Prince Charles attends ceremonies for Kindertransport

JTA — Prince Charles hosted a reception in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Kindertransport and attended a ceremony honoring Britain’s outgoing chief rabbi.

Sunday’s Kindertransport reunion was likely the last large gathering of its kind due to the age of the survivors. Some 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe entered Britain in 1938 during the Kindertransport rescue mission. The British Parliament agreed to waive immigration restrictions.

The following day, the prince spoke at a ceremony in honor of Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who is retiring on Sept. 1 as chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth after 22 years in the post. He will be succeeded by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.

“Running throughout your time as chief rabbi has been that all-important principle of which this country has long been an exponent – the principle of tolerance,” Charles said, according to reports.

“I sometimes fear not enough recognition is given to the role of the faith communities in the life of our country in promoting such a critical principle, and I join with you, in mounting anxiety, at the apparent rise in anti-Semitism, along with other poisonous and debilitating forms of intolerance.”