A diverse array of local heroes were honoured at the fifth Leeds Jewish Community Pride Awards, in aid of Leeds Jewish Welfare Board.

The Richard Goldberg male lifetime achievement award at the Etz Chaim ceremony went to Victor Zermansky, a stalwart of the local legal and Jewish community, as well as a keen Zionist and charity supporter.

Leeds Jewish Representative Council president, Hilton Lorie, described him as “one of the real characters of Leeds Jewry”. As rep council president in the 1970s, Mr Zermansky created the post of student liaison officer — the forerunner of chaplaincy.

The female award went to Fraya Apfel, who LJWB president Edward Ziff referred to as “a tower of strength to the entire Jewish community and an unsung hero”, working for the welfare board and chevrah kadisha among many organisations.

United Hebrew Congregation members and keen scouters, Pam and Philip Glynn, took the “Mr and Mrs” prize. “Without them, several parts of this community would not work as well as they do,” Mr Ziff said.

Mr Glynn told the 250 guests that “behind every great woman there is a downtrodden man. I can only assume that I am here because of some of the reflected glory from Pam’s 56 years of communal work.”

The event was compèred by Lucy Manning from ITV News, who said that “all the recipients and nominees should be enormously proud. Tonight certainly makes me proud to still be a member of the Leeds Jewish community.”

The event raised £14,000 for the Welfare Board.