Mala, 95, found sanctuary in Britain after the Holocaust but now fears for her safety (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Jewish D-Day hero Mervyn Kersh and Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich described the wave of antisemitic hate flooding Britain as an “affront to the very values we all hold dear”.
They spoke for a country reeling after a “terrorist” knifeman targeted two Jewish men in a stabbing rampage in Golders Green, north London.
The atrocity was the latest in a catalogue of alarming antisemitic attacks that has left communities terrified to express their Jewish faith and identity.
Second World War hero and proud Jew Mervyn, 101, awarded a British Empire Medal by King Charles for Holocaust education, has dedicated his life to eradicating evil.
Condemning the violence he said: “Jews have always been a valuable part of the community in Britain and don’t keep themselves to themselves, they fully integrate and play a crucial part in community life, but many are now frightened about what is unfolding on our streets and living in fear.
“This can’t continue because it’s an affront to the very values Britain holds dear.”
Mervyn, of Cockfosters, north London, was part of the D-Day invasion in 1944 and described going to war as a deeply personal cause.
And it was at the gates of hell where he witnessed apocalyptic scenes of human suffering that he made a promise to himself to fight prejudice in all its forms.
He helped liberate Bergen-Belsen death camp where an estimated 70,000 fellow Jews perished.
He was among the British troops who helped free thousands of starving prisoners from the concentration camp in northern Germany on April 15, 1945, but found thousands more unburied bodies.
They were greeted by the sight of typhus-ridden and skeletal prisoners clinging to life dressed in striped prison uniforms.
He said: “I could almost say [going to war] was a crusade, if that’s not the wrong word. To me, this had a purpose. It wasn’t just a game or passing the time it was to put the Germans out of action as long as possible. We knew what was happening. [We] didn’t know the extent of it, but we knew they had gas chambers. They were killing people, shooting them, hanging them.”
He added: “Antisemitism reveals diseased minds and corrupt societies, and it eventually leads to the Holocaust, which we must not only learn about but never, ever forget so that it can never happen anywhere again.”
Liberator Mervyn, 101, was awarded the British Empire Medal for Holocaust education (Image: PA)
Child inmate Mala Tribich, 95, was incarcerated as a slave at Ravensbruck and Bergen-Belsen, where she contracted typhus, but has never forgotten the kindness of the British soldiers who rescued her.
Her parents, sister, and most of her extended family were murdered during the Holocaust but found sanctuary and safety in Britain. She now fears history is repeating itself.
She told the Express: “I witnessed the horrors of the Holocaust first-hand. It was the British Army that liberated me at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp over 81 years ago, and it was Britain that gave me sanctuary and the chance to rebuild my life in safety.
“I never thought I would again see the kind of violent antisemitism I experienced in my early years now reappearing on the streets of Golders Green, with Jews attacked simply because they are Jewish.”
Wednesday’s outrage which saw Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, stabbed in broad daylight was the most serious attack on Jews since Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed in a terror attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, on October 2 last year.
The suspect of the latest incident, which is being treated as terrorism, has been identified as Essa Suleiman
The Somali-born suspect, 45, arrived in the UK legally as a child in the 1990s and was granted British citizenship.
He was seen carrying a knife and wearing a backpack as he marauded through the streets of the predominantly Jewish community. He remains in custody.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the double attempted murder as a “horrendous act of violence” and said the motive was antisemitism.
It comes as regular protests on the streets of London demanding “Globalise the Intifada”, a call to arms for violence against Jews, has left those living in Britain paralysed by fear.
Mala was born Mala Helfgott in Poland in 1930. In the five-and-a-half years after the Nazis invaded on September 1, 1939, six million European Jews were slaughtered in state-sponsored genocide.
She said: “I never imagined that antisemitism could reach such a level in this country.
“England has always been my favourite country. After the war, when I came here, I found freedom. Freedom to speak, to live, to believe. I admired that so deeply. I always felt safe here. And now, to see this kind of violence and hatred, here in the UK, is beyond words.
“I still believe that most people in this country are as shocked as I am. And I hope that out of this shock will come action, the kind of action that says, clearly and loudly – never again.”
Mala was awarded an MBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II in honour of her ongoing Holocaust education work.
She said: “Despite my talks and those of my brave fellow survivors who also speak in schools, the lessons of the Holocaust are yet to be learnt. Prejudice and discrimination still live on.
“Britain must lead the way in educating the next generation about the dangers of antisemitism, hatred and racial prejudice.”
Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Attack after attack after attack. Jewish life in this country is under threat not seen for generations. This is a deeply worrying time and cannot be allowed to continue.
“We are grateful to the Met Police, the Community Security Trust, Shomrim and Hatzola for their swift and decisive response.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families and we wish them a full and speedy recovery.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The safety of Jewish people in the UK, and the population generally, is a matter of the greatest public importance – lives are at stake.
“This is a national emergency, and that requires that the Prime Minister set out what action he is going to take urgently to tackle the radicalisation of British citizens, Islamist extremism, foreign interference by Iran and others, and the appeasement within our authorities.”