Special UJIA JAMS session

On Monday local Holocaust survivor Gisela Feldman visited Bury Grammar School to recount her amazing story as part of the UJIA JAMS (Jewish Activities in Mainstream Schools) programme.

Over 60 pupils attended, as well as a number of teachers who too were interested to hear Gisela speak.

After a lunch provided by UJIA JAMS the pupils were well and truly enthralled with Gisela's story and were delighted that a question and answer session followed so they could engage directly with Gisela.

Gisela managed to leave Germany at the beginning of the Holocaust aboard the ill-fated St Louis originally bound for Cuba. The boat was refused permission to dock and turned back to Europe. Fortunately Gisela and her mother and sister were able to get off at Southampton and became refugees. Gisela's amazing story was featured in a recent BBC 4 documentary.

UJIA JAMS worker Anna Bergson described the event as very successful - "The Jewish boys and girls really appreciated the session and Gisela's story was really brought to life as she spoke the day after Kristallnacht and described how she literally stood on broken glass in the streets of Berlin 70 years ago."
UJIA JAMS is developing rapidly and supporting Jewish students who want to maintain Jewish societies and activities in their non-Jewish schools.

Lunchtime UJIA JAMS sessions now take place regularly at Manchester Grammar School, Withington and Cheadle Hulme School, amongst others, with varied speakers and topics covered.

If you are a Jewish pupil in a Mainstream School and are not in contact with Anna, she can be reached on 07902 358 507)