A speech by The Duke of Cambridge at Jewish Care's 25th Anniversary Dinner
Published
Your commitment and loyalty to one another, and to society more widely, is ultimately what keeps you strong.
Thank you, Lord Levy, for your kind introduction and, Lionel, for giving your time to entertain us. I imagine the crowd here will be rowdier that what you'll have at Glastonbury.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me to join you this evening for your birthday celebrations. Nearly two hundred years ago, in 1819, there were two quite monumental births. The first was monumental for my family – the birth of my great, great, great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria, who went on to live 81 years and whose daughter-in-law, Alexandra, gave her name to this amazing building.
The second remarkable birth was of an organisation, which later became known as the Jewish Blind Society. Over the next two centuries, the world changed considerably. Yet there has always been one constant in the United Kingdom – a Jewish community which has organised itself to support those who need help and support. Whether in the time of the Jewish Board of Guardians, or the Jewish Welfare Board or, in our generation, Jewish Care, there is a proud story to be told of self-reliance and communal responsibility.
This common thread through history – of caring for one another and generosity of time and money – is something that many sectors of British society can be rightly proud of. But you in this room deserve particular praise. The results of your commitment to one another within the Jewish community are obvious – the real and loving care that thousands of elderly and vulnerable people receive, among the many works that you carry out.
Your care for one another has another, less tangible value. During a year when many in the Jewish community have had cause to feel under threat, for no reason other than simply the fact of your Jewishness, your unity is all the more precious. Your commitment and loyalty to one another, and to society more widely, is ultimately what keeps you strong.
I was reminded before I came here tonight that an ancestor of mine, a previous Duke of Cambridge in fact, visited the Great Synagogue in London in 1809 and attended a Sabbath service there with his brothers.
It is a matter of great pride that these bonds in our society run as deep as they run long.
Your care for one another is not just a feeling, but it is – as we are reminded tonight – a material fact. I know that Jewish Care is viewed as a leader in the social care field and uses its knowledge, expertise and experience to engage in the debate on high quality care, especially in relation to dementia.
Your Holocaust Survivors Centre is a second home for many people who were liberated 70 years ago from those evil places.
All of you in this room, in some way, play your part in making all this happen through this outstanding organisation. Through your generosity and commitment, I am sure Jewish Care will continue to thrive and grow for the next 25 years.
Once again, congratulations on everything you have achieved. I wish you a wonderful evening and a happy birthday.
Mazel tov.
Related content
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Scotland
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Visited the Foundling Museum
A speech by The Duke of Cambridge the Centrepoint 50th Anniversary Gala
It might seem an odd thing to say at a milestone event such as this, but I hope that Centrepoint will not need to be around in another 50 years.
The Duke of Cambridge marks 50 years of Centrepoint
The King's Cup
The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales
A speech by The Duke of Cambridge at the launch of the Centrepoint Awards
The impact of homelesseness is not temporary.
Investitures
A speech by The Duke of Cambridge at the Donald Dewar Leisure Centre, Glasgow
Glasgow is a city with a great buzz and enormous optimism.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to visit Copenhagen to view Emergency Distribution effort for East Africa
The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry to play in the Sentebale Polo Cup
A speech by Prince William at Trearddur Bay lifeboat station, Anglesey
God speed you in your dangerous, gallant work.
An article by Prince William for the Street News Service
But the effect of homelessness is the same for everyone: a crushing sense of hopelessness and despair.
A speech by Prince William at the 100 Women in Hedge Funds Gala Event
A fire alarm had thrown us together. Either that or Fate.
A speech by Prince William at the exhibition A Positive View 2010, Somerset House, London
Just a few yards from this magnificent auction house, there will be people preparing for a night on the streets.
A speech by Prince William to mark 40 years of the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint
It is for them that Centrepoint represents the difference between misery and dejection and a sense of hope and renewed self confidence.
A speech by Prince William at the launch of Centrepoint's 40th anniversary year
Our visits with our mother ignited a deep and growing interest for the great work the charity does for the homeless.