Page 63 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20

After 30 years, I took the decision that there without a doubt, would not be writing this
was life beyond the rigours of assisting piece. To the memory of our ancestors, we
working folk. I quietly retired, intending to owe it to successor generations, whoever they
spend more time with my wife and three are, from wherever they may come, suffering
daughters, and our grandchildren scattered not dissimilar degradations, the safety,
between Aberdeen, London and Milan, Italy. security and hospitality which is their right.
However, I don’t have the ability to entirely In the years to come, I also would like to learn
divorce myself from anything to do with the story of their successful and enjoyable
human rights. Apart from my 12 years of lives in what is their adopted country.
chairmanship of my constituency (East
Renfrewshire) Labour Party, until recently, I
was a volunteer chair of the Glasgow
Children's Hearing System for 20 years. The
is a legal court for children under 18 years of
age who have either been charged with
offending behaviour or have been neglected
within the family home. It was my function
to decide, by law, what range of measures
should be applied to assist such children.
Some of the cases could be quite traumatic. It 1961 Israel Camp, Sunrise over Masada.
never failed to astound me that there could be (Ralph Golomb's personal collection)
parents and adults, within our society, who
could neglect and abuse their children. It
continues to this day.

I have been actively involved in human rights
for over 50 years now. More recently, as a
member and currently, a Board Member of
the Scottish Refugee Council. This is the
foremost Scottish organisation responsible
for advising, assisting and advocating on
behalf of refugees and asylum seekers
arriving in Scotland from various parts of the 1961 Israel Camp – Ian in the foreground
world, such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Somalia,
Pakistan and China, to name but a few. All WE THANK THOSE WHO HAVE
have fled from discrimination, victimisation, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SECTION
oppression, war and torture.
ABOUT GLASGOW KEN, AND
Eighty years ago, it was my parents, relatives WELCOME MORE MEMORIES AND
and friends, fleeing Nazi Germany and STORIES FROM CHAVERIM, BOGREI
Europe, who were made very welcome and GLASGOW
given succour by Scotland. Had they not, I

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