League One football club Leyton Orient became the first to ever partner with a Jewish supporters’ organisation, as it linked up with the MeshuganOs for the team’s home match against Bristol Rovers in early December.

The MeshuganOs was set up by Leyton Orient die-hards Eddie Gershon, Jonathan Glass, Daniel Gold and Steven Phillips – a play on the Yiddish slang Meshugana and Leyton Orient’s nickname, the O’s.

As part of the partnership, the club distributed 100 free tickets to local Jewish schools, communal groups and charities.

Four leading communal figures attended the game – Lord John Mann (the Government’s independent adviser on antisemitism), Michael Wegier (CEO of the Board of Deputies of British Jews), Jonathan Prevezer (chair of Maccabi GB) and Michael Ziff (co-chair of the London Jewish Forum). Leyton Orient has always had a strong Jewish following.

MeshuganOs joint founder Eddie told the Essex Jewish News: “If you ask football fans which club is most associated with its Jewish supporters, the answer will likely be Spurs.

“While it is true that Spurs has always been the favoured club for a large number of Jewish fans, it would be fair to say that Leyton Orient runs it pretty close.

“As a percentage of its overall support, the O’s might well be one of the, if not the, best-supported club amongst the Jewish community in England.”

Orient’s association with the Jewish community goes back decades.

As Eddie explains: “When they were Clapton Orient and played at Millfields, large swathes of the Jewish community resided in Hackney, Stamford Hill and Stoke Newington as well as the East End.

“These locations were a couple of miles – in the case of Hackney, Stamford Hill and Stoke Newington – away from the ground, with the East End fewer than four miles away.

“As a result, the O’s were the local club for tens of thousands of Jewish people and many of them chose to support the team.

“That support passed on through the families and it is fair to say that the movement of the Jewish community in the 1950s onwards to areas including Gants Hill, Redbridge, Barkingside and Newbury Park only buoyed that support.”

Jewish footballers Mark Lazarus, Bobby Fisher, Scott Kashket, Barry Silkman and Dave Metchick played a combined 600+ games for Orient and two of the club’s most high-profile chairmen, Harry Zussman and Brian Winston, were also Jewish.

Eddie concludes: “We are proud to be Orient fans and proud of our club for partnering the game with us and showing such a commitment to its Jewish supporters.”

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Clore Tikva School marked its 25th anniversary with a spectacular charity golf day at the prestigious Chigwell Golf Club.

The event brought together parents, grandparents, and supporters for a day of fun and fundraising, with all proceeds dedicated to enhancing educational delivery at the school.

It was made even more special by the presence of former England footballer and local hero, Teddy Sheringham.

The charity golf day was organised as part of a series of celebrations recognising Clore Tikva’s 25 years of educational excellence and community service.

With the support of the local community and generous sponsors, the event successfully raised £4,000 to help the school continue providing top-quality education to its students.

Ashley Sinclair, a parent at Clore Tikva and one of the event’s key organisers, expressed her delight at the success of the day. She said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated and supported the event. The funds raised will make a real difference in enhancing our children’s learning experiences. It’s heartwarming to see our community come together in such a meaningful way, and having Teddy Sheringham here was the icing on the cake.”

Louise Dorling, Chair of Governors at Clore Tikva School, also shared her thoughts on the occasion, adding: “This golf day was not just a celebration of our 25th anniversary but a testament to the strong, supportive community that surrounds our school. The funds raised will go directly towards improving the educational resources and opportunities we offer, ensuring that our students continue to thrive. We are deeply thankful to all who contributed and to Teddy Sheringham for his generous support.”

The Clore Tikva School community looks forward to continuing its 25th-anniversary celebrations with more events planned throughout the year – underscoring the school’s commitment to excellence in education and its dedication to fostering a nurturing environment where every child can succeed.

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The tournament was played on championship rinks with Steve’s team of four winning seven games, out of seven, to make the final.

The team then lost in a close fought contest to the winners Oyster Bowls Club of Whitstable.

Other Chabad members playing in the tournament including Malcolm Rothstein and Ellard Swillman.

Malcolm, who is Competitions Secretary for Buckhurst Hill, said: “It was a great week away with 55 of us from the club, including many Jewish members.

“Meeting and playing against teams from all around the country was very special.

“If anyone wants to try bowls this coming summer is welcome to get in touch via our website – www.bhbltc.co.uk“

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The 25-year-old who grew up in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, but now lives in Hampstead, will be scaling Snowdon in Wales with her friend, Jenny Harrold for charity. The pair are hoping to raise at least £2,740 for Brain Tumour Research, the amount needed to sponsor a day of research into a cure at one of the four Centres of Excellence located at universities around the country.

Liorah was inspired to climb the 1,085m-high mountain by her father’s love of nature and walking and Michael had even talked about relocating to Llandudno, which is close to Snowdon, before he became ill. Michael was diagnosed with aggressive glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumour in the summer of 2021 after he started forgetting words and his mouth began to droop. Despite undergoing surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, he died seven months later at the age of 68.

According to statistics from Brain Tumour Research, 16,000 people a year are diagnosed with a brain tumour in the UK and just 12 per cent of those survive beyond five years, compared with an average of 54 per cent across all cancers.

Losing her father was very difficult for Liorah as they were extremely close. Michael single-handedly raised her after her mother left when she was one and according to Liorah, they did  ‘absolutely everything together. The love we had for each other was unmatched.’

She added: “My dad was such a healthy man, but it still happened to him. I would love to help the charity find a cure.”

To donate to Liorah and Jenny’s fundraising target for their climb on July 29, visit: www.justgiving.com/page/liorah-and-jenny-snowdon-trek-2023.

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All money raised will go towards supporting Jewish Care projects in the Essex area such as Meals on Wheels. As well as having the opportunity to exercise their football knowledge, guests will also have the chance to win some ‘premiere league’ raffle prizes including signed football shirts.

For those wanting to still buy tickets before the final whistle, contact Ellie via echeyette@jcare.org or on 0208 922 2813.

May the best team win…

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