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540 People Attend Chabad Lubavitch's 'ONE' Dinner

Dinner 1.jpg(VIDEOS PICS)
540 guests attended the 'ONE' Dinner on Monday evening
in a triumphant display of support for Chabad Lubavitch UK. The Lancaster London Hotel was the stylish setting for a wonderful evening full of inspiration and entertainment.

The theme of the evening was 'ONE' alluding to Chabad's core principle of caring for and providing for every Jew regardless of background or philosophy or level of commitment.

Dinner Chair Lana Saffrin Betesh warmly welcomed guests to the event. She talked about the importance of what Chabad does and what it means to the community. She said, 'We all feel very fortunate, grateful and proud to have such support and dedication from a group of individuals who go out of their way to remind us that someone will always be there with us on our good days anDinner bentzi.jpgd to help us through our most challenging times.'

Rabbi Bentzi Sudak spoke movingly about the journey Chabad Lubavitch UK has been on in recent times, about the incredible challenges and achievements and the dedicated people who have supported the vision. He talked about the vast variety of projects and commitments that Chabad is dedicated to. Looking forward he said, 'With these latest positive developments we can now focus on building an even stronger organisation, bringing the wealth that Chabad has to offer to every Jew in the UK'.

The special guest speaker was blind lawyer, activist, lecturer and athlete Richard H Bernstein. He talked about some of the immense challenges that he has faced during his life and how ChabDinner 4 people.jpgad Lubavitch has unequivocally been there for him. Having been born blind, Richard was determined not to let circumstance get in the way of achieving his goals. He has fought tirelessly for the rights of people with disabilities and has won landmark court rulings which have improved the way disabled people live their lives. Aside from his work as a lawyer and university lecturer, he has also found the time to run 17 marathons and complete an Iron Man Triathalon. He is a living inspiration.

Guests of Honour were Gerald M Ronson CBE and Dame Gail Ronson. Forty years ago they helped establish the first purpose-built Lubavitch school in Stamford Hill. Today, the alumni of this Dinner rich.jpgschool are doing vital work within and across the community and offering their well-known unconditional support to anyone who needs it. A presentation was made to Gerald and Dame Gail by long time friend of Chabad Lubavitch, Harvey Rosenblatt. Gerald Ronson  then spoke and thanked Chabad for the honour before explaining how his relationship with Chabad began.

A special award was also presented to Rabbi Shlomo Levin for his dedication and commitment to Chabad Lubavitch. Guests enjoyed a gourmet 3-course meal catered by Jason Millan. Later in the evening the immensely talented Brit Award nominated artist Alex Clare made a special appearance and performed a selection of Jewish songs. Dinner gerald.jpgRabbi Pesach Efune brought the evening to a close with a round of thanks.

Lana Saffrin Betesh, Dinner Chair said, 'The outstanding work that Chabad do for all Jews no matter whether they are religious or not, deserves recognition and our community's appreciation. I have experienced their unrivaled dedication first hand when unfortunately my husband, Matthew suddenly passed away ten years ago leaving me and our two sons of three years and 9 months and all our family distraught. At the time, I had little connection with Chabad yet Rabbi Leivi Sudak, together with Rabbis Shlomo and Baruch Levin were overwhelmingly supportive to all of us. I wanted sogroup with rich.jpgmething positive to come out of this tragedy and to thank them for being there for us unconditionally. It has been both humbling and an honour to be their dinner chair'.

To see photos from the event click on our Facebook Dinner Album

To make a donation please visit www.chabad.org.uk/donate

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Richard H Bernstein to speak at Chabad Lubavitch Dinner

bernstein2a.jpgRichard H Bernstein will be the guest speaker at the Chabad Lubavitch 'ONE' dinner taking place later this month. 

Richard is a lawyer in a Detroit firm, a lecturer at the University of Michigan, an ardent athlete, and a pro-bono advocate for disabled rights.

Born blind, Richard chose to find meaning in his disability and dedicated his life’s work to rights for the disabled. In one well-publicised case, he challenged the city of Detroit, Michigan, to install wheelchair lifts in public buses - and won.  Another landmark case he won was against the University of Michigan, requiring their stadium to accommodate the needs for disabled seating, restrooms, concessions and parking.

In his tireless work for disabled rights, Richard has also won breakthrough cases against The International Triathlon Union, American Bar Association, Northwest Airlines, Oakland County Road Commission, and the City of New York and New York City Department of Transportation.

bernstein.jpgIn his spare time, Richard is an avid runner and has completed 17 marathons. In 2008, he completed the grueling Ironman Triathlon at the age of 34. The Ironman includes a 112 mile bike ride, 26.2 mile marathon and 2.4 mile swim, without a break. He finished the Ironman in 14 hours and 36 minutes.

Richard has won many awards for his legal advocacy and community work. On April 12, 2013, Richard was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Chabad Lubavitch 'ONE' Dinner takes place on Monday 20th May. At the dinner Chabad Lubavitch UK will be honouring Gerald Ronson CBE and Dame Gail Ronson. Forty years ago, they planted the seeds by helping establish the first purpose-built Lubavitch school in Stamford Hill. There will also be a special guest appearance by Brit Award nominated artist Alex Clare.

For more information please visit www.theonedinner.com




 

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