Jewish education organisation raises over £785,000 in 36 hours

Jewish education organisation Chazak has raised over £785,000 in 36 hours and met their target with an hour to spare.

The Sefardi organisation set up by Rabbi Shlomo Farhi and Rabbi Moshe Levy nearly 10 years ago works with schools, shuls and other community groups to promote Jewish culture.

Some 83 fundraisers placed hundreds of calls from Chazak’s eye-catching double decker bus, turned into a call centre for the occasion.

Matching donors committed to trebling donations and doubling each pound raised during the bonus round in the final hour.

The money raised will go towards funding projects run by Chazak over the next year, including taking students on learning trips across London on the double decker bus.

It will help pair children returning from seminar and yeshiva with a senior educator, as part of the new Chazak Beit Midrash programme.

The money will also help fund the Jewish Women’s Academy and the hire of an international female speaker to run a programme for women across age groups.

Rabbi Moshe Levy said: “Chazak’s fundraising campaign is a fantastic example of how the community rallies together to support each other.

“Chazak is a community, we are all Chazak, no matter the age, observance, Sephardi or non-Sephardi, Chazak is there for everyone, in every school and shul.

“Chazak is incredibly grateful to every single person who donated and for our very generous matchers who trebled every donation so that we could raise enough money to fund our Chazak programmes for the next year.”