Bahama Times

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

King Charles visited a Jewish community centre and charity and dance, ahead of Chanukah celebrations

On Friday His Majesty King Charles III visited a Jewish community centre and charity ahead of Chanukah celebrations set to kick off this weekend.
Upon his arrival at JW3, a Jewish community centre that is open to all faiths and acts as a hub for the arts, culture, social action and learning in North London, the King shook hands with Representative Deputy Lieutenant for Camden, Ms Roxane Zand, who then introduced JW3 ​trustees including founder and Life President, Dame Vivian Duffield, the centre’s Chair Marc Nohr, and its Chief Executive Officer Raymond Simonson.

He then lent over the entrance bridge to wave at children playing on the centre’s ice rink on the ground floor, to which he was greeted with cheers and waves.

His Majesty was guided around the bustling premises by JW3 chief executive Ray Simonson, first stopping to speak with students from local independent school South Hampstead High School, as they wrapped gifts about to be donated by JW3 volunteers within the surrounding community for Chanukah and Christmas celebrations.

He then talked with students taking part in a Hair and Beauty Therapy BTEC class as part of the centre’s Gateways programme, an educational and vocational scheme that supports vulnerable young people at risk.

Mr Simonson said His Majesty had been interested to hear “so many of the people in the building speak about racing their MBE or OBE from his mother Queen Elizabeth I,” and said the visit “felt quite personal”.

He also said that he had a “really interesting conversation about their food bank work which is inspired by Jewish values.”

In the JW3 kitchen, The King met with volunteers as they baked gingerbread cookies to be included in the meals the centre’s food bank programme that has delivered the equivalent of 275,000 meals across Camden since it was set up in 2020.

One young volunteer, Sufinat, dropped to her knees in tears at the sight of the monarch.

The centre currently provides around 200 bags of essentials a week and over 2,200 meals for local residents in need, with figures often being higher around holidays such as Chanukah and Christmas.

His Majesty aided the effort by dropping off his own food donations during the visit.

The King then joined an energetic pre-Chanukah reception being hosted for 25 Holocaust survivors, even joining them and their carers in a dance as a gleeful rendition of Oseh Shalom played on in the background.

Dame Vivien Duffield then gifted the King a Chanukiah as he unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the visit.

Before his departure, he spoke with volunteers for "The Bike Project:" an initiative that collects second-hand bike donations to be refurbished and then donated to refugees and asylum seekers.

Founded by Dame Vivien Duffield DBE, JW3 opened in October 2013 as a cross-communal public venue for Jewish arts, culture, learning and community in the country - open to all, regardless of race, religion, belief, gender, sexuality, ability or age.

Its programmes include adult education, language classes, theatre and musical performances, youth activities, film, family events and social impact schemes.

The Community Security Trust (CST) also said it was "honoured to host" His Majesty at its North London headquarters earlier in the day.

CST is a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats.

The King was welcomed by the charity's Chairman Gerald Ronson CBE and Deputy Chairman, Sir Lloyd Dorfman CBE, before then meeting with a group of volunteers, staff and trustees.

The King then viewed a self-defence training session, visited CST’s 24/7 security control centre; and was briefed on its activities which include support for the antisemitism victims and anti-terrorism research.

Sir Lloyd Dorfman CVO CBE said it “was a privilege to host The King” and discuss “what it takes to protect British Jews, while CST Chief Executive Mark Gardner said His Majesty was “warm, engaging,” and that the visit meant a lot,” to its volunteers, staff and trustees.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Bahama Times
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×