‘To get the media interested in the hostages, we needed to do something to grab their attention’

The Lovelock Hostage Bridge[Missing Credit]

How did you go about setting up the Lovelock Hostage Bridge at JW3?

I want to create something authentic to enable the community to demonstrate love and solidarity with the hostages. To start with, we had over 100 heart-shaped padlocks on the bridge with the names of the hostages. When families of hostages from Israel were in London, they would often go to the bridge as a form a solace.

To attract media attention, we also had padlocks signed by celebrities, both Jewish and non-Jewish, including Tracy Ann Oberman, Vanessa Feltz and Nick Ferrari. At the launch, celebrities were there, but I also wanted the media to hear from a relative of a hostage, so Dr Sharone Lifschitz, [whose parents Oded and Yocheved were taken hostage] spoke.

What impact do you think the bridge had on the media coverage of the conflict?

Over 100 media outlets covered it when it opened, and when we launched the Lovelock Art project [where some 50 artists decorated and attached padlocks] even more media covered the bridge. There were lots of positive articles, which I think helped stimulate further positive articles.

Blow for Hostages (Photo: Jeremy Coleman)[Missing Credit]

What for you, were the highlights of the Blow for the Hostages campaign?

While we had hundreds of people at the flagship event outside St John’s Wood Synagogue, there were thousands of people around the world, from LA to Jerusalem, also blowing shofars. Apparently, people paused weddings, church services and football matches to join in. The idea of it was to both show solidarity and amplify the message of the hostages.

It was also very good for community cohesion, as rabbis from many different denominations were on stage together, blowing shofars. It didn’t matter what strand of the community you were from. For this cause, it was impossible not to stand shoulder to shoulder.

Can you tell us about your current project, the sculpture in honour of the hostages at JW3?

I felt that Lovelock Bridge had been such a strong feature in the community for a number of years, and the memory of the hostages that we had lost was very important to cherish, and the courage of the surviving hostages was very important to celebrate. So, I wanted to create a permanent tribute to them with the thousands of padlocks that people had placed to show love and solidarity. I imagined a tower of padlocks, so I commissioned one of the Lovelock artists, Sandra Shashou, as that is the nature of the art she creates.

How would you say your branding background has influenced your work with Jewish charities?

When I got involved in the Jewish charity world, I always aimed to run events which would spit in the face of convention.

On one occasion, I publicised an event where famous people would be talking about their favourite ads of all time. To encourage people to come, I sent a teaser out which looked like a Kit Kat wrapper, but with the words: “If you enjoy a break, keep February 27 free.”

Working with charities showed me that there are many individuals who are much greater community heroes than I could ever be. The amount of work and sweat that goes into charity work on an ongoing basis is phenomenal.

Where did your interest in other tribes come from and how has it influenced the relationship you have with your own tribe?

A lot of it is driven by my passion for photography, and I really enjoy travel and experiencing contrasting cultures. When I visit a tribe, I am often allocated my own hut; I have sat around fires witnessing tribal dancing and trekked through mountains while tribal wars have been happening.

I think it can be exceptionally healthy to stand in the sandals or on the sand of others to get a worthwhile insight into one’s own tribe.

I studied theology at university and went to yeshiva in the holidays, yet I’m an atheist. However, I celebrate the intrinsic values of our own tribe and their manifestations through humour, music, charity, family and education.

Ultimately, I believe in good principles and celebrate the richness of cultural practices around the globe.