfaith consultant and former Council of Christians and Jews CEO Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko receives an OBE. Currently working with the Forum for Peace UK, she said: “Working with other faith communities and their leaders is a privilege and a blessing. Each encounter is a source of hope and a reminder of our shared humanity. I am thankful to all colleagues and organisations that have placed their trust in me to do this work. I am immensely proud to accept this honour as a British Jew and a Jewish Israeli”.
Two members of the Jewish community were honoured for their interfaith and communal work: Lucien Gubbay, a veteran expert on the history of Sephardi Jews, receives an MBE, as does Penzance-based Leslie Lipert, made MBE for his services to the Jewish community in Cornwall. Mr Lipert is closely involved with Kehillat Kernow, the umbrella congregation for Jews in Cornwall.
Lisa Steele and Louise Hager of Chai Cancer Care
There were awards for two Jewish women who have made highly admired contributions to social welfare initiatives. Louise Hager, chair of Chai Cancer Care, is made MBE for her work in helping people suffering from cancer. Susan Shipman, together with Louise’s mother Frances Winegarten z’l established Chai in response to their personal experiences. Both women lived through a cancer diagnosis, with Frances surviving for 26 years despite a very poor prognosis and Susan’s precious daughter Natalie z’l passing away just before her eighth birthday.
“It is a huge privilege to be part of this very special organisation and I feel extremely honoured and humbled to have received an MBE”, says Louise. “So much of what Chai has achieved over the years is due to the strongest of foundations that my dear mother Frances z’l and Susan Shipman laid, and this award is very much dedicated to them both. When Chai was established it would not have been possible to imagine how much impact the organisation would have on the Jewish community and beyond, and how it would be recognised as a model of supportive care nationally and internationally.
“That Chai has been able to meet the relentless demand is because we have been blessed to have built a hugely dedicated and devoted team across the whole organisation, and to have the wonderful generosity and loyalty of our donors and the community who have walked by our side. This honour is much more than a personal award. It is for everyone who has made, and continues to make, Chai the beacon of excellence that it is today.”
Sarah Sultman
Also looking forward to a trip to the Palace to collect the MBE is Sarah Sultman, co-founder and trustee of the Gesher school, honoured for her work with special needs children. Sultman said: “I am so proud to receive this honour, and delighted that it recognises Gesher for its achievements in delivering life-changing opportunities for children in our community with special educational needs, and for their families. It has been a privilege to co- lead the school in that journey”.
Media entrepreneur Stephen Allan is made OBE for his work as a founder and trustee of the charity Rays of Sunshine, which aims to help seriously ill young people and their families. He said: “I’m honoured and humbled to have been awarded an OBE, but I genuinely wouldn’t have achieved this award without the support, hard work and dedication of every person I’ve worked with in both my professional and charitable work life. Although it’s my name on the award, it’s a tribute to my fellow trustees and founders of Rays of Sunshine and all the many incredible colleagues who have been with me on my work journey in the media industry.”
And Harvey Rosenblatt, president of the Nightingale Hammerson homes, is honoured with an MBE for his services to Jewish community social care.
Another OBE honour goes to Nicola Solomon, recently retired chief executive of the Society of Authors and founder and former chair of the Creators’ Rights Alliance. She receives her award for services to literature and to the creative industries; and she is also, in private life, wife of Masorti senior rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg.
Amanda Delew
Amanda Delew, the northern director of the Community Security Trust, is made MBE for services to the Jewish community. She said: “What an absolute privilege to have been recognised for the many years of hard work and dedication, both for me and the incredible organisation I have the honour to work for. This is especially the case given the level of antisemitism across the UK since October 7. The strength of CST, the incredible team in the north and the national organisation that works tirelessly to keep our community safe , make my otherwise stressful role, manageable. Coupled with the incredible working partnership with the police, government, and our community, it continues to give me hope for a safe and secure future ahead for all communities”.
Congratulating those who have been honoured for their work in Holocaust education, Karen Pollock, CBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “We are delighted to hear that Holocaust survivor Dr Alfred Garwood and colleagues from across the Holocaust education sector have been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours list. This well-deserved recognition highlights their unwavering dedication to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and educating future generations.
“We are also pleased to see so many individuals honoured for their remarkable contributions for and on behalf of the Jewish community. Their commitment and service are an inspiration to us all. We extend our warmest congratulations and heartfelt thanks to everyone who continues to make such a profound impact through their work”.
James Gurd in Parliament, addressing a reading of the Bill against the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement (BDS) that he backed and campaigned for.
There are two political honours on the list: James Gurd, who has just stepped down after a decade and a half including as executive director at Conservative Friends of Israel, who receives an MBE; and Mike Katz, national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, who receives the same honour.
Gurd, who confessed to being “still shell-shocked”, said: “After 15 years of working to strengthen the UK-Israel relationship and challenge anti-Jewish racism, it is an incredible honour to be recognised in this way. These are causes close to my heart and I’d like to thank all the committed friends and colleagues I worked alongside at CFI, the Jewish community and across the political world.”
Mike Katz, who only weeks ago was given a life peerage, said: “The timing is a weird coincidence and it all feels rather surreal. But to be on the honours list is recognition of all the work that we, collectively, did over the difficult years in the Labour Party in relation to Corbyn”.
Lady Wolfson of Marylebone, widow of the late Lord Leonard Wolfson, receives an OBE for services to medical research and the arts. One of Britain’s leading philanthropists, she is patron of the Royal College of Surgeons, a member of Cancer Research UK and has held trusteeships at the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal Society of Medicine and the Global eHealth Foundation and was a member of the Lord Major’s Appeal Committee, The Red Cross International & Scientific Committee and the Campaign for Institute of Physics, Chair of the Committee for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. She is also honorary president of Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem.
Professor Richard Susskind, most recently Technology Advisor to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, is made CBE for his services to information technology and to the law. An expert on how artificial intelligence (AI) and technology can affect the work of lawyers, he told Jewish News that he regarded his award as “a great honour, but also, I am very happy that as someone who has been working outside the mainstream for many years, that my field is being recognised”.
He added: “I’m really chuffed!” With a smile, he said his new book, launching at this year’s Jewish Literary Festival, would be called “How to think about AI — A Guide for the Perplexed”, a title which he observed would be “a Jewish insider’s joke”.
Steve Morrison
Television and film veteran, Glasgow-born Steve Morrison, has been made CBE for his services to the media and creative industries. Over five decades in broadcasting, film and TV production, Steve has been instrumental in the growth of the UK’s creative industries.
With Granada TV from 1974 to 2002, he was director of programmes, chief executive of Granada plc, founded Granada Film and won two Oscars for the film My Left Foot and was Oscar-nominated for The Field. He founded All3Media which became Britain’s largest group of independent TV producing companies. From 2017 to 2022 he was a director of the BBC Board and a non-executive director who helped launch the BBC Commercial Board. He is also a former rector of Edinburgh University.
He is the middle (and only survivor) of three brothers born to Michael and Betty Morrison, the legendary couple behind the kosher delicatessen in Glasgow’s Sinclair Drive.
He said: “I am delighted to be recognised and to be part of the success of Britain’s creative industries. I have been helped by extraordinary people throughout my career and I enjoy nurturing new talent. I share this with them and my family.”
