'She's Just A Girl who Can't Say No' Maureen Lipman lunch raises £50,000

JNF UK LUNCH WITH A LEGEND – MAUREEN LIPMAN

300 people attended the fabulous JNF UK Lunch with a Legend in honour of Maureen Lipman at the glittering ballroom of the Carlton Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge. A tribute film was screened about Maureen’s colourful life, her marriage to the late writer Jack Rosenthal and her career in film and television from the fifties to the present day – and her starring comedy role as Jewish grandmother Beatie in the BT commercials fondly remembered for the ‘Ology’ joke.

Lipman spoke about the changing place of women in society, and her passionate support for the changes that have come since women burnt their bras and increasingly establish their own careers. She also told ribald jokes from her comedic slapstick past, and begged forgiveness for many and various sins including, ‘heating up Panzer fish balls and passing them off as my own, and making kneadlach from a packet. Dayenu!’

Songwriter and Music Producer Geoff Morrow sang especially composed new lyrics, about Maureen to the tune of ‘I’m Just a Girl who Can’t Say No.’ much to Maureen’s amusement.

£50,000 was raised to support a special project in Maureen’s name at Aleh Negev the residential centre for severely disabled children and young adults in the Negev. The project to be built is a much needed 4-bed Intensive Care Unit.

‘It was thrilling to welcome such a distinguished guest of honour,’ said organiser for JNF UK Avril Fleishman, ‘And a pleasure to pay tribute to someone who has done so much work for Israel and for the wider Jewish Community. Watching people roar with laughter at her jokes made it such a fun occasion and it is great that so many people turned out to support Israel.’