The bench was installed with an audio player where people could listen to his stories and learn about the past.
Holocaust survivor Chaim Ferster, who died in 2017 (North West Friends of Israel)[Missing Credit]
On Wednesday, though, Ferster’s family confirmed that the bench had been smashed into pieces, the audio box torn out, and the remains thrown into the park's lake.
His grandson, Marc Ferster, wrote: "This was not an ordinary bench. It was an audio bench, created so that anyone who wished could sit, listen, and hear my grandfather tell his story in his own words.
"It was placed in his favourite spot in the park - the place where he would regularly walk with his beloved dog, Blue.
"Seeing it vandalised is painful, not because of the physical damage but because of what it represents. It is a stark reminder that antisemitism is not confined to history books or memorial days. It is present, it is real, and it is increasingly finding expression within our society."
Raphi Bloom, a member of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region (JRC) and co-chair of North West Friends of Israel, called the incident "the most despicable act of Jew-hatred", adding that it was "targeting the memory and life of Holocaust Survivor Chaim Ferster, z'l - one of the most special people to have ever lived".
"If these Jew-haters think they can intimidate us, they are wrong,” he wrote on X.
"We are not Jews with trembling knees and we will continue to confront them - and to tell the stories of our brave and special Holocaust Survivors - no matter what they attack us with.
"Chaim Ferster educated those on his past because he feared the Holocaust would be forgotten in generations' time. The audio bench preserved his wartime experiences, allowing members of the public to listen to parts of his stories."
The Community Security Trust (CST) told the JC: "This is a particularly disturbing act of vandalism that looks targeted, due to the effort that must have been involved, and comes at a time of heightened antisemitism.
"Holocaust memorials exist to preserve the memory of those who were murdered and to educate future generations about where hatred can lead, and this damage will be especially upsetting for the Jewish community and for the family of Chaim Ferster, the Holocaust survivor whose story was part of this memorial.
"We urge anyone with information about this incident to contact the police and help find whoever was responsible."
The Board of Deputies wrote: “This is an apparent act of antisemitic hatred and a deliberate attack on the memory and human dignity of Holocaust survivor Chaim Ferster z’’l.
"We expect those responsible to be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Acts like this must be treated with utmost seriousness. Such hate must not be shrugged off unchallenged.”
Greater Manchester Police told the JC: “We are aware of a Holocaust memorial bench being damaged and found in the lake in Clowes Park, Salford yesterday.
“It’s currently unknown who the offenders are and we are currently investigating.
:We take these kinds of incidents extremely seriously and are following all lines of enquiry.”
