(Reverend Ernest Levy was a most highly respected and loved person. He serves as Cantor to Giffnock Synagogue, Glasgow.)
26 January 2011
City Council Reporter
THE entire archive of a Holocaust survivor who lived nearly half his life in Scotland has been donated to Edinburgh and is to go on display in a major exhibition.
Reverend Ernest Levy, an OBE who was one of Scotland's most prominent Jewish figures, died at the age of 84 in 2009.
Now his daughter Judy Russell, who lives in the Capital, has donated his manuscripts, pictures, music and memoirs to the city's library service.
Bosses at the service now hope to create a major display to tell the life story of Mr Levy, who moved from Hungary to Scotland in 1961, wrote two books and gave educational talks on his experiences while imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. The work, likely to be showcased in the Central Library, is also set to be digitised and made available online.
The archive was donated to Liz McGettigan, head of the council's libraries and information services, who was a personal friend of Mr Levy and worked closely with him during her time as the head of libraries at East Renfrewshire Council.
"It is a huge collection and it's not only about what he went through but also the whole issue of respect and equality," she said. "After what he went through you would expect him to be bitter but he's not got a bit of bitterness.
"It is an absolute treasure to have this archive, because he is the most wonderful man I've ever met. His diaries are every word he wrote, including how he survived and how he saw his brother dig his own grave then get shot. It is very moving."
It is not yet known when the archive will go on show to the public, although Ms McGettigan is to start work on securing a location and hopes it could be displayed later this year.
She said: "We'll start work to fundraise for a space and to digitise it. It will not just be about the Holocaust but also remembering the past, man's inhumanity to man and how we overcome that.
"I want it to become a place where kids can come, see film and hear audio. My dream would be to make it something tremendously high-quality because I don't think there's anything like this in Scotland."
News of the donation of Mr Levy's collection comes a day ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day . An event is due to take place tomorrow night at Craigroyston Community High School to mark the occasion. Speakers include First Minister Alex Salmond and Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp from the Hague.
Edinburgh library staff have also printed information leaflets about the Holocaust, which are this week being distributed across libraries and schools in the city.
Council leader Jenny Dawe said: "The council fully supports the aim of Holocaust Memorial Day.
Now his daughter Judy Russell, who lives in the Capital, has donated his manuscripts, pictures, music and memoirs to the city's library service.
Bosses at the service now hope to create a major display to tell the life story of Mr Levy, who moved from Hungary to Scotland in 1961, wrote two books and gave educational talks on his experiences while imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. The work, likely to be showcased in the Central Library, is also set to be digitised and made available online.
The archive was donated to Liz McGettigan, head of the council's libraries and information services, who was a personal friend of Mr Levy and worked closely with him during her time as the head of libraries at East Renfrewshire Council.
"It is a huge collection and it's not only about what he went through but also the whole issue of respect and equality," she said. "After what he went through you would expect him to be bitter but he's not got a bit of bitterness.
"It is an absolute treasure to have this archive, because he is the most wonderful man I've ever met. His diaries are every word he wrote, including how he survived and how he saw his brother dig his own grave then get shot. It is very moving."
It is not yet known when the archive will go on show to the public, although Ms McGettigan is to start work on securing a location and hopes it could be displayed later this year.
She said: "We'll start work to fundraise for a space and to digitise it. It will not just be about the Holocaust but also remembering the past, man's inhumanity to man and how we overcome that.
"I want it to become a place where kids can come, see film and hear audio. My dream would be to make it something tremendously high-quality because I don't think there's anything like this in Scotland."
News of the donation of Mr Levy's collection comes a day ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day . An event is due to take place tomorrow night at Craigroyston Community High School to mark the occasion. Speakers include First Minister Alex Salmond and Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp from the Hague.
Edinburgh library staff have also printed information leaflets about the Holocaust, which are this week being distributed across libraries and schools in the city.
Council leader Jenny Dawe said: "The council fully supports the aim of Holocaust Memorial Day.
We want (people] to appreciate the events and displays but to remember the core message that the horrendous crimes of racism and persecution committed during the Holocaust and other genocides must be neither forgotten nor repeated.
"The council is committed to acting on both a local and a global front to challenge the hatred and bigotry that still exist in society today. It is not enough just to tell a story; we must also listen to them and learn from them."
"The council is committed to acting on both a local and a global front to challenge the hatred and bigotry that still exist in society today. It is not enough just to tell a story; we must also listen to them and learn from them."
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