The Client

Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School prides itself on providing a warm, stimulating and welcoming environment which gives a secure foundation for all children to become happy, confident and caring individuals to allow them to achieve personal success and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Based in Mill Hill, North London, the school provides primary and nursery education in a modern Orthodox Jewish environment. Its Gala Dinner at Allianz Park, home of the Saracens Rugby Club, is the pinnacle fundraising event in an extensive calendar of fundraising activities organised by staff, parents, friends and families of the school.

The Event

Sound Division has been providing technical AV support over many years for a growing number of events organised by Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School including their first major fundraising dinner in 2017 on the occasion of their 5th anniversary.

At the most recent Gala Dinner, Headteacher Yvonne Baron, delivered a welcome speech before handing over for a Blessing of the Bread (HaMotzi) by Rabbi Rose, of Mill Hill Synagogue, followed by dinner and a range of guest speakers.

Silent Auction winners were announced during dinner by Jeremy King, before introducing the evening’s guest speaker Jaz Ampaw-Farr, whose background as a stand-up comedian and literacy advisor and her commitment to empowering teachers, makes her talks both engaging and resourceful.

Jaz’s talk was followed by a feature showreel highlighting the history and achievements of the school before announcing the evening’s fundraising appeal, introduced by the outgoing Chair of Governors, Adam Dawson.

The new Chair of Governors, Morris Stern, thanked Adam for his services to the school delivering a presentation on behalf of the school’s governing body before announcing his plans and vision for the future. Adam is now Chair of Trustees for Jami, an organisation that has been looking after the mental health of the Jewish community for over three decades.

Lord Levy of Mill Hill, Patron and regular visitor to the school, concluded the evening’s speeches and presentations. Lord Levy is particularly known for his Presidency of Jewish Care and JFS School and fulfils many communal roles. He also served under Tony Blair’s government as a Special Envoy to the Middle East for more than ten years.

Production Services

A Zero88 Juggler lighting desk managed a number of preset lighting scenes, controlling twenty-four Chauvet WELL Fit LED uplighters and four Source Four profile spot lanterns, for illuminating the stage and providing ambient room lighting in the school’s colours.

In addition to the technical project management, planning and provision of on-site engineering services for the duration of the event, Sound Division also provided a simple but eye-catching stage and set finished in matching school colours.