Annual Dinner: HRH The Prince of Wales, Chief Rabbi & James Corden
His Royal Highness, the former Prince of Wales spoke to more than 500 guests at World Jewish Relief’s annual dinner. It is the first time he has spoken to World Jewish Relief supporters since becoming the charity’s patron in 2015. The evening raised £1.3 million pounds for the British Jewish community’s humanitarian agency and will help the charity’s work in supporting some of the world’s poorest communities.
The evening was hosted by the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, who has visited World Jewish Relief projects in Sarajevo and Tblisi. She said: “In a world where turmoil and uncertainty seem so dominant, it is reassuring that an organisation like World Jewish Relief continues to rise to the challenge of combating poverty and bringing a glimmer of hope to so many in need around the world.”
The evening kicked off with a warm and witty welcome from James Corden. Watch his video message here:
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His Royal Highness, The former Prince of Wales, World Jewish Relief’s patron, addressed the dinner. Watch the speech below:
The Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, spoke about visiting a refugee camp with World Jewish Relief in Idomeni, Greece. He said: “I will never forget witnessing at firsthand the outstanding work that World Jewish Relief is carrying out.”
The Chief Rabbi talked about how the organisation gives people hope around the world. But he added: “Not much hope from the United States of America, of all countries, where President Trump has signed an executive order which seeks to discriminate against individuals based totally on their religion or their nationality. We as Jews perhaps more than any others know exactly what it is like to be the victims of such discrimination and it is totally unacceptable.”
Watch his speech:
World Jewish Relief’s new Chair, Dan Rosenfield, told the charity’s supporters that he was thrilled to be addressing his first dinner as Chair. Dan said: “Thanks to your generosity, in the past year, World Jewish Relief has supported 15,000 older people. Every older person in the Former Soviet Union, every Holocaust survivor, should live their life in dignity.
“We also know that work is often the best route out of poverty, and that dignity lies in the ability to support yourself and your own family. That is why in the past year World Jewish Relief has helped almost 2,000 people find work or set up shop. Our livelihood development programmes reconnect the long-term unemployed with the labour market – focusing on basic skills, training and employability. With your support, we can do even more.”
Dan’s speech:
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