JDA raises £20,000 at Valentine's Day Quiz 14 February 2010

More than 150 people put their brains to the test last weekend to raise funds for the country’s only specialist charity for the Jewish deaf community.

Hampstead Garden Suburbs’ Norrice Lea Synagogue played host on Sunday to the Valentine’s Day supper quiz run by Barnet based Jewish Deaf Association.

And romance was definitely in the air with questions including identifying famous couples, naming films from romantic scenes and courting throughout history.

The event, the fifteenth annual fundraiser the charity has organised, raised in excess of £20,000 making it among the most successful to date.

The funds will help to ensure that when hospitalised or in need of medical assistance, members are provided with an interpreter where no other organisation will coordinate or pay for them. Without this help deaf patients can feel lonely, isolated and immensely vulnerable at an already worrying time.

Executive Director Sue Cipin said: “We are so grateful for the support shown to us through this event; both by the volunteer committee who organised it and of course everyone who responded to our appeal.

“Every penny of the money raised will go towards one of the most important and intensive elements of our work. Without the support workers on tap for our members when they are in hospital or in need of a medical professional they can often be left completely unable to understand or be understood by the very people who have their lives in their hands.  With the support workers we are eradicating the isolation that no human being – deaf or otherwise – deserves.”

And in addition to all of this work, the JDA offers an enormous variety of practical and emotional support to deaf people of all ages, from day centres to a dedicated library, a specialist technology and information centre and a programme for parents of deaf children, plus much more.

But with a community fun run and fundraising theatre experience in the pipeline, Ms Cipin is aware that they simply cannot afford to become complacent about their finances.

She added: “As our members get older the demand on this part of our work increases and we are completely reliant on the generosity of our supporters; without it we simply would cease to exist.  However much we raised at this event there is always more that needs to be done to secure our financial future further.”

For more information please contact Sue Cipin, Executive Director at JDA on 020 8446 0502.

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