An ornate candleholder honoring Naomi Blake was unveiled at Hornsey Library, celebrating her legacy and the importance of remembrance.
Hornsey: Anita Peleg recently visited Hornsey Library to check out a beautiful candleholder made in memory of Naomi Blake, a talented artist and Holocaust survivor from Muswell Hill.
She called the candleholder “magnificent,” saying it really captures her mother’s experiences during such a tough time.
This piece is part of a national project called ‘80 Candles for 80 Years,’ marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is observed on Holocaust Memorial Day.
Auschwitz was a horrific place where over a million innocent lives were lost due to Hitler’s cruel ideology.
In total, around six million Jews were killed across Europe, many forced into labor before their tragic deaths.
Naomi and her sister Malchi had to work in a German factory, where they cleverly sabotaged bombs to survive, enduring a death march afterward.
Sadly, out of her family of 32, only eight survived by 1945.
Naomi moved to London in 1952, married fellow refugee Asher Blake, and began her artistic journey at Hornsey College of Art. She passed away in November 2018 at the age of 94.
Her art aims to foster understanding among different faiths while honoring the memory of the six million Jews who lost their lives.
The candleholder, crafted by Tom Skitt from Haringey Libraries, is currently displayed at Hornsey Library, alongside a collection of newspaper clippings that tell Naomi’s life story.
Haringey Libraries are encouraging everyone, young and old, to learn from history to combat hatred and bigotry.
This Saturday, there’s a special session at Coombes Croft Library where kids can create butterflies in memory of the children who were murdered. Another session will be held on Monday at Hornsey Library, both suitable for ages five to twelve.
Holocaust Day also serves as a reminder of other genocides, including those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur, highlighting the importance of remembrance and education.
