Last night, leading members of Britain’s Jewish community gathered at the Roundhouse in London to raise vital funds for the work of World Jewish Relief. The charity, which last year worked in 21 countries, provides essential support to vulnerable people and those suffering the consequences of conflict, disaster and climate change.
The evening was hosted by Suzy Klein, Head of Arts and Classical Music at the BBC. Klein shared her personal connection to World Jewish Relief, recounting how her grandfather fled Nazi-occupied Hungary in 1939. She revealed that she discovered his registration slip in the charity’s archives; a document that had remained unseen by her family for 85 years. “Knowing that World Jewish Relief was there, on the ground, ready to help people like my grandpa, who had lost everything, is deeply moving,” Klein remarked.
Maurice Helfgott, Chair of World Jewish Relief, spoke about the vital support offered by His Majesty the King, the charity’s royal patron, during these challenging times. He reflected on his father Sir Ben Helfgott’s experience of German concentration camps, emphasising that the lessons from that time must never be forgotten. This was emphasised by a film about Svetlana, a Ukrainian-Israeli, which detailed World Jewish Relief’s trauma support to Israeli’s impacted by October 7, alongside their partner the the Israel Trauma Coalition. Helfgott also passionately underscored the duty of Jews to not only support one another but also extend their assistance beyond the community, highlighting the charity’s ongoing commitment to aiding vulnerable individuals worldwide, from Ukraine to Israel and Gaza. Watch Maurice’s full speech here.
Helfgott said: “Our Jewish traditions and values demand that we proudly use our expertise to support many thousands of individuals beyond the Jewish community.”
This sentiment was echoed by Samuel Gorman, a 21-year-old Jewish student from the University of Birmingham, who spoke about his visit to see World Jewish Relief’s life-changing work in Rwanda as part of the Chief Rabbi’s Ben Azzai Programme which is run in partnership with World Jewish Relief. Through the night, other stories from World Jewish Relief’s work across the world were showcased, which you can read more of here.
Lady Valerie Mirvis, wife of Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, addressed the audience, emphasising a message of hope amidst adversity. She reflected on the inherent hopefulness of a room full of people determined to contribute to a better world.
With its three-year anniversary looming, the war in Ukraine was high on the agenda for the evening. Through the generosity of supporters, World Jewish Relief has assisted over 330,000 people inside Ukraine across 388 towns and cities. Paul Anticoni, Chief Executive, spoke about the immense trauma Ukrainians are facing and his personal experience of visiting the country during war-time. Guests were given insight into life on the ground through an emotional film, which you can watch here.
World Jewish Relief has also delivered the UK’s largest employment programme for Ukrainians fleeing war (STEP Ukraine), empowering more than 13,000 refugees with essential English language training and employment support. The attendees experienced a beautiful performance by Daria Golovchenko, a classically trained pianist from Ukraine who fled war with her one-year-old daughter. Upon arriving in the UK, she featured on Channel 4’s hit series The Piano, making it to the final. Taking the stage at London’s iconic Roundhouse venue last night, Daria spoke of her harrowing journey from Kherson, Ukraine, where music became her lifeline. She shared her passion for using art to inspire and unite people: “Today, I stand before you to say: the power of art lies in its ability to transform lives. I believe that through music, we can not only tell stories but also inspire action.”
In recent years, the dinner, held annually, has raised millions of pounds from the UK’s Jewish community to fund critical humanitarian work across the world. While the Israel-Hamas war and a global spike in antisemitism have put immense strain on British Jews over the past 16 months, World Jewish Relief and its supporters are determined to overcome these challenges without forgetting their sacred duty to support those outside their community.
