Last year, the Ernest Levy Archive was gifted to Edinburgh City Libraries and it was welcomed into the Special Collections at Central Library. Ernest Levy was a holocaust survivor who settled in Scotland after the Second World War. Originally from Bratislava, he lived in Glasgow for 48 years where he became a leading figure in the Scottish Jewish community. Throughout his life, he spoke out about his experiences knowing that his testimony would help future generations remember this terrible time in history. When Ernest died he left behind a legacy of education rooted in the need for tolerance and understanding between peoples.

After his death in 2009, Ernest’s daughter Judy donated his large collection of books, manuscripts and music (The Ernest Levy Archive) to Edinburgh City Libraries. Work continues to catalogue the archive and to develop resources to make the information more readily accessible, ensuring that Ernest’s story and his message of tolerance and respect lives on.  The first major stage of this process is an exhibition tied to the theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, “ Speak up, Speak Out”. The exhibition runs from January 23rd – March 15th 2012 in Central Library. A related exhibition of material about the Jewish experience during World War II will be on display in the Reference Library.

For those who can’t make it into Central Library, an online exhibition about Ernest’s life is available via Capital Collections.