Monarch attended Chanukah party in London
King Charles has danced with Holocaust survivors, including Anne Frank's step-sister, at a Chanukah reception.
Britain’s King Charles surprised Holocaust survivors at a Chanukah reception in North London last week and joined a group that included Anne Frank’s step-sister on the dance floor for a round of the hora.
The visit was part of the British monarch’s tour of the JW3 community centre, as the royal family seeks to stick to routine and remain silent over the second half of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s Netflix documentary series, which made hard-hitting claims against the royal family.
While touring JW3, the king met with a group of girls packing Christmas packages for asylum seekers, stopped by a hair and beauty course for Orthodox students and was shown the kitchen where volunteers and refugees were preparing food packages for the needy.
He was also fascinated by a krav maga self-defence class taking place down the hall, the UK Jewish News reported.
Charles then made his way to a Chanukah tea reception JW3 was holding for Holocaust survivors, who were only informed ahead of time that a surprise guest would be joining them.
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The king mingled with the delighted survivors before joining several of them on the dance floor. He told one of those present that the Jewish music played during the hora reminded him of Scottish country dancing, the Jewish News said.
Among those who danced with the king was 93-year-old Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s step-sister and a Nazi concentration camp survivor.
“He was sweet. He really took part. He seemed to enjoy it,” she told the Telegraph.
She then lamented antisemitism in England, and expressed hope that King Charles would help improve the situation for Jews in the country.
The king was presented with a menorah bearing the inscription, “One person’s candle provides the light to many.”
Earlier the same day, the king visited the headquarters of Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that works to boost security for the UK’s Jewish community. There, he sat in on a self-defence training session and visited the CST’s control centre.
TIMES OF ISRAEL, AP
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