London Marathon preview: Part II
With this year’s London Marathon now just days away, Jewish News reports on some of the community’s athletes who will be running to raise money for Jewish charities.
Emunah will have two runners competing for them on Sunday, trainee accountant William Wolfson, 27, from Harrow-on-the Hill and finance manager Jonathan Fenster, 53, from South Harrow. Representing a charity which supports disadvantaged children in Israel, they will also benefit from funds raised by great grandmother Flora Frank, 70, who will also be running under the Norwood banner.
William said: “I’ve been doing between 10 to 13 miles at weekends and going to the gym in the week, but that stopped because I was busy with exams. My great aunt is Lilian Brodie who is very involved with Emunah, so I know about the charity.” The Hendon Reform Synagogue member has so far raised £1,150 of his £1,500 target. Sponsor him at: http//www.justgiving.com/WilliamWolfson
Jonathan will be running his second London Marathon, having completed the course in 4.32 in 2009. He said: “I ran the first time because of a friend and said never again, but I got my arm twisted. My training is going very well and I’ve recently done long runs, 19 miles and 17 miles. All being well, I should be fit and ready for the day.” The Hatch End Masorti shul member is hoping to raise £2,500 for Emunah “because of the good work they carry out.” http//justgiving.com/Jonathan-Fenster
Emunah Director Deborah Nathan said: “We’re really grateful for their supreme efforts in taking on this personal challenge as well as raising funds for children in need.”
Maccabi GB have two runners competing on their behalf. Debra Silver, 30, from Woodside Park is running specifically for the Maccabi GB Challenge Tour to Israel. She said: “I’ve wanted to do the London Marathon for many years and was lucky enough to get a volunteers place. I’ve chosen to run for Maccabi GB because, having volunteered for them since 2008, I have seen the amazing work they do. And I particularly chose to run for the Challenge Tour as it combines my love for Israel with my passion for working with young people with additional needs.”
Joel Nathan, 45, from Elstree, said: “Maccabi GB is something I am very passionate about and work very closely with them in bringing sport to every aspect of British Jewry. I will also be donating to a couple of other charities, Children with Cancer and the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group” http//www.maccabigb.everydayhero.com/uk/joel
WIZO UK will be represented by IT director Greg Brandon, the 33-year-old has already raised nearly £4,000.
Laurence Inman will be running his fourth London Marathon. He says: “I’ll be supporting two charities which are very close to my family, the Sick Children’s Trust and Scoliosis Association, two small charities which do such great work to support families like us, that don’t get the same profile as some larger charities.” Cheered on by his wife Sarah, children Samuel & Gina, and other family members, you can sponsor him at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LawrenceInmanmarathon
Norwood will have 23 athletes running on their behalf. They include Flora Frank, who is running her 30th Marathon for the charity, and who has already raised around £200k for Norwood. Andrea Fraquelli has done multiple marathons for Norwood, occasionally under three hours and donates to Norwood via her restaurant chain – Metropolitan Restaurants. Every time people order certain dishes, they are donating to Norwood. She once ran four international marathons in one year for the charity
• Send in your times and pictures from the finishing line, no later than Monday morning for inclusion in next week’s paper, to: andrews@thejngroup.com
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
