Patrons Wine Dinner

This unique evening which was attended by 40 Patrons was kindly hosted by Annette & Simon Dalah in their beautiful home in NW London. The guests enjoyed delicious food, prepared by US Three Catering, and sampled a variety of excellent wines, supplied by Fine and Rare. A special thanks must go to the sponsors of the evening, IBI Investment House, Beit Halochem UK’s latest corporate partner.

As the Beit Halochem Chairman, Andrew Wolfson, mentioned in his speech, we decided to stretch ourselves this year and made a commitment to Israel to raise the additional money needed to ensure that the Beit Halochem members who are registered for an educational scholarship are able to participant in the 2023 programme. The incredible generosity of those who attended helped us to raise £160,000, funds needed to sponsor 88 veterans, which in turn will make a tangible difference to their lives. One such veteran who has benefited directly from the Educational Scholarship scheme was the guest of honour and Beit Halochem member Ran Ben-Atia.

Ran, a career officer and a company commander in the Nahal Infantry Brigade was badly injured during a mission to conquer a specific neighbourhood and destroy an offensive terror tunnel shaft between Gaza and Israel during the 2014 “Protective Edge” campaign. After being shot by a terrorist, Ran was left critically injured when the bullet entered his hand, through his thigh only one centimetre from the major artery, through the stomach and into the centre of the pelvis where it remained. After multiple operations, doctors were finally forced to remove the bullet as it became apparent that this particular bullet was, in fact, explosive.

Ran’s life began to improve when he started going to Beit Halochem. He saw the wounded veterans with their children and grandchildren, active, happy, optimistic, people with meaning in life and it gave him strength and hope to look to the future. He began visiting regularly and soon Beit Halochem became his second home.

However, it wasn’t just physical rehabilitation that Beit Halochem offered him. The organisation also supported his desire to further educate himself by offering him an Academic Scholarship. This opportunity gave him the chance not only to improve his life but also the lives of his family. Ran thanked the Patrons present for supporting this important programme, which helped him to achieve his educational goals by completing both an MA and MBA with honours.