Greetings friends, walkers and supporters,

One of the objectives of this project was to explore how we might find new ways of working with survivor testimony in the sure knowledge that they wouldn't be with us for much longer. You will be saddened to hear that Esther is no longer with us. She died peacefully with family close by yesterday afternoon. The funeral will be in London on Sunday.

With regard to our forthcoming exhibition next week everything changes but we both feel that the exhibition should go ahead. We will do our best to realise something of what we had planned.

Esther Brunstein was one of the key figures in the campaign for a Holocaust Memorial Day. She became active as a public speaker challenging Holocaust deniers during the period covered by the forthcoming film 'Denial' speaking at major public events and schools colleges and universities up and down the country. As a child Esther was immersed in the philosophy of the Bund, the Jewish workers socialist movement and the vibrant Yiddish culture of pre WW2 Europe, she was a passionate internationalist and human rights activist. She spoke at the United Nations on the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Esther's is one of the voices you will hear if you visit the Holocaust gallery at the Imperial War Museum. She touched thousands of lives including that of a school boy now a doctor who cared for her in her last days. He remembered her speaking at his school when he was a sixth former.

We pay our respects, celebrate her life and continue in that spirit of love and internationalism and look forward to seeing some of you in Bath at the exhibition next week.

The struggle continues but for a moment with some sadness as an inspirational voice falls silent.

Best wishes
Richard and Lorna
18 Jan 2017