Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Real anti-semitism: two lessons from history
Today is the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. PETER FROST believes we need to learn from history both close to home and elsewhere
Rounding up of civilians during the uprising
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The current well-orchestrated campaign to try to make the word zionist synonymous with the word Jewish has made me look back over a political lifetime where real anti-semitism, as opposed to politically motivated and devious accusations of it, has shaped the life and political thinking of me and those close to me.
I started writing this article with the idea of marking the 75th anniversary of the brave rising against the obscenity of the Warsaw Ghetto where, between April 19 and May 16 1943, one of the most heroic acts of Jewish resistance ever was played out in nazi-occupied Poland.
I will relate the story of the ghetto, but before we come to that let me tell another story nearer home, and itself set nearly 50 years ago and only a score of years after the heroism of the ghetto uprising.
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The decision highlights the tension between freedom of expression and the state’s role in shaping historical memory at former concentration camps, reports LEON WYSTRYCHOWSKI