A woman is supporting the charity that helped her family after their escape Nazi-occupied Germany by taking part in a charity bike ride.
Suzanne Gould, 49, and her husband Michael, 51 from Bushey have raised nearly £5,000 for riding in the Ride for the Living festival, from Auschwitz to Krakow for World Jewish Relief on Thursday, June 22.
The charity was set up in 1933 and formerly called the Central British Fund for German Jewry.
They helped many people escape Nazi-occupied Germany before and throughout the Second World War.
They gave to support to Suzanne’s family after they arrived in London in 1939.
Suzanne wanted to pay her respects at Auschwitz as her maternal great-grandmothers were killed in the death camp.
The sixty-mile course starts at the Auschwitz-Birkenau gates and ends up in the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) in centre of Krakow that was opened in 2008.
Suzanne said: “Taking part in Ride for the Living felt like I was honouring my great-grandmothers’ memory.
“It was such a profound feeling for me to leave Auschwitz as a free Jew. I felt quite emotional when we arrived at the JCC.
“Walking in to the JCC, there were none of the security measures that you have in the UK. The JCC is such an inclusive place and I’m very happy that the money we raised is going to such a worthwhile cause.
“I’m not a particularly fit person but I managed it, so I’d tell anyone thinking of doing the ride that they definitely should do it. If I can do it, anyone can! It’s a wonderful social event and we made some lovely friends.”
More than 100 cyclists from across the world took part in this year’s event, 17 of whom were British and raised more than £18,000 for World Jewish Relief.
The cyclists were invited to on a guided tour of Auschwitz the day before the challenge.
The Centre was built by the World Jewish Relief and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and was opened by the charities patrons HRH the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
To donate or for more information visit https://www.worldjewishrelief.org/suzanne_gould.