Tributes to East Ender Millie Finger who dies aged 101: ‘She was like our mother’
Jewish Care staff pay tribute to centenarian who 'endeared herself to everyone' as she passes away shortly after her birthday
Jack Mendel is the former Online Editor at the Jewish News.
A centenarian who introduced television shows on Channel 4 earlier this year to mark 100 years of women getting the right to vote has passed away, weeks after turning 101, writes Jack Mendel,
Millie Finger, born Millie Walvish on 30 March 1917, was a regular at Jewish Care’s Brenner Centre in Stepney – where she rekindled a bond with childhood friend and fellow 100-year-old with Beattie Orwell.
In February, they became familiar voices when they turned into TV presenters introducing shows such as Countdown and Hollyoaks.
“‘She was like our mother.’ That is what many members of the Stepney staff team said to me this morning before we all went to her funeral,” said Jamie Field, Jewish Care’s East London locality manager.
“She really endeared herself to everyone she met but particularly those of us who were lucky enough to spend every day with her.”
Millie was twice widowed, and tragically lost both her only daughter Hilary and only grandson Daniel, who died aged 10.
icture: David Akinsanya
“She didn’t have an easy life, but you wouldn’t know it speaking to her. Everyone genuinely loved her and never had a bad word to say about her,” added Field.
Millie called Jewish Care, and the Brenner Centre, her lifeline, which she described to Jewish News in February as giving her “a reason to live”.
After Millie’s daughter died a few years ago, she was left with only her niece and nephew.
Credit: Blake Ezra
During the eulogy at her funeral at East Ham Jewish Cemetery, her niece Sandra Valentine Boyd spoke of Millie’s fondness for Jewish Care’s staff. She said Millie “regarded you all as her friends”, and “she thought the world of you and loved being with you.
“Millie’s days were spent at the club, gossiping, making plans and putting the world to rights. Her evenings were spent planning her outfits for the following day. She would often call me, saying ‘will the pink sweater go with the grey trousers, or did I wear that a few days ago?’ because, of course, she couldn’t wear the same outfit twice in one week.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
