The Weight of Memory
Judy’s Search for Family and Connection
Rain falls steadily as Judy navigates the rows of gravestones in East Ham’s Jewish cemetery. She’s on a mission: to find a marker that ties her to her family’s past. The gravestone belongs to Maya—anglicised
to Mick during World War II—a man whose name, like her father’s, reflects the struggles and adaptations of Jewish families in a hostile world.
This journey is just one chapter in Judy’s ongoing quest to uncover the stories of her family—stories of survival, courage, and connection in the face of displacement. In Episode 7 of The Hackney and Newham History Social Podcast, we follow her as she pieces together fragments of the past, uncovering both personal history and the broader legacy of Hackney’s Jewish community.
Family Footsteps
Judy’s search began years earlier when she discovered a small white card tucked away in her mother’s belongings. It listed the details of her grandmother Martha’s burial plot in East Ham.
Unsure what to expect she found a well-tended space, the gravestones adorned with stones left by visitors—a Jewish tradition honouring the deceased. Martha’s grave stood out, its clean granite surface defying the years that had passed since her death.
The moment was bittersweet.
You escape from the Nazis, the camps
Judy
Judy reflects
and then you die on the operating table
Judy
It’s a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the sacrifices made by those who fled unimaginable horrors in search of safety
Preserving Memory
Judy’s journey isn’t just about uncovering her own family’s history—it’s about ensuring these stories aren’t forgotten. Her persistence in finding Martha’s grave, in piecing together the fragments of her parents’ and grandparents’ lives, mirrors the broader need to preserve the histories of Hackney’s communities before they are lost to time.
Amid the rain and gravestones, Judy muses on the resilience of her family and others like them—families who faced immense challenges and yet found ways to survive, adapt, and thrive.
To listen to Judy’s story search The Hackney and Newham History Social Podcast wherever you get your podcasts or listen here The Hackney and Newham History Social Club | Immediate Theatre to hear the full story.