Community comes together to celebrate Chanukah at Jami’s Head Room café
'This place has transformed many people’s lives,' says Jewish Care CEO Daniel Carmel-Brown
More than 100 members of the community came together at Head Room, Jami’s social enterprise café supported by The Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation, to celebrate the second night of Chanukah and honour the life of Elliot Simmons, who generously supported the café and Jami’s community hub in Finchley.
Members of Head Room’s community programme, which runs free daily groups and activities for anyone looking for mental health support, were among the guests who enjoyed Chanukah candle lighting, a cosy corner, doughnuts and latkes, an arts and crafts table, and live music from Head Room’s own members, Shira and Jonathan.
Daniel Carmel-Brown, chief executive of Jewish Care, which Jami is a part of, welcomed Jami service users and thanked long-standing friends, volunteers and supporters of Jami and Jewish Care for all their support.
Reflecting on the lives of those Jewish people murdered at the Chabad Bondi Beach Chanukah celebrations in Sydney, he said: “I came across one quote that sums up, I think, how many of us are feeling today. It says, ‘We are threads in the same tapestry. When one thread pulls, we all feel it.’
“For me, what that represents is the fact that as a Jewish community, we are all interdependent on one another. And so, when we watch the events unfold, as we have seen in various places around the world – in Manchester on Yom Kippur and very sadly yesterday in Australia – it feels like the thread is being pulled for all of us.”
Acknowledging the volunteers and staff at Head Room, he added: “I know that this place has transformed many people’s lives.”
Jonathan Prevezer, a trustee of the Elliott Simmons Charitable Trust, said: “Elliot himself had health issues and was a really lovely man. Head Room is the sort of place he would have loved to have come to and spend time at. The trustees are so pleased that we could help with the refurbishment of Head Room. It’s a fantastic place.”
Head Room community member Jonathan said: “When I had nothing to do, Jami gave me somewhere to go. Head Room has given me a chance to play again and revived my passion for music. Attending the café’s Open Mic Night has also given me a lot of encouragement.”
During his lifetime, Elliott Simmons expressed his desire to contribute to charities supporting people impacted by mental illness, having endured significant mental health difficulties throughout his life.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
