Memorial to Holocaust Survivor Chaim Ferster Destroyed in UK Park

A memorial bench dedicated to Holocaust survivor Chaim Ferster was found deliberately destroyed and submerged in a lake at Clowes Park in Salford, UK an act being investigated by Greater Manchester Police as a possible hate crime. The shattered bench, which included an audio device to share Ferster’s powerful testimony, was torn apart before being discarded in the park’s frozen waters.

Ferster, a survivor of eight Nazi concentration camps, had made his postwar home in Manchester. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 94 after years of dedicating his life to Holocaust education across Britain. The bench, installed in 2019, stood along a path he once walked daily with his dog, allowing passersby to hear his story in his own voice. Now, that voice has been violently silenced.

City workers and local residents discovered the destruction on Wednesday. Images of the ruined bench quickly circulated online, prompting widespread shock and sadness. It was a park visitor who first raised the alarm, contacting a local councillor, who in turn reported the matter to police and called for it to be treated as a hate-related offense.

Police have confirmed they are following multiple leads. A spokesperson emphasized that the force takes such incidents “extremely seriously,” reflecting the growing concerns over antisemitism in the UK and across Europe.

Chaim Ferster’s grandson, Marc Ferster, responded to the news with a poignant message. He stressed that the bench was not merely a place to sit it was a living memory of a man who endured the unthinkable and chose to spend his life educating others. “It hurts because of what it represents,” Marc said, warning that acts of hatred must not be dismissed as isolated or meaningless.

His words resonate far beyond this single event. When a memorial to a Holocaust survivor is desecrated, it is not only an insult to the memory of one man but an attack on the collective obligation to remember. These acts serve as reminders that antisemitism is not a relic of the past it is an ongoing challenge that requires vigilance, unity, and moral clarity.

There is no word yet on whether the bench will be rebuilt, but discussions are underway among local authorities and community members to ensure that Holocaust memorials receive greater protection in the future.

This heartbreaking incident underscores a simple truth: remembering the Holocaust is not optional. It is a responsibility one that must be protected not only in museums and classrooms but in the very public spaces we share.

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