Tributes after JFS pupil’s sudden death
Teachers and students devastated over unexpected passing of popular teenager and keen sportsman
Jewish students across London have reacted with shock and sadness at the devastating news of the sudden and unexpected death of JFS student Oli Leigh.
The popular pupil attended Yavneh College in Borehamwood until last year, where his brother is studying for his A-levels.
Simon Appleman, Acting Headteacher of JFS said:“The whole JFS community is shocked by the sudden death of Oli Leigh.
“Oli was an extremely outgoing and popular member of our school community and his passing has therefore impacted on students and staff across the entire school.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to Oli’s family.”
Yavneh headteacher Spencer Lewis said: “We are really devastated by the news. Oliver was a pupil here until last year and his brother is in our 6th Form. We will hold some kind of a memorial in the coming days.”
The youngster was known to be a keen sportsman and in 2015 was congratulated by the college for his work volunteering to help at charity event Jewish Child’s Day held at Allianz Rugby Club.
Maccabi GB chief executive, Martin Berliner. paid respects to Oli, saying: “Everyone at Maccabi GB is shocked and saddened by the tragic news of Oliver’s untimely passing. Oliver represented Team Maccabi GB at last year’s Maccabiah Games as a goalkeeper in our Under 16 Futsal Squad. Affectionately called Oli he was a key member of the team and served Maccabi Great Britain with great distinction at the World Games, the highest level of achievement for any amateur Jewish sportsperson.
“Oliver was also a participant on the Streetwise Alan Senitt Community Leadership Programme. Streetwise, a joint initiative between Maccabi GB and the Community Security Trust, work with the Alan Senitt Memorial Trust to deliver a social action community programme.”
“Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Oli’s family.”
Maccabi London Lions also paid tribute, saying they “are very saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our talented Under 16 goalkeeper Oli Leigh. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad and difficult time.
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.
