Yvonne’s mother, Ruth, was the only surviving member of her German Jewish family – the rest had died during the holocaust. Ruth moved to Israel when Ken and Yvonne got married in 1966. Ruth and husband Aron’s new life awoke a Zionist interest in Ken. Aron was a member of Parents Circle, established by Israeli and Palestinian parents who had lost a child in the conflict. Inspired by Aron and a visit to Israel, Ken and Yvonne established the British branch of Windows for Peace in 2003. Their charity works with Israeli and Palestinian teenagers to build bridges between the two groups.

Ken came to Manchester aged 18 to study physics at university. It was in a physics class that he met his future wife, Yvonne. Ken would go on to be a university lecturer in Cambridge and from 1969 in Manchester.

Ken Singer was born in London, 1943. His grandparents had settled in the UK from Eastern Europe. When Ken was ten, the family moved to Blackpool where they opened a clothes shop, a change from their hairdressing business. They returned to Golders Green four years later. The family were not very observant but attended synagogue for festivals and Ken went to cheder.