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All in the family for LJCC role

August 18, 2011 10:46
The Wieser brothers with the cultural centre's Richard Goldstein

By

Jessica Elgot,

Jessica Elgot

1 min read

The London Jewish Cultural Centre is keeping it in the family when replacing its gedenkdiener - someone undertaking community work with Holocaust survivors as an alternative to Austrian military service.

Lukas Wieser, 21, is leaving the LJCC next week to pursue his legal studies in Vienna. He will be replaced by his younger brother Moritz, 18.

Mr Wieser said he worked on the centre's "Holocaust survivor speaker programme, organising talks in schools with survivors. This year we have reached 12,000 students and I've worked with 40 speakers, most of whom are over 80.

"I've built up a rapport with the survivors. I speak to some three or four times a week and I've been invited to dinner and to synagogue with them. It's so important to be friendly and to have empathy in this job."

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