'A golden heart'

By Justin Cohen - Thursday 27th March 2008


An Orthodox philanthropist who has helped thousands of people in Britain and abroad was remembered this week as ‘one of the greatest contributors to charity on the planet’ as the community mourned his untimely death in a car crash.

Businessman Benzion Dunner, 45, was driving to Bournemouth on Saturday night when his car collided with another vehicle. It has been reported that he suffered a heart attack after the collision.

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The following day, in a striking sign of the high regard in which the father-of-nine was held, thousands gathered outside his Golders Green home to pay their final respects before he was laid to rest at Enfield cemetery. The Bobover and Skverer Rebbes, whose communities were supported by the businessman, who flew to London especially for the funeral.

Benzion, the son of former Barnet Councillor Aba Dunner and brother of Saatchi Synagogue founding Rabbi Pini Dunner, played a pivotal role in the community in his own right by supporting countless schools, hospitals and old age homes in this country as well as in Israel and America.

The selfless philanthropist was also known for welcoming individuals seeking support to his home on a daily basis, helping people cover the cost of medical treatment, education or everyday essentials. In just one example of his kindness, recalled at Sunday’s funeral, he provided the full sum needed by an individual who came from Jerusalem to try to raise funds to avert the threat of eviction from his home.

Chanoch Kesselman, Executive Coordinator of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, described Benzion as a “great man” with “a golden heart” who always had a smile on his face. He told TJ: “Without exaggeration, he was one of the greatest contributors on the planet today. He was very warm, approachable, didn’t stand on ceremony. He was not an acquaintance of anyone, he was their friend.” He said he welcomed people seeking support to his home on a daily basis, never asking questions about their affiliations. “No-one was turned away”, he added: “If people were in need , he gave with an open hand. Very often people mentioned a certain sum and he gave more.”

Saying he and his wife Elaine “are truly heartbroken”, Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks said: “Benzion Dunner was an outstanding exemplar of Jewish values and Jewish responsibility. He was a person of exceptional chesed, much of whose work was done quietly behind the scenes and was all the more impressive for that. Our hearts go out to the members of his family, whose grief we share. His memory will endure as a source of blessing and inspiration.”

Causes he backed include the Woodstock Sinclair Trust, which distributes food packages to hundreds of families, while his communal activities also included involvement with a number of local schools. He served on the board of governors at Beis Yaakov Primary School and Torah Temimah Primary School.

But he never sought the limelight or publicity for his good deeds. Benzion’s brother-in-law Alexander le Blanc said he would always prefer to remain anonymous when he paid for space in charity brochures while he would also sometimes work behind the scenes to help people into work. “They would never find out he helped. He wanted to do it in a way that person would keep their dignity.” And the personal touch he showed with the wider community was also reflected at home. Alexander said: “If one of his children came home and he could see they knew the content of a lesson well, he sent a text to the teacher to express his appreciation.”




















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