Thousands raised by rabbi for family of murdered Mill Hill shopkeeper
Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet urges the community to “demonstrate compassion” after Vijay Patel was brutally killed on Saturday
A Mill Hill rabbi has launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise money for the family of shopkeeper Vijay Patel, who died after being attacked on Saturday.
Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet (pictured below) from Mill Hill United Synagogue set up the Just Giving site this week, urging Jewish community members to “demonstrate compassion”
and help support Patel’s family.
Patel, 49, was knocked to the ground outside the Rota Express in Mill Hill last Saturday, after refusing to sell tobacco products to a boy who could not produce ID. He died from his injuries on Monday.
A 16-year-old boy from Brent appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with his murder.
Dozens of Jewish families have donated towards the fund, which by yesterday afternoon had raised more than £16,000 for the family – the target had been £1,000.
“As the Mill Hill Jewish community, it is appropriate that we demonstrate compassion for something so tragic that happened in our immediate neighbourhood,” said Schochet.
- To donate to the crowdfunding appeal, visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/yitzchak-schochet
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.