After being "profoundly moved" by a talk by a survivor, property developer Nick Leslau hosted a record-breaking Holocaust Survivors Centre dinner with his family.
Mr Leslau came into contact with the HSC last year last year when Auschwitz survivor Renee Salt spoke emotionally about her experiences to the squad of Saracens rugby club, of which he is a director.
In his opening remarks to the 350 dinner guests at London's Grosvenor House, Mr Leslau said: "Tonight is a celebration. A celebration of life, of survival and of mankind's indomitable spirit as manifested through the lives of those precious individuals who are with us 70 years after the liberation of the death camps." The significance of the centre was "way greater than its size".
The evening, which raised £500,000, was compered by Tania Bryer, whose aunt survived camps and a death march.
Film and TV director Paul Weiland made the appeal film, which focuses on the experiences of four of the centre's members.
Tonight is a celebration of mankind's indomitable spirit
He was so inspired by the HSC's work that he is is planning to launch a viral fundraising campaign for the centre. "Spending time with the survivors was a privilege I will never forget," he said afterwards.
Centre manager Aviva Trup said it had been "a really special evening for our 35 members who attended and were thoroughly engaged. And, importantly, it raised vital funds needed to ensure we can keep our doors open and continue to provide much needed support to 600 of the estimated 3,000 remaining survivors in the UK."
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