British Jewish contributions to culture, education, charity and interfaith work have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
One of the most prominent Jewish communal figures Raymond Simonson, the chief executive of JW3, has received an MBE for services to Jewish communities and to community cohesion.
Raymond said he was “profoundly grateful” for the honour, adding: “At a time when division feels all too common, this recognition strengthens my belief in the importance of bringing people together through culture, conversation and community.
“I always feel proud when I read through the list of names in the JC of community colleagues, volunteers and other mensches who have received awards, so it will be very strange seeing my name in that list this time!”
Henry Grunwald OBE KC, formerly chair, and now chair emeritus of the National Holocaust Centre and Museum in Nottinghamshire, received a CBE for services to Holocaust remembrance and education. Commenting on the honour, Henry said: "Having lost almost all of my late father's large family in the Holocaust, ensuring that future generations learn from and remember what happened has played a very large part in my life.
“It was an enormous privilege to have been chair of the wonderful National Holocaust Museum. That was reward in itself. To receive a national honour for Holocaust education and remembrance is the icing on the cake.”
Henry Grunwald KC (Photo: LinkedIn)[Missing Credit]
Adam Dawson, chair of the National Holocaust Museum, said: "Henry has been an outstanding communal leader for many decades. Everyone at the National Holocaust Museum is delighted with this well-deserved honour."
Also, in the field of Holocaust education, Professor Robert Stephen Rubin OBE, chair of Pentland Capital Limited and Pentland Group Limited, received a CBE for services to interfaith relations and to charity. He is the founding president of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
The charity’s chief executive, Karen Pollock CBE, said: “We are absolutely delighted to see our founding president and tireless champion of Holocaust education, Stephen Rubin, awarded a CBE in His Majesty The King's Birthday Honours. For decades, Stephen has helped to guide and shape the trust's work with wisdom, generosity and unwavering commitment. A strategic leader, trusted adviser and steadfast supporter, he has inspired all those fortunate enough to work alongside him.
“His loyalty to our mission and dedication to ensuring the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten have had a profound impact on countless young people across the UK.”
Pollock also paid tribute to other recipients working in Holocaust education, including Alex Maws, Mike Levy, Amy Wagner and Dawn Waterman, as well as Simonson and Grunwald – “all of whom have made exceptional contributions to Jewish life, Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism”.
For more than two decades, Maws, who received an MBE, has been at the forefront of Holocaust education in the UK and internationally. Since joining the AJR in 2017, he has led the organisation's education and heritage programmes, championing innovative approaches to Holocaust learning and remembrance.
He spearheaded the AJR's UK Holocaust Map, a digital resource developed in partnership with the UK government, which documents hundreds of locations across the country connected to Holocaust history and remembrance. Maws is also the producer and host of the AJR's acclaimed Kindertransport podcast, which explores the stories and legacy of the nearly 10,000 children rescued from Nazi persecution.
He said: "As a naturalised British citizen, I know firsthand how incredibly welcoming our country has the capacity to be, but my work to preserve the memory of the Holocaust reminds me that kindness towards the stranger can never be taken for granted.
“My own great-grandfather was murdered by the Nazis, so the significance of receiving this incredible honour amidst a backdrop of rising Holocaust denial and antisemitism is not lost on me. I hope that this announcement can, in some small way, shine a light on the crucial work carried out by our dedicated team at the AJR and by so many other treasured colleagues across the Holocaust remembrance sector."
Alex Maws (Photo: AJR)[Missing Credit]
Michael Karp OBE, chairman of AJR, said: "Alex has been one of the most influential figures in Holocaust education in Britain over the past two decades. Through his deep knowledge, thoughtful leadership and commitment to educational excellence, he has helped shape not only AJR's work but also the wider landscape of Holocaust remembrance and learning in the UK. We are delighted to see his contribution recognised with this well-deserved honour."
Amy Wagner, director of Tackling Antisemitism in Education Programme, received an MBE for services to the Jewish community.
Dawn Waterman, education and heritage adviser for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, received an MBE for services to education.
Author Michael Levy, a volunteer educator with HET and AJR, received an MBE for services to Holocaust education, while campaigner Natalie Cumming received an MBE for services to Holocaust remembrance and to the Missing People Charity.
Both Russell Manning, chair of the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board, and Rabbi Dr Norman Solomon received an MBE for services to the Jewish community and to interfaith relations, while Lewis Orchant received an MBE for services to Glasgow’s Jewish community.
Councillor Dean Cohen of Barnet received an MBE for services to charity and to the north-west London community.
In the field of education, Abigail Shapiro, co-founder and executive director of The Tutor Trust, has received an MBE for services to education. The honour recognises the significant contribution her leadership has made to tackling educational inequalities and improving outcomes for young people across the North of England.
Abigail Shapiro (Photo: The Tutor Trust)[Missing Credit]
The charity’s chair, Pete McIntyre, said: “Today, Abigail continues to champion our mission with the same energy and passion that inspired the charity’s creation. Her leadership has transformed opportunities for tens of thousands of young people, and everyone at Tutor Trust is delighted to see her contribution recognised in this way.”
Shapiro has devoted her career to education, as a governor of King David Primary School in Manchester since 2014 and as a member of the General Assembly of the University of Manchester since 2016. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was instrumental in the launch of the national tutoring programme.
In public service, Chief Superintendent Richard Padwell was awarded the King’s Police Medal (KPM) for demonstrating a “specially distinguished record in policing, marked by his exceptional ability and merit”. Serving as Bradford’s district commander, with 30 years’ service in policing, Chief Supt Padwell has advised senior police leaders on supporting the Jewish community.
Chief Supt Richard Padwell KPM said: “I am delighted and honoured to receive this recognition. It has been a privilege to work with so many incredible, dedicated colleagues, professional partners, and community members over the past thirty years. I am so grateful for their support but also the constant support of my amazing wife, son, parents, sisters and wider family and friends."
Sir John Cunliffe, chair of the Independent Water Commission, received a GBE.
Professor Carlos Silvestre Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics at Durham University, received a Knighthood for services to Astrophysics and Cosmology, and Professor Ian David Abrahams from the University of Cambridge, was made CBE for services to mathematical sciences.
Professor Joanna Cannon at the Courtauld Institute of Art received a CBE for services to art curation and research, while Professor Ron Arad, an industrial and architectural designer, received a CBE for services to art and design.
Emma Kane, Deputy Chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, received an OBE for philanthropy. David Dein MBE, founder of the Twinning Project, was awarded an OBE for services to football and to charity.
Clare Margaret Mary Apel, chair of Chichester District Council, received an MBE for services to the voluntary sector, to local government and to Holocaust education in Chichester, West Sussex.
Debbie Wosskow: working for women (Photo: Tim Bishop)[Missing Credit]
Jonathan Isaac Sherman, director of business assets and international at HM Customs and Revenue, was made CBE for public service, as was Deborah Wosskow OBE, entrepreneur and co-chair of Invest in Women Taskforce, for services to female entrepreneurship and to access to finance for women.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Across the UK, people are quietly changing lives and strengthening their communities. This Honours List is a chance to recognise them. Their dedication shows how lasting change is built - through compassion, resilience and a commitment to others. It speaks to the decent, hopeful country we are proud to be, and on behalf of the whole nation, I want to say thank you."
Interim CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council Debbie Fox said: "We are delighted to see so many within our community honoured in the King's Birthday honours list for services to the Jewish community, combatting antisemitism and Holocaust education. Mazel Tov to all those who received honours.”
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