THE Mayor of Barnet joined staff and pupils in Hendon to commemorate the Rabbi who set up their school 64 years ago after rescuing children from Nazi Germany.

Hasmonean Primary School in Shirehall Lane held an assembly to celebrate its Founders Day on Friday February 4.

The late Rabbi Doctor Solomon Schonfeld founded the primary school in 1947 as well as Hasmonean High School in 1944 for the children he rescued as part of the Kindertransport.

Kindertransport was the series of rescue efforts which brought thousands of refugee Jewish children to Great Britain from Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1939.

At the assembly Rabbi Dr Schonfeld’s son, Mr Jonathan Schonfeld told the schoolchildren about his father and how his determination and strength of character made him so successful in helping the children.

Councillor Anthony Finn spoke to pupils about his role as mayor and told a story from the Torah, the Jewish bible.