More than 1,000 guests, including industry leaders, gathered on Tuesday 3 February in support of Jewish Care’s Topland Group Business Lunch at the Grosvenor House, raising a record-breaking £500,000. The funds raised will help support the charity’s vital services, which touch the lives of 12,000 people each week and are a lifeline to the Jewish community. Jewish Care’s 38th Business Lunch is now in its 17th year of partnership with the Topland Group.
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. After graduating with a degree in Law at Trinity College, Cambridge, he started working for Next plc in 1991 as a sales assistant and joined the Board in 1997. In 1999 he was made Managing Director and was appointed Chief Executive in August 2001. Lord Wolfson was created a peer in 2010.
Jewish Care President Steven Lewis MBE appealed to guests to give generously at a challenging time. He explained,
“Our services are wide-ranging: care homes and retirement living, Meals on Wheels, community centres, dementia support, Holocaust survivor services, a helpline, support groups, mental health services, and so much more. Each plays a vital role in supporting the wellbeing of those who turn to us.
“This year has been especially difficult for our community after the terrible incidents we witnessed in both Manchester and Sydney. For Holocaust survivors particularly, it has been heart-breaking for them to witness a resurgence of antisemitism, which they had previously believed they would never see again. Many have told us that Jewish Care has become their safe haven – a place where they feel protected, supported, and proud of who they are.
“In response to the increasing mental health challenges in our community, we were proud to welcome Jami into the Jewish Care family almost two years ago. Jami provides life-changing support to children over the age of 11, young people, and adults experiencing mental health difficulties, and we are committed to strengthening and growing these services.
“The demand for our services is rising. Our population is ageing. Mental health needs, especially among younger people, are increasing. And pressures on the NHS continue to grow. We are seeing greater need for end-of-life care as well.
“On top of this, the recent increase in employer National Insurance contributions has added a further £1.1 million cost to our wage bill – an immense pressure for a charity like ours.
“To meet the needs of all who rely on us, Jewish Care must raise nearly £20 million this year. Much of what we provide receives no government funding at all and so we depend on the generosity of people like you.”
Guests saw a short film, telling the story of families like Marilyn and Ivor – just two examples of the thousands of people the charity supports every week.
Steven continued, “Jewish Care provides help and support to many families living with dementia through its expert dementia care, which provides safe and stimulating environments, tailored programmes, and vital support for families, ensuring dignity and quality of life at every stage. Your generosity today will help us continue this essential work for the people who need us most.”
David Pollock, Chairman of Jewish Care’s Topland Group Business Lunch Committee, said, “I would like to thank our special guest speakers, The Lord Wolfson and James Harding. We are incredibly privileged to have them with us. I also thank all the members of the committee for their support and hard work in making this event happen, as well as the Topland Group, Sol and Eddie Zakay and Mark Kingston, for their generous sponsorship of our lunch, and all of our valued sponsors. We are truly grateful for their support, which goes above and beyond.”
Each year, an award is given in memory of Philip Greenwold to an outstanding individual or group who has made a significant contribution to others. Jewish Care’s Topland Group Business Lunch Committee members Jo Barnett and Peter Shasha presented the award and congratulated Hannah Lewis MBE – this year’s inspirational award winner, Holocaust survivor, educator, and longstanding supporter of Jewish Care.
A driving force behind Jewish Care’s Woman of Distinction Committee, Hannah founded the original Woman of Distinction fundraising lunch for the Jewish Blind Society (now part of Jewish Care), which has since become a key event in the organisation’s calendar, celebrating its 40th lunch this year. Hannah has supported major philanthropic initiatives for many years and was awarded an MBE for her exceptional contribution to Holocaust education in 2018. She has served on the boards of both the Holocaust Educational Trust and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, shaping national remembrance and education.
In 1943, when the Germans began rounding up the Jews of Włodawa for deportation to Sobibór Extermination Camp and to other labour camps, Hannah and her family were seized and forcibly marched to Adampol – a slave labour subcamp of Sobibor, a few miles away from her hometown. Over the following months, most of her relatives were deported and did not survive. Her father and his cousin managed to escape and join the partisans, leaving Hannah and her mother alone in the camp. Hannah’s mother was taken and shot, which Hannah witnessed. Hannah alone, ill and starving survived until she was liberated by a Soviet soldier who found her in a trench.
After the war, her father miraculously located her, and the two lived briefly in Łódź. In 1949, at the age of 10 and unable to speak English, Hannah was brought to Britain by Basil Feldman (later Lord Feldman) to live with relatives in London. Her father later emigrated to Israel in 1953. Hannah married in 1961 and built a loving family with four children and eight grandchildren.
Despite all she endured, Hannah chose a life of purpose, compassion, and service – and committed to giving back.
For more than 30 years, Hannah has travelled the UK with Holocaust Educational Trust, sharing her testimony with thousands of students and adults. She has spoken in schools, public institutions and on national television, ensuring the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten.
Hannah also chaired the Lord Mayor’s Appeal in 1988/99, raising over £5 million to create a leukaemia centre at Hammersmith Hospital. She also founded the celebrated “Who’s Cooking Dinner?” fundraising initiative for the Leukaemia Fund, which has raised more than £7 million.
Hannah’s response to winning the award was very humble, saying, “Thank you for this award. I’m not sure that I deserve it, but it is very kind of you and much appreciated.”
Ellisa Estrin, Jewish Care’s Director of Fundraising & Marketing, said, “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 can we make this difference.”