Jewish Care raises record-breaking amount as supporters gather to celebrate 35 years of ‘compassion and community’

Guests were shown a moving film celebrating the charity’s 35th anniversary, narrated by Harry Potter and White Lotus actor Jason Isaacs, whose father is currently in a Jewish Care residence. The film – which featured many well-known people who have spoken or performed at the charity’s events over the years, such as Prince William, Lionel Richie and four UK prime ministers – highlighted Jewish Care’s role as the “heartbeat” of the British Jewish community and its work, particularly in mental health, dementia and end-of-life care.

(C) Blake Ezra Photography 2025Not to be reproduced without written permission.@BlakeEzraPhoto info@blakeezraphotography.com(C) Rachel Levy BEM (right), who attends Jewish Care's Holocaust Survivors' Centre, and her daughter, Shelley (Photo: Blake Ezra Photography)

Addressing the audience, Lord Levy, Jewish Care’s life president, said the charity had been “a pillar of strength, compassion and community” for more than three decades. “Jewish Care continues to be a beacon that social care providers across the world look to. The organisation has adapted, grown and innovated, responding to changing needs, while staying true to our core values of kindness, respect and Jewish identity,” he said.

In his first speech as chair of Jewish Care since being appointed to the role in September, Marcus Sperber said the need for the charity in 2025 had “never been greater” and this year, heads would need to raise at least £20 million to ensure the charity could continue to offer its many vital services.

“More people are turning to us than ever before, and our resources are under intense pressure as a result of increasing inflation, a rapidly ageing population, rising loneliness, a mental health crisis unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and a recent employers’ national insurance change, which will now cost us an additional £1.1 million per annum.”

He said that while demand for Jewish Care’s services was increasing, government funding was shrinking, and many of the charity’s most essential services, including its community centres, mental health helplines and the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, received no government funding at all and were entirely reliant on Jewish Care’s supporters.

Marcus Sperber, Jewish Care chair, at the annual dinner 2025 (Photo: Grainge Photography)[Missing Credit]

“There’s no two ways about it; [£20 million] is a lot of money,” Sperber said. “But let me leave you with a cast-iron promise, to you and to our community. Come what may, in both challenging – and, please God, less challenging – times, Jewish Care will continue to provide the very highest quality support and care with dignity, respect and deep connection to Jewish traditions and values.”

The evening’s entertainment was provided by one of the world’s leading young opera singers, 29-year-old Aigul Akhmetshina, who flew in from performing at The Met in New York to sing four songs, including Velázquez’s Bésame Mucho and Somewhere from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein. She was awarded Female Singer of the Year at the 2023 International Opera Awards.

(C) Blake Ezra Photography 2025Not to be reproduced without written permission.@BlakeEzraPhoto info@blakeezraphotography.comOpera singer Aigul Akhmetshina entertained guests (Photo: Blake Ezra Photography)

Philanthropist Anita Dorfman, escorted by her son Sir Lloyd Dorfman, led the Loyal Toast to the King, and Professor David Latchman CBE, chair of the Maurice Wohl charitable foundation, proposed the toast to the President of the State of Israel.

Jewish Care was formed in 1990 when the Jewish Blind Society and Jewish Welfare Board merged, becoming the community’s largest health and social care charity. It supports 12,000 vulnerable people each week, employs staff of 60 different nationalities and has more than 3,000 volunteers.

Jewish Care CEO Daniel Carmel-Brown added: “Over the next decade, the number of people in the Jewish community who will need dementia care will increase by 25 per cent. More people will need end-of-life care than ever before, and the number of young people and adults who are living with mental illness and distress is sadly rising as well. At this time, when the challenges to Jewish Care are, in many ways, greater than ever before, we are so grateful to all of our guests for supporting us. We simple could not continue to do what we do without our supporters, and it means a lot to know that they are there for Jewish Care, so we can continue to be there at the heart of the community.”