Maurice Franklin

From opera sets to chupah poles – the woodturner who became Jacs President

THE NATIONAL President of Jacs (Jewish Association of Cultural Societies) Maurice Franklin, who has died age 98, had been involved in Judaism and Jewish culture all his life, stretching back to the Battle of Cable Street in 1936.

He was very involved with Woodside Park Jacs for many years. One of his favourite sayings — “If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you keep it clean” — was a good indication of how he lived his life.

Born in the East End of London, his parents, Clara and Samuel were Romanian immigrants and he was the youngest of their ten children. There was a great deal of love at home and family was always very important to him. His father had a woodturning business, Samuel Franklin and Sons, on Hackney Road, and the family lived above the shop. Maurice was apprenticed to a woodturner at 14 years of age and did not retire until he was 94 .

Highlights included the company taking part in a competition in 1928 and becoming the champion woodturners of Britain, winning a £100 prize.

Even into his 90s, Maurice would work a couple of mornings a week, going into work at 5am and finishing at 9 o’clock when everyone else was going in. He did a great deal of work for synagogues, making chupah poles and etz chayim for Torah scrolls.

His other works included batons for famous classical conductors and specialist elements of stage sets for plays and operas, such as table legs for a production of La Traviata at the Royal Opera House. He made items for the BBC and the House of Commons, and was called on for specialist repair work in the private part of Windsor Castle after the extensive fire damage there in 1992. He was invited by the Queen to a garden party at Buckingham Palace as a “thank-you”. He loved the creativity, the artistry and the varied nature of his work, and became internationally known after he was written about in the Spitalfields blog by the Gentle Author in 2010.

The only time he spent away from woodturning was during the Second World War, when he served in the Royal Artillery in 1940, on the light anti-aircraft guns. His mobile unit was sent all around the country, from Cornwall to the Shetland Islands. During his entire army career, he insisted on following the Jewish dietary laws and did not eat any meat, which often proved very difficult. He recalled one Christmas morning when their daily rations as a treat consisted of a whole pig’s head.

He was eventually promoted to Sergeant and was involved in the D-day landings. His unit of ten men was assigned to provide anti-aircraft cover for American tank landing craft and he was among the forces that landed on Omaha Beach.

Through a combination of bravery, brains and luck, he survived, and provided anti-aircraft cover against the V1 and V2 flying bombs attacking London until the end of the war.

The Imperial War Museum recorded his experiences in 2005 in a two-hour interview as part of a series to preserve the eye-witness accounts of this period, and some of this interview is still available online.

He had one daughter with his first wife, Betty Travis and he was devastated when Betty tragically died aged only 55. With his second wife Pearl Evans, he used to travel the country and give talks to a variety of organisations about classical music, Jewish singers and music in general. His talks were always packed and many people remember them fondly. Pearl died in 2013.

Unfortunately, six months prior to his death, he had to move into the Lady Sarah Cohen Home due to dementia, but he never lost his spirit, his determination or his need to stand up for the things he believed in. Those who knew him well know that these were qualities that defined him.

He is survived by his daughter Clare, son-in-law David, granddaughter Belinda and her husband James, great-grandson William and extended family.

Maurice Franklin: born March 30, 1920 Died November 5 2018