From 2 November to 14 December 2026, Chipping Barnet Library will host this international exhibition, presented by the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS), Barnet Council and Barnet Libraries.

Through personal accounts of rescuers and survivors, the exhibition examines the difficult choices people faced during the Holocaust. It also explores the experiences of those who risked their lives to help others, often under extremely dangerous circumstances.

During the Second World War, helping persecuted Jews could mean facing imprisonment, deportation or death. Between Life and Death pays tribute to those who nevertheless chose to offer assistance, examining the difficult circumstances in which these decisions were made. By presenting individual stories within their wider historical context, the exhibition explores the complex relationships between rescuers and those they helped, as well as the conditions that shaped opportunities for survival.

Among the stories featured are those of Eva Paddock (née Fleischmannová), who arrived in Britain from Czechoslovakia on a Kindertransport organised by Sir Nicholas Winton, and sisters Ida and Louise Cook. Opera enthusiasts from London, the Cook sisters secretly transported Jewish refugees’ valuables across borders and helped them rebuild their lives in Britain. In recognition of their efforts, they were named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem in 1964.

According to Agnieszka Mazur-Olczak, the exhibition’s project coordinator, its historical subject remains relevant today. Through accounts of people facing extreme circumstances, the exhibition reveals both the vulnerability and resilience of human nature, while offering visitors an opportunity to reflect on the choices individuals make in times of crisis.

Between Life and Death is a joint initiative of the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw and the Silent Heroes Memorial Centre in Berlin. First presented at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels in January 2018, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the exhibition has since travelled to more than twenty cities across Europe, as well as Japan and the United States. Earlier in 2026, it was also presented at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Exhibition information

Between Life and Death: Stories of Rescue during the Holocaust

2 November – 14 December 2026

Chipping Barnet Library
3 Stapylton Road
Barnet, Herts
EN5 4QT

Free admission.

More information: European Network Remembrance and Solidarity.