Campaigners are calling upon members of the UK Jewish community to unearth photos and biographical information about the Jews who participated in the Battle of Cable Street in 1936.
They say they are worried that the Jewish community and the fight against antisemitism, which were pivotal to the events of the day and the surrounding context, are being left behind by contemporary narratives.
The Battle of Cable Street took place on October 4, 1936, when thousands of anti-fascist protesters blocked a march by the British Union of Fascists through a largely Jewish area.
The protesters, among them many Jews, clashed with police, who had been deployed to clear the route for the fascists. The confrontation eventually forced leader Oswald Mosley and his supporters to turn back.
It became a landmark moment in British anti-fascist history and is particularly significant in the history of British Jewry, symbolising resistance to the antisemitism and fascism of the 1930s.
Organiser of the campaign Eve Kay said that as we approached the 90th anniversary of the battle, “we need to put the brave Jews of 1936 back at the centre of Cable Street”.
Her comments come after the JC reported that a march organised by Unite the Union, one of Britain’s largest trade unions, initially failed to mention the participation of Jews in the Battle of Cable Street on their webpage about the event, prompting widespread outrage including among descendants of Jews who were on the front line 90 years ago.
The event was also originally scheduled to take place on Shabbat, Saturday October 3. Unite subsequently claimed it erroneously omitted any mention of Jews and updated their page. It also amended the date of the march, to Sunday October 4, the anniversary of the actual event.
Kay continued: “In 1936, the fight was against right-wing fascism… today the threat is different. It comes predominantly from the left. Fighting antisemitism today is about calling out and refusing to accept that hatred.
Any photos sent to campaigners will be used across a range of events being held to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street later this year.
Anyone with photos of relatives who lived or fought in Cable Street or who is interested in working with the campaigners should email cablestjew90@gmail.com
To get more from community, click here to sign up for our free community newsletter.