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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 an
d 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 Chab
ad 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 
school 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. 
Rabbi 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 so
mething 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
