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UJIA raises £300,000 at Manchester dinner
'In what is a difficult time to be Jewish and Zionist, we must stand together as a community and continue to build connections between young people in the community to Israel and their Judaism'
UJIA’s Manchester dinner raised £300,000 for the charity last weekend, with speeches from both Glenn Cohen, the psychologist tasked with being the first mental health professional to meet returning hostages form Gaza, and Fauda actress Rona-Lee Shimon.
The event, which took place at the Manchester Hotel on Deansgate, saw the UJIA continue its ‘trailblazer’ theme, following its September dinner in London.
Dinner chair Andrew Kingsley opened the evening, highlighting the importance of young Jews experiencing life in Israel at a challenging time to be openly Zionist:
“Over 1400 Jews took part in Israel experiences such as Birthright this summer – with thousands more taking part in summer camps”, he told the 300 event attendees.
“In what is a difficult time to be Jewish and Zionist, we must stand together as a community and continue to build connections between young people in the community to Israel and their Judaism”
In his own speech, Glenn Cohen described how some of the hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023 had said that they “wouldn’t change a thing” following their captivity, highlighting their courage and determination to make it through the challenges they faced every day while in captivity.
Rona-Lee Shimon, who plays Nurit in Fauda, spoke about life in Israel after 7 October. The Israeli show, which has become a global hit, released its latest season in September – with the fallout of the 7 October attacks being a major focus.
“Living in Israel means you’re in constant survival mode, but 7 October drove a sense of life through me and others; that’s what war does to you”, Shimon said.
“That single day divided our lives into a before and after.
“But the Jewish people win at life. We live and survive, and we keep going. A trailblazer doesn’t always know where the road leads; they realised that someone has to take the first step”
Shimon also described what UJIA has provided since 7 October, creating impactful experiences for young Jews to be proud of Israel and their Judaism:
“UJIA’s support has never been about the money raised or the resources provided”, she told those at the dinner.
“It is the feeling that we are not alone that means so much; that is what makes the work of UJIA so important.”
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