Dame Maureen Lipman backs JDA at 75th anniversary dinner

Actress and writer Dame Maureen Lipman was guest speaker at the Jewish Deaf Association’s (JDA) fundraising dinner at The Engine Rooms in east Finchley on Monday 19 October, marking 75 years since the charity was founded.

JDA supported 4,829 people in 2025 – a 93 per cent increase in just one year – including deaf children and their families, people with hearing loss and vulnerable older deaf and deaf-blind people.

Accessibility was central to the evening, with live captioning of all speeches and announcements, a captioned film and two BSL interpreters.

Speaking ahead of the event, Dame Lipman said: “Over half of people aged 55 and over have hearing loss – so whether directly or through someone we know and love, it affects us all. Because hearing loss is not always visible, it is too easily overlooked. The more considerate we become as a society, recognising people’s needs and making provision for them, from the synagogue to the theatre stage, the more everyone benefits.”

She added that she was “particularly pleased to hear that JDA arranges trips to captioned theatre performances. As an actor, I know how important it is for everyone to be able to follow the story and enjoy the dialogue and experience a performance can bring.”

At the fundraiser, guests heard from Lauren Plosker, whose 3-year-old son Solly was diagnosed as profoundly deaf after his newborn hearing screening. She described turning to JDA when Solly was just weeks old and how the charity has supported her family as they navigated his diagnosis, cochlear implants and early childhood.

Plosker said: “Shortly after finding out, I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I needed people who understood what we were going through as parents and could help navigate us through the unfamiliar world we’d suddenly been thrust into. It also meant facing the reality of our situation. I took a deep breath and called the JDA.”

Lauren said JDA subsequently introduced her to a network of parents of deaf children, including a 40-strong WhatsApp support group, and she has since become a mentor to other families beginning their own journey with deafness.

She added: “The JDA has given me hope. Hope that hearing loss will never define Solly or limit what he can achieve. The JDA is there throughout life’s journey, helping deaf people and their families build confidence, access opportunities and realise just how much is possible.”

JDA Chair Trudy Kling reflected on her own family’s connection to the charity, established by her grandfather Julius Newman in Stamford Hill in 1951: “I am so proud of what the JDA has become – offering an amazing variety of services, but without loss of our underlying unique and intimate culture.”

Chief executive Sue Cipin added that the evening had been “a powerful reminder of why our work matters just as much today as it did when we first opened our doors.”

She added: “Over those 75 years, technology has transformed and opportunities for deaf people have changed enormously, but the need for human connection, understanding and practical support has never gone away.

“Whether we are supporting the parents of a baby who has just been diagnosed as deaf, helping a Jewish school become more accessible for a deaf pupil, or making sure an older person is not left isolated and alone because of their hearing loss, JDA is there at every stage of life.”