Yvette Cooper last night lauded a group of 732 Holocaust survivors who found refuge in the UK after the war as a “cherished and vital part of this nation’s history”.
After the Shoah, 732 surviving children were flown from Prague by the RAF to the Lake District to start new lives. They became known as ‘The Boys’, later forming the ‘45 Aid Society to raise money for survivors and teach the lessons of the Holocaust.
Addressing nearly 600 survivors and their relatives at the annual 45 Aid reunion, the home secretary said: “This is the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the most inspirational people, of the most phenomenal generation who built families after enduring so much suffering.
Survivors at the ’45 Aid Society reunion marking 80 years since liberation Pic: John Rifkin
“We are here to honour how from acute pain came such purpose. What we have seen tonight is the triumph of joy.”
Yvette Cooper added: “We also look forward to building the Holocaust memorial and learning centre in front of the Houses of Parliament, in the shadow of democracy. The Holocaust was the failure of democracy, and it will be a fitting reminder for the future.”
The senior Labour politician closed by citing the “appalling torrent of antisemitism since the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th” and insisted, “it will not be tolerated now or ever.”
Yvette Cooper at the ’45 Aid Society reunion 2025 Pic: John Rifkin
Held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, memorial candles were lit by six of ‘The Boys’, accompanied by their grandchildren, before being interviewed on stage by Judge Robert Rinder, himself a grandson of one of ‘The Boys’, Moishe Malenicky.
The 80th anniversary gala also saw national Holocaust Memorial chairs Ed Balls and Sir Eric Pickles and celebrity guests Rob Rinder – whose mum chairs the Aid Society – and Susanna Reid join survivors and their families in numerous rounds of song and dance to celebrate life.
The evening’s attendees included hundreds of second, third and even fourth-generation family members, some of whom flew in from across the world to join the celebrations. They included 18 family members descended from three of ‘The Boys’, brothers Solomon, Mendel and Herman Luger. Now living in Canada, they all attended last night’s gala dinner for the very first time.
Solomon, Mendel and Herman Luger circa 1946
“The last of the three brothers passed away recently and so we felt we needed to be here to keep the connection alive,” explained third-generation survivor, Danny Luger, to Jewish News.
Rhona Luger, Mendel’s daughter, added: “I find it incredibly moving that all of us here tonight are descendants who have risen out of the ashes of the Holocaust. We will never forget.”
The global gathering also included families living in Israel. This included the only second-generation married couple whose fathers were both members of ‘The Boys’. Helena Orenstein, daughter of survivor Abraham Pawlowski, made the trip from Jerusalem to “ensure we can continue celebrating life.”
Her husband, Hershy Orenstein, son of survivor Salek Orenstein, works as an educator at Yad Vashem. He told Jewish News: “This is our first time coming to the reunion. There are so few survivors left that we must keep their story alive to negate the Holocaust deniers.”
Maurice Helfgott, son of the late Sir Ben Helfgott and founder of the ’45 Aid Society, similarly told Jewish News: “I know this is what he (Ben) and ‘The Boys’ wanted. The relationships they forged together were so important to them and they wanted them to be important to us. That connection is incredibly powerful.”
Sir Ben Helfgott went on to captain the British weightlifting team at the Olympics
Turning to address his own son, Sam, he added: “I am so pleased the next generation feels the joy in the room and that celebration of life. We are all here to celebrate liberation and lives rebuilt.”
Sam concurred: “I feel an incredibly strong compass guiding me forwards, because my grandfather would not have wanted us to stop and reflect. He wanted us to continue living our lives.
“I have never missed a reunion so far and I don’t intend on missing one in future.”
Attendees were also visibly moved as they explored a new photography exhibition cultivated by Julia Burton, charting the story of ‘The Boys’ from 1945 to 1986.
As the evening drew to a close, one of the ‘The Boys’, 82-year-old Joanna Millan, told Jewish News: “Unfortunately this will be my last time at a reunion. But I feel reassured that the next generation has now taken over. Our story will not be forgotten.”
Cohen, chair of the ’45 Aid Society, said: “Our ’45 Aid family members, many of whom travelled from the US, Canada, Israel and Spain to join us, enjoyed a wonderful celebration. The ‘Boys’ have taught us that, although they went through unspeakable horrors, we must always look forward and celebrate life: they showed us the art of simcha. Most importantly, with antisemitism as rife as it is now, their enduring message of love not hate rings truer than it ever has.
“It was very special to see the ’45 Aid family growing, with even further involvement this year by the 3rd and even 4th generation, as the legacy of the ‘Boys’ passes down to the next generations.”
