The Windermere Route – A good 20 minutes more
The Windermere Route is not just a long-distance walk. It is a journey through history. The original walk we had rehearsed only months earlier was extended a few km’s to recreate the exact journey the refugees would’ve taken from Terezin to Prague, and we called it the Windermere Route in order to immediately frame the objects of the walk.
In 2023, only months into the project officially, 15 walkers from representing The Fed completed a double marathon route connected to the Windermere story, linking the historical journey from Terezín to Prague with the wider Windermere narrative, following in the footsteps of several of the My Voice survivors, and many in the Manchester and London communities.
The Safety Briefing on the eve of the walk was given by Rabbi Chaim from Israel by Zoom recalling a parable of journeying from Czech philosopher Kafka. As if that had not emphasises the emotional purpose of the event, Danni’s grandfather Ike has also recorded his well wishes for the group. Enough already!
By the time the walkers reached the finish, more than £32,000 had been raised. For once, social media had captured a distance, endurance, suffering and triumph in one summative post.
But the impact of the event went far beyond fundraising. Waking the route encourages reflection on the extraordinary resilience of those who survived the Holocaust and rebuilt their lives.
The Windermere story is ultimately one of hope. Every step along the route reminds us of that. We built life long friendships, just as the Boys did, explored nature, had our moments, and achieved a remarkable physical, mental and emotional feat.
#LookingBackMovingForwards
