JW3 ‘Ray-ses’ £500,000 to cheer chief exec on his 50th birthday

Supporters of London’s main Jewish culture centre ‘JW3’ left its enigmatic chief executive “blown away” after raising a record amount for the charity to coincide with his 50th birthday.

Raymond Simonson, known both for his sideburns and the passion with which he performs his duties, celebrated his half-centenary by thanking those who gave money within a match-funded 36-hour fundraising appeal.

“We are really quite humbled that against the backdrop of the tightest financial climate since JW3 opened, the community has come out to show such support for our charitable and cultural activities,” said Simonson.

“I’m blown away that almost 750 people from all parts of the community contributed to this fundraising campaign, which raised a record amount of £518,715 – the most we’ve ever raised from a single event or appeal.

“This funding helps ensure we can adequately respond to the increased demand for our core services.”

JW3 volunteers have been arranging, packing, and delivering weekly food parcels for families in Camden who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, using donations from Jewish community members.

“Each parcel has a week’s worth of ingredients for a person, a household, a family living in the borough who are currently struggling with food poverty and food insecurity,” he said.

“With inflation and rising energy costs there are more and more families who need our services. We’re doing everything we can to meet demand.”