AJEX long-time executive director Jacques Weisserand successor Major Danny Yank It is one of Anglo-Jewry’s most recognisable and dependable “brands” — AJEX, or the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women. It was founded almost 90 years ago, in 1929, to serve the needs of Jewish veterans of the First World War. Fifty-five thousand Jews served with British forces during the conflict; five were awarded the Victoria Cross. A further 60,000 British Jews served in the Second World War, three of whom won a VC. But today, with the annual parade at the Cenotaph in Whitehall this weekend, long-time executive director Jacques Weisser is retiring after 24 years in post and a huge rebranding exercise is taking place led by his successor, Major Danny Yank. The first step has been to rename the organisation itself. It will now be known as AJEX – The Jewish Military Association UK. Weisser and Yank are now in an affable handover process and discussed the changes in AJEX’s Hendon offices. “We used to be a volunteer organisation, split into branches”, Weisser explains. “But as people get older, many of the branches are not sustainable so we are merging membership into a central branch, although the individual ones can carry on where it is feasible.” VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS: We owe them our remembrance Both men say it is a mistake to assume AJEX relates only to those who served in the Second World War or those who have done National Service. Association members today may well have seen service in more recent areas of conflict such as Korea, Kenya, Malaysia, Cyprus, Iraq, the Falklands and Afghanistan. Passing the baton at AJEX: A change of guard to secure memory for the future
