Pearson Panke was an important part of Ernst’s life for more than 60 years. His work gave him a strong purpose in life as you can see from Stephen’s comments below. The support he received from everyone in the small team of staff sustained him when dealing with Ann’s illness and death, and also helped him to remain active into his later years. The people at Pearson Panke became his family away from home.
Memories of Stephen Panke
He represented the company at many international gatherings and on many industrial trade bodies and was respected for his knowledge.
Mic could be a shy person and spoke to us little about his early life. At a Passover dinner in 2004 at our house he revealed that this was the first Passover that he had attended since he was the youngest participant at the dinner at which his father had officiated in Berlin in 1938 – the year before he had left on the Kinder Transport leaving all of his family behind. He described the dinner and the prayers he had spoken as the youngest present. It was a very moving occasion for all of us present and we have incorporated his German poem into our subsequent Passover services. We remembered him in our service a few days ago.
Mic was very proud of his children and grandchildren and I know that you will all miss him greatly. I hope that following the resolution of the Corona Virus crisis you will all have opportunities of remembering a unique man.
Ceridwen and I were sad to hear of Mic’s death and our sympathies go out to you and all of your family at this sad time.
Our families go back a very long way. Mic came to work with my father in 1951 and when I came to work full time at Pearson Panke in 1972, Mic was a very valued member of the team. It is hard to believe that we worked together for over 40 years.
Mic was one of the hardest working people I know and took great pride in his attention to detail. He and I and the team at Pearson Panke were instrumental in introducing many technical firsts to British industry and our suppliers valued his input into many ground-breaking projects.
There were times as there are in any business where the company had difficult times and Mic gave unfailing support to my father and mother and later on to my sister and myself and helped us to continue to run the firm and maintain our high reputation in the industry.
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Stephen and Ernst with the Duke of Kent, 1980
Passover 2004
Stephen asked me to talk to you about the last Passover celebration I attended. It was in Berlin in1938. My parents were proud of being Jewish and belonged to the ultra liberal Reform Synagogue in Berlin, where my father, who had been a judge, was active on a daily basis both in social welfare activities and also in historical research work. But, like the other members of this congregation, we generally did not involve ourselves with any of the traditional customs and practices.
We attended synagogue only on some of the very special occasions, particularly certain services aimed at teenagers and young people. I went with my brother, although I was really still too young. At these services my father frequently gave the address, but all I can remember is that he made his points largely or perhaps entirely by making everyone laugh – effectively by illustrating the absurdity of believing in the opposite to the point he was making.
Several times, on the Day of Atonement, my father took me to an ice cream parlour instead, saying that my sins were insufficient.
I once went to a private Passover celebration when I was very young, but the only Passover celebration I remember was the one in 1938. It was organised by the Reform Synagogue and there were about 120 people present. It took place in what had originally been a hall of one of the very grand Jewish social clubs dating back to around 1900 or earlier. The hall was then the gymnasium of a school (which, incidentally my father had founded), and is now an orthodox synagogue.
You may appreciate the special meaning of Passover to us at that time.
My mother, having never organised a Passover meal before, was one of the people in charge of the cooking, and I had to take the part of the youngest boy present. Here is the fragment of what I said as I remember it after 66 years. The German bit I will translate afterwards.
Manischtano haleiho hase*
Alles ist seltsam das ich hier seh
Warum ist Alles so festlich und so sonderbar
So seltsam und so anders als sonst das ganze Jahr?
Warum ist der Tisch so wunderlich geschmückt
Mit schönen Blumen, das uns das Auge zückt?
*Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?
This is what I found on the internet (Vicky - Jewish friends will correct me)
On balance I found it better to do a free translation in the form of verses even though the best mark I can hope for in poetry would be about 1 out of 10. (I have added the translation of the Hebrew, Vicky)
Why is this night different from all other nights?
Everything is different on this special day
Why is the table set so beautifully here
So unusual and different from the rest of the year?
Why do we have flowers in front of our places,
And why does everyone have such a festive look on their faces?
As I said, it is just a fragment