It was wonderful to be back in a room with 900 Jewish Care supporters
WATCHING THE evening unfold at Jewish Care’s annual dinner last week was a joy — and a moment that we all hoped would come. As guests began to arrive, the rising sense of anticipation and celebration was tangible. Having 900 people in the room at the biggest communal dinner for the first time in three years brought a sense of gratitude and relief that this was once again possible.
That sense was thankfully matched by the generosity of our guests in raising a tremendous £5 million of the £16 million the organisation needs to ensure that we can continue to provide our vital services to support older people in the community in the coming year.
Over the last three years, we have all had to adapt and work differently. It was difficult to predict when events like these would return and we had some worries about Covid, of course. But last Monday, the community showed a real appetite to gather again in numbers to support Jewish Care. We are still receiving messages telling us what a delight it was for guests to be together on a night with such a special atmosphere.
Our speakers, guests and the subjects of the films we showed expressed appreciation to Jewish Care for being there for the older people we care for. We shared a sense of pride as we reminded ourselves how our professional front-line carers and dedicated volunteers have continued to protect us since the start of the pandemic. They selflessly continue to ensure that the well-being of those we support is at the forefront of everything they do.
Celebrating together and acknowledging in person that we are part of a community that really does care feels immensely powerful. Everyone at the dinner, and many in the community who we could not fit into the room on the night, are close members of the Jewish Care family. We are privileged to have this support, enabling us to be there for the older members of the community when they need us most.
Our VIP guests at the dinner included some
We are still receiving messages telling us what a delight it was to be together on a night with such a special atmosphere
of the special people we support in our care homes, retirement living apartments and community centres.
They shared their moving personal stories, highlighted on film, which demonstrated just how crucial our work is to each of them and to the more than 10,000 people whose lives we touch each week.
As costs continue to rise for us all, we continue to fundraise for the much-needed services we provide for older people and their family carers in London and the SouthEast. These include our social work and community support services, our dedicated helpline, befriending, meals on wheels, the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, community centres and centres for people living with dementia — services that receive virtually no government funding. We simply couldn’t do this without the community’s support.
We are blessed that so many of our lay leaders dedicate so much of their time to supporting the organisation. They do so because of their belief in the vital role of our work for our community and their efforts continue to inspire.
Our guest speaker at the dinner, former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, heaped praise on Jewish Care, especially recognising the incredible work of our front-line staff.
At the end of the night, the words of the iconic Boy George rang true as he sang It’s A Miracle during a stellar live performance. It really felt like a miracle to see our guests, staff and volunteers dancing together and singing along at our dinner once again after what feels like so long.
To be part of the community that can call on Jewish Care when we are most in need should make us all feel immensely proud. I know I feel proud to have the privilege of leading this organisation.
Going forward, we’ll keep planning events because we know that the whole community, truly, want to be there, together, for Jewish Care.