On 23 March, strong gusts of wind drove the giant Ever Given completely off course as it passed through the Suez Canal. A sandstorm created poor visibility, affecting navigation. The vessel ran aground, its vast bulk horizontally wedged across the narrow waterway. The 400-m long, 224,000-tonne Ever Given is one of the largest container ships …
The Suez Canal: from the 1967 war to the Ever Given Read More »
When I came across the story of the ships stranded in the Suez Canal for 8 years, I felt that this little-known story of international solidarity should be better known. Now I believe it is. I’d like to draw your attention to a range of materials. Many people have helped to give a place in …
When I was young, I quizzed my granny Bea Senker about her childhood in the East End. An enthusiastic socialist, I hoped to hear heroic stories of my forefathers joining the mass protests to stop Oswald Mosley’s fascist Blackshirts at the Battle of Cable Street in 1936. Servants Instead, granny told me that her parents …
Charles Henry Goff: from Baltimore to the East End Read More »
I’ve recently discovered that some of my forefathers came from the shtetl of Sadowne, in Poland. A great-great aunt, Sarah Appelbaum, was apparently a midwife and teacher in Sadowne, helping to maintain the health and morals of the community. Jewish shtetl society was hierarchical. At the peak were a few wealthy estate managers and successful …
Prominent in a white blouse and a protective hand on a relative’s knee is my great-grandmother Rosa Fischer. This family wedding photo probably dates to the 1930s. Originally from Russia, Rosa’s parents were Naphtali and Bella Fisher. I haven’t yet found out anything about her background or journey to the UK. Pogroms Whatever happened to …
It’s 11.30 on a weekday morning. In a large, airy community centre, the long, narrow tables are carefully spaced out with chairs at either side. It looks a bit like an examination hall and you could literally hear a pin drop. Across each table, a student and teacher quietly communicate from behind their visors. Recently, …
Relieved to finally reach sanctuary in a safe country, Ali arrived in a south-coast town at the end of 2019. Moving into a new home, he hoped to start learning English and rebuilding his life. Within three months, the UK was in lockdown, and all classes shut their doors. Life was on hold for Ali …
I’ve just read Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. All white people should read Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book, even if they are anti-racists. Especially if they are anti-racists. For me, it is essential to learn what it is like to live as a black person in this country because …
Why I want to thank Reni Eddo-Lodge for still talking about race Read More »
Nowadays, Stamford Hill is associated with the Orthodox Haredi Jewish community. Back in the 1930s, it was a ‘leafy suburb away from the hustle and bustle of the East End.’ Property was cheap and there were lots of houses available. Many first-generation Jewish migrants moved out of the East End to Stamford Hill for a …