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Jews who made the Queen’s Honours cut
In the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List, some 1149 people have been recognised for their services to the UK and the 16 Commonwealth countries. Each year the honours are awarded as part of the Queen’s Official Birthday celebrations during June. London mayor Sadiq Khan heaped praise on a young awardee, Neil Martin. Sadiq’s first official engagement after his appointment was to attend the Yom Hashoah commemoration – which was organised by a body that Martin chairs.
COMPILED BY ANT KATZ
Survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch was on the list. ABOVE is a video of her meeting well-known broadcaster Stephen Fry as part of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s Memory Makers initiative marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
Jewish media and wire services were slow to identify Jewish honourees. Jewish Report consulted various sources to compile as comprehensive Jewish awardee list as possible.
Of 17 known Jews on the list, one is an SA expat – Saul Klein OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).
RIGHT:London Mayor Sadiq Khan, with Commonwealth Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis at Yom Hashoah, which was chaired by Honours awardee Neil Martin. Sadiq praised Martin for his work after the announcement of the list
Meet the Queen
Of the well-known Jews who will be getting dressed up for their big trip to Buckingham Palace:
Ex-pat South African Saul Klein, technology venture capitalist and founder of numerous start-ups, was made an OBE for services to business.
Professor Anthony Finkelstein, professor of software systems engineering at University College London, received a CBE for services to computer science and engineering.
Sonia Friedman was made an OBE for services to the theatre world.
Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (see above in video), a talented cellist who survived Auschwitz by playing in the Women’s Orchestra at the camp, was made an MBE for her services to Holocaust education.
Rachel Hopcroft, principal private secretary to the Cabinet Secretary, received a CBE for public service.
LEFT: Queen Elizabeth II
at her birthday celebration
Jack Morris, chairman of the Business Design Centre Group, was made a CBE for services to business and charity in London.
Michael Simons, the senior application support officer at the parliamentary digital service, received an MBE for parliamentary service.
Alex Chesterman, founder of Zoopla, is awarded an OBE for services to digital entrepreneurship.
Benita Refson, president of children’s mental health charity Place2Be, was made a Dame for services to education.
Emma Samms, who starred in TV shows Dynasty and General Hospital in the 1980s, was made an MBE for her services to seriously and terminally ill children.
Commander James Cohen, 58, was awarded the Queen’s Volunteer Reserve Medal following 37 years in the Royal Naval Reserve.
Ian Rosenblatt, 56, was made an OBE for philanthropic services to music.
Anna Kessel, a popular sports journalist who co-founded Women in Football, has been made an MBE.
Malcolm Livingstone, chairman of the Glasgow Jewish Community Trust, received an MBE for services to the Jewish community in Glasgow.
Mohammed Amin, founder and co-chairman of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester, was also honoured.
MORE BELOW PICTURE…
ABOVE: Ex-Capetonian Chief Rabbi of the UK, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, ensured that all Jewish schools in the country participated in the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations
Related reads
- JR Online’s list of “Jews recognised in Queen’s 2015 Birthday List” was one of the most read stories on the website last year.
- UK Chief Rabbi gets Jewish schools involved in Queen’s 90th Birthday