An uplifting evening at Jewish Care’s Annual Dinner celebrated the warmth, care and impact of the charity’s wide-ranging services that touch the lives of 12,000 people each week. The charity, that traces its roots back almost 200 years, raised £5.3 million at the Dinner last night. This is a wonderful achievement, especially in light of the increased target of £20 million, which Jewish Care will need to raise this year. The scope of the charity’s work has grown considerably with Jami, the mental health charity now under the Jewish Care umbrella. Lay leaders gave heartfelt thanks to all those in the community whose generosity enables the charity to continue to provide vital support to thousands of people in the Jewish community who rely on Jewish Care’s services each day.

The Rt Honourable Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party sent an inspiring video message of support to almost 1,000 guests at the Grosvenor House.

In his message, Sir Keir described Jewish Care as ‘an exemplar of social care in our country.”

He continued, “It’s not just about the physical care that you give to people, although this is foundational and part of the dignity and respect that people deserve. It’s about caring for the entire person, of being a community with a common identity, a shared history based on the cherished belief in the worth and value of every person in a way that treats people with dignity and respect and recognises their humanity and honours their wishes. It’s also about treating carers fairly and properly recognising their contribution and value.

“Most of us will have loved ones that have needed or will need care at some point. We all know the stress, pain, and worry it can cause and the sense of helplessness mixed with responsibility.  Jewish Care is a direct reflection of Jewish tradition of being there for others as a community, being together, finding joy in each other’s company and recognising  what we can learn from those who’ve lived through history, sharing love and wisdom across the generations, it’s profoundly moving.”

The guest speaker at the dinner, Wes Streeting, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, was introduced by The Lord Levy, Jewish Care’s Life President.

Addressing guests, Wes Streeting said, “When I think of what great care looks like, I think of Jewish Care, there’s the self-reliance, the way you look out for and provide for each other, with no one left behind. I’m so proud to be here tonight to celebrate  the extraordinary work of Jewish Care, to recognise the commitment of your staff, your volunteers, your contributions to Jewish life and not just to the community but to our whole social care sector.”

He also commended ‘the powerful acts of service across Jewish Care by the staff and the volunteers that happen out of the spotlight every day, that deserve to be celebrated.”

Praising the work of Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre, he called it “a focal point for the Jewish community, where our local communities receive tremendous support and where they can come together and proudly share in their Jewish identity and culture.”

He went on to say, “And thanks to the vision of its leaders and the generosity of its benefactors, particularly the Ronson and the Sugar families, this will be expanding from being a community centre, to becoming a campus with a 66-bed care home, as well as accommodating a wide range of services from the centre for people living with dementia to the charity’s Meals on Wheels services.”

Wes Streeting noted that the lasting history and legacy of Jewish Care spring from adapting and growing to meet modern challenges, supporting young and old, those who are lonely, providing end of life care, supporting those with mental health challenges and showing commitment to staff by paying the London Living Wage.

Earlier in the evening, Holocaust survivor, Manfred Goldberg BEM, welcomed guests to the evening. Manfred, a member of Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, is one of the 300 Holocaust survivors Jewish Care supports across its services. Deported from his home in Germany to the Riga Ghetto in 1941, at the age of 11 year’s old, Manfred survived the ghetto as well as four labour and concentration camps, including Stutthof Concentration Camp. He was liberated, aged 15 and came to the UK in 1946, where he was reunited with his father.

Manfred told guests, “I have been a member of Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre for decades. It is a life saver for me and so many others and is run by dedicated staff and volunteers with such loving care. It is a haven.

“These are difficult and dark times. It has never been more important to come together as a Jewish community, to be proud of our Jewishness, to celebrate our Jewishness, to sing and to shout about our Jewishness and for organisations like Jewish Care to shine its Jewish light into the lives of thousands of people and their families.”

Paying tribute to Manfred, and all those attending the Dinner and supporting Jewish Care, Life President, Lord Levy invited guests to join him on a journey looking back at Jewish Care’s history to see how the organisation has arrived at where it is today.  The Lord Levy, told guests,

“It has never been more important for our community to stand together, and Jewish Care sets that example. We care. Jewish Care continues to be the beacon that social care providers across the world both look up to and respect with 1300 staff, made up of many nationalities and many faiths, we are proud to be a London Living Wage employer. We are proudly Jewish. We look after many thousands in our community, providing so many different services. We can do that because of the generosity and contribution of our amazing supporters of Jewish Care, and the time and commitment of our wonderful volunteers and dedicated staff who share a bond between them. Jewish Care has cared for generations and will continue to be there for those that need us.”

Lord Levy paid tribute to Angela Duran, a member of Jewish Care staff who has worked for the organisation for 50 years.  He also thanked outgoing Chairman Jonathan Zenios for his ‘Outstanding Leadership’ especially during the Covid years and welcomed Incoming Chair, Marcus Sperber.

The history film showed the timeline of Jewish Care, tracing its roots back through the Jewish Welfare Board to the Board of Guardians almost 200 years ago. The Jewish Welfare Board merged with the Jewish Blind Society, forming Jewish Care. Since then, 11 organisations have joined the Jewish Care family, which has continued to adapt to meet the needs of the community. Jami is the most recent organisation, adding to the existing mental health services the charity provides and reflecting the Jewish Care’s commitment to respond to the growing challenge of supping those in our community, for whom living with mental illness and distress is an everyday struggle. Current Jewish Care clients, including Ivor Perl BEM, Jean Lowi, and volunteer, Janet Foster, featured in the film are connected with each of the organisations that have joined the charity.

Chairman, Jonathan Zenios made an appeal to guests, underlining the importance of the Jewish community and of Jewish Care and our unwavering commitment to each other in creating a place where we can all, proudly, celebrate being Jewish together. He reminded guests of how important Jewish Care’s services are, and how proud we can be of supporting the organisation; shining a light on the warmth, care, love  and enthusiasm that is distinctive to Jewish Care’s services. With an aging community, with Jewish Care supporting people and their families with more complex cases, at the end of life, and in crisis, as well as those with mental illness and distress, the need for care has never been greater.

Speaking after the dinner, Jonathan Zenios, said, “Thanks to the generosity of our guests at our Dinner, we raised an incredible £5.3 million of the £20 million that Jewish Care needs to raise this year to run all of its vital services. Many of these services rely entirely on donations, with virtually no government funding at all. The majority of our care home residents receive Local Authority funding, which does not cover the real cost of care.

“With these funds, we can provide services, care, and so much more. Together our one big family contributes so much to our country and our community.  They provide companionship,  safety, empathy and understanding. And a place to be together. So, the support and commitment of our community makes a tremendous difference in ensuring that Jewish Care continues to be there for those who need us and remains a beacon of hope and compassion for generations to come.”

Ellisa Estrin, Jewish Care’s Director of Fundraising & Marketing, added, “We are so grateful to all of our guests for supporting us at a time when the challenges to Jewish Care are, in many ways, greater than ever before. We simply could not do what we do without you, and it means a lot to know that you are there for Jewish Care, so we can be there for the community.

“Our thanks too, goes to The Rt Honourable Keir Starmer, Wes Streeting and Manfred Goldberg BEM. I’d also like to thank our lay leaders for making the evening such a success and enabling Jewish Care to keep on supporting thousands of fantastic people across London and the South East.”