Judith Elkan’s life celebrated with classical and Middle Eastern music

Judith Elkan’s friends and FBFF supporters met at the New North London Synagogue on 19th June for a concert in her memory. The programme, designed to reflect Judith's musical tastes, included works by Mozart and Tchaikovsky as well as Israeli and Arabic songs.

Judith, founder and first chair of the Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, was born in Jerusalem to an Arab-speaking Jewish family from Aleppo and both Israeli and Arab cultures and communities were close to her heart. Much of her life was dedicated to building bridges and supporting peace initiatives between Israelis and Palestinians, culminating in creating and chairing the UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum for the last 17 years.

The Hebrew and Arabic songs in the programme were a tribute to her life-long commitment to improving Israeli-Arab relations.

Judith died in February at the age of 92.

The audience were welcomed to the concert by a message from the actor and FBFF Patron Juliet Stevenson (above) who recalled how she had been entranced by Judith’s gentleness and warmth, her humour and humanity.

CLICK to hear Juliet Stevenson’s tribute

CLICK HERE to watch more extracts from the concert

‘The world has lost a great soul,’ she concluded. ‘I will carry her memory with me always. I count myself lucky that our paths crossed and that I knew her for a while.’

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2019: Visit to London

Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin received a warm welcome at Haringey Mosque during their London visit. Here Bassam is deep in conversation with Catherine West, the local MP.
2019: Bringing the message to London

Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin speak at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
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In June supporters of the Bereaved Families Forum gathered in the Speaker's House at Westminster to hear about the campaign to build bridges between ordinary Israelis and Palestinians.

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The FBFF was set up to support the Bereaved Families Forum (PCFF), a joint Israeli/Palestinian organisation of families who have lost a close family member to the conflict. Instead of seeking revenge, they have chosen the path of reconciliation.
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Chani Smith, former FBFF Secretary, pays tribute to Judith Elkan who died aged 92 on Thursday 24th February
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FBFF is a UK charity that supports the work of the Bereaved Families Forum – sometimes known as the Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF). We raise funds to support bridge-building activities between the communities in Israel/Palestine. We also work to promote their activities and spread information about them more widely in the UK.
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Judith Elkan’s life celebrated with classical and Middle Eastern music

Judith Elkan’s friends and FBFF supporters met at the New North London Synagogue on 19th June for a concert in her memory. The programme, planned to reflect Judith's musical tastes, included works by Mozart and Tchaikovsky as well as Israeli and Arabic songs.