Champion of women’s achievements receives her own award

David Lewis CBE, award winner Hannah Lewis MBE and Jewish Care President Steven Lewis MBE (Photo: Jewish Care)[Missing Credit]

In 1943, Hannah and her family were seized from their home in Włodawa in Poland and forcibly marched to Adampol, a slave labour subcamp of Sobibor.

Most of her relatives were deported; her father escaped to join the partisans and Hannah witnessed her mother get shot and killed. Despite being ill and starving, Hannah survived and was liberated by a Soviet soldier, who discovered her in a trench.

After the war, Hannah’s father miraculously located her, and the two lived briefly in Łódź, before Hannah, aged 10, was brought to London to live with relatives, by Basil Feldman, who later became Lord Feldman. 

In 1961, she married and went on to have four children and eight grandchildren.

For more than three decades, Hannah has been sharing her testimony with thousands of people through the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) and has served on the boards of both HET and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

Award winner Hannah Lewis MBE (front, centre) with Topland Group Committee and Jewish Care staff (Photo: Jewish Care)[Missing Credit]

“Despite all she endured, Hannah chose a life of purpose, compassion, and service – and committed to giving back,” said Jewish Care, who also recognised Hannah for raising over £5 million to create a leukaemia centre at Hammersmith Hospital and for bringing in more than £7 million for the Leukaemia Fund.

Receiving her award, Hannah said: “Thank you for this award. I’m not sure that I deserve it, but it is very kind of you and much appreciated.”

It was the 38th year that Jewish Care has held its Topland Business Lunch, raising a record-breaking £500,000 for the UK Jewish community’s largest health and social care body.

Each week, some 12,000 people use Jewish Care’s services, which include care homes, community centres and mental health support through Jami.

Jewish Care president Steven Lewis MBE said that the charity needed to raise nearly £20 million this year as they receive little government funding. “The demand for our services is rising. Our population is ageing. Mental health needs, especially among younger people, are increasing,” he told guests.

Lewis said that the recent increase in employer National Insurance contributions had seen a £1.1 million increase to Jewish Care’s wage bill – “an immense pressure for a charity like ours”.

Lord Wolfson (left) in conversation with James Harding (Photo: Jewish Care)[Missing Credit]

Guests heard from Lord Wolfson, chief executive of Next plc, who was in conversation with James Harding, journalist and author, editor-in-chief of the Observer and founder of Tortoise Media.

Lord Wolfson has been CEO of Next plc since 2001, having begun his career with the company as a sales assistant in 1991.

Ellisa Estrin, Jewish Care’s director of fundraising and marketing, said afterwards: “I am hugely grateful to everyone who attended Jewish Care’s Topland Group Business Lunch and gave their support. Their generosity will ensure that we can continue to provide our services to the 12,000 people who rely on us and whose lives are made better because of the care we deliver. It is thanks to the community that we can make this difference.”