The Tikva Family Annual Dinner took place on Monday 13th May at the Nobu Hotel, London. The event, attended by 270 guests – which included the Duchess of York and Dame Joan Collins DBE alongside names including Tamara Beckwith and Mark-Francis Vandelli – successfully raised £1.4 million which will go towards ensuring we can continue to support the community which relocated to Bucharest, Romania after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as those left behind in war-torn Odessa.
Guests heard a moving testimonial from Yullia, a 23 year old woman who has been at the Tikva orphanage since the age of 2 after being rescued from a state orphanage in Ukraine. Yullia told her story and how she has directly benefited from Tikva, offering attendees a small glimpse into the impact of their contributions. ‘Tonight I would like to thank you. The Tikva families in Ukraine, Romania and Israel, and also here in London. You are our extended family and our friends who make everything that Tikva does possible.’
Entertainment for the evening included a hilarious skit from the American standup Modi.
Tikva UK’s CEO Karen Bodenstein said, “As the late, great Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks once said: ‘Faith begins in families, hope is born in the home’. This has certainly been a core belief at Tikva since our founding in 1993 and remains through today. For the Tikva children, we are their family. We are their home. We are their hope”.
She continued, “This work matters. This is why Tikva matters. And this is why your support matters’.