Jake Marlowe’s legacy lives on through scholarship for young Israelis
His mother Lisa paid an emotional tribute as Youth Aliyah Child Rescue raised more than £450,000 at its annual dinner
The mother of murdered Jake Marlowe has spoken of her pride that his memory will live on through a new scholarship scheme to support youngsters in Israel who share his passions.
The 26-year-old was killed by Hamas terrorists on 7 October 2023 while bravely rescuing party-goers at the Nova Festival, where he was doing security.
Addressing Youth Aliyah Child Rescue’s annual dinner on Monday night, Lisa Marlowe spoke of her son’s “big heart and most beautiful soul. He had that rare gift of making people feel seen. He was full of life and full of courage. He was and always will be a true hero.”
Nothing would ever be the same for her after her “angel in the sky” was so cruelly taken, but she said the charity’s five youth villages supporting at-risk youngsters are about “showing children who have already experienced too much pain that they’re not forgotten,” she told the gathering at the Nobu Hotel. “We can’t always change what happens to a child, but we can change what happens next.”
She announced the second recipient of The Jake Marlowe Memorial Scholarship as Lera Dzharkinova, a student at Neve Hadassah Youth Village who lost her father soon after her IDF service. After abandoning music, the scholarship will enable her to follow her dreams as a classical pianist.
The musician, artist and startup founder said, “It felt like someone had thrown me a lifeline just as I was about to drown,” before thanking Jake’s parents and performing Eden Golan’s Eurovision hit, October Rain.
Established in 1933 to support children fleeing the Nazis, Youth Aliyah operates five educational villages for youngsters who can’t live at home due to neglect, poverty, abuse or fleeing war abroad.
Lisa – who met the charity’s CEO Daliah Mehdi during the weekly Borehamwood vigils for the hostages – recalled visiting Neve Hadassah. She said, “Standing there surrounded by all that hope and possibility, I couldn’t help thinking about Jake and what he would have been made of.”
The event also heard from Daniel Kaganovitch, a graduate of the same village, who spoke of getting into fights at school and being on the verge of expulsion after losing his father at just 11. After being sent to the principal on one occasion, he was surprised to be offered the chance to sit an exam for a course in computing.
He said, “This moment was very important to me and was the first time someone saw me beyond my mistakes. I did the exam and went to the course. I even started to teach other students and started to plan my future for the first time.
“Today I’m a husband and proud father of two amazing daughters. I worked for 12 years in the tech industry. I used to help others in the army, and I’m helping people to get jobs, including Neve Hadassah graduates. My dream is to sit where you sit as philanthropists, helping the next generation to discover what they want to become in their lives.”
Opening the evening – which raised more than £450,000 – Youth Aliyah co-chairs Aron Taylor and Eran Eytan Alvarez thanked Melvin Robinson, who led the charity for over a decade, saying “much of the charity’s strength today is part his vision”. The toast to the King and Israel’s president was performed by Harvey Soning and Prof. David Latchman.
Daliah Mehdi, CEO, Youth Aliyah Child Rescue, said:”We were honoured to see so many people, British and Israeli, come together to celebrate the success of our graduates and to secure a bright future for our most vulnerable children in Israel.”