Primary school raises £25k at charity gala dinner

A Jewish Primary School in Mill Hill has raised more than £25,000 at its gala dinner, providing much-needed funds as it battles against rising running costs.

The event for Etz Chaim, attended by the school’s President, Lord Levy was hosted at Mill Hill Synagogue and welcomed Rob Rinder as an after-dinner speaker.

Rinder, who had returned from filming a documentary in Krakow and Auschwitz that day, talked about how his recent trip had highlighted the importance of giving young Jewish children hope for the future.

Of the evening, he said: “Seeing a hall filled with the ruach generated by a community of parents, grandparents, teachers and friends wanting to support their local Jewish school and the future of Judaism, was just the tonic I needed after a trip that was so heavily focused on the tragedy of the past. I have heard great things about the work the school’s new headteacher is doing, from family and friends whose children attend Etz Chaim, so it was a pleasure to be able to be part of the event.”

During the evening, headteacher Hannah Martin, who joined the school in September, spoke about the challenges facing schools across the country that are all seeing funding and budgets squeezed, with the cost of everything from heating the school, to the cost of school meals increasing.

She urged parents to continue supporting the PTA’s fundraising efforts, explaining that where schools once viewed it as a nice additional income, it is now needed for buying the ‘must haves’ and well as the ‘would like to haves’.

Co-chair of Governors, Elizabeth Bennett, who organised the event, says: “With Etz Chaim entering its second decade, we have an exciting opportunity to flourish and grow under the new leadership of Mrs Martin. Every school in the country is feeling the impact of the rising costs of running a school and it is no secret that budgets are becoming more and more stretched. We are therefore incredibly fortunate to have a community of parents and friends who support what we are doing.

“By working together as a community we can give the children at our school the best possible platform on which they can build the best possible versions of themselves’. The money raised from the gala dinner will go a long way in helping us do just that.