The ORT UK Annual Dinner took place on 23rd October at a central London hotel, with over 200 guests in attendance, raising over £500,000 for the Israel Emergency Campaign.

Due to the horrifying terrorist attack on 7th October,  the focus of the event was on the situation in Israel and raising funds to provide psychological and educational support for our ORT students, staff and families in Israel, as well as increased security at our schools.

Broadcaster and friend of ORT UK, Nick Ferrari, gave the opening address, expressing his solidarity with the Jewish community and his gratitude to ORT UK for taking him on a life-changing trip to Israel in 2019, where he visited ORT’s Kfar Silver Youth Village near the Gaza border.

A video message from the director of the youth village, Amos Gofer, was shown, in which he described their terrifying evacuation on 7th October. He also gave an update on his students and staff, many of whom usually live on site or in the nearby Kibbutz villages, but are now displaced and deeply affected by the attack and the ongoing war, having lost loved ones with many more still missing.

Daniel Burger, CEO of Magen David Adom UK, spoke about the incredible bravery of the volunteers in Israel, which our very own ORT JUMP Employability Skills Challenge students learned about when they visited Kfar Silver in July. We heard from the ORT JUMP participants themselves about their experience at the youth village, working in collaboration with MDA UK to create a mental health app for paramedics.

The powerful new ORT UK film was shown, highlighting the ORT JUMP programme in Israel before it merged into scenes from October 7th and the devastation left behind.

The evening was also an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of long-standing trustee Ros Wagman, who has been a loyal friend and supporter of ORT UK for three decades.

Finally, the evening concluded with Jewish music from Jeremy Sassoon and MOJO.

ORT UK CEO, Dan Rickman, said “The evening’s success was bittersweet, as the room was packed with our loyal supporters but we were united in both our solidarity with Israel and our heartbreak for the current situation. Thanks to the generosity of the community, we can start offering the psychological and educational support our students and staff need to process their trauma and rebuild their lives.”

To donate to the Israel Emergency Campaign, please visit:

ORT’S EMERGENCY ISRAEL CAMPAIGN | ORT UK