It was with very great sadness that Jean and I, and members of First Lodge received the news of the passing of dear “Lady J” who had been a member of our Lodge for many years. 

 Only a few months ago she had honoured us with her presence at the B’nai B’rith First Lodge of England Centenary Dinner.

I had personally known her and her husband, the late Chief Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits, for over 40 years, mainly through charitable work in the mental health field, in which among so many other areas of her communal work she gave unstintingly of her time and concern. She was an absolute human dynamo with inexhaustible energy, and rarely missed calling members of the community in need of comfort or support.

On one occasion in the early nineties I invited her to speak at a JAMI meeting at St John’s Wood Synagogue; that day she heard that a member of the community had had an operation and was in the Hospital of St. John and St. Elizabeth opposite the shul.  She asked me if I could delay the start of the meeting for just fifteen minutes, which I did, and accompany her to the hospital across the road to visit the patient.  I waited outside the private room.  On our return to the shul hall Lady J apologised for taking the chairman away and we started the meeting.  She would rarely miss writing or calling on people personally, or telephoning members of the community on simchas and particularly at times of stress, sickness or bereavement. 

In January 1981 a rather glorious memorable mental health charity event took place at the Chief Rabbi’s home in St. John’s Wood, which Lady J continually recalled until her passing. We had invited HRH Princess Alexandra, her husband the late Hon. Angus Ogilvy and other dignitaries  to a buffet supper.  During the course of the evening a dessert was served containing jelly, a “very special jelly” the Chief remarked, to which the Princess replied,  “how lovely!”  Lady J who was ensuring that all sixty odd guests were enjoying themselves suggested to the Princess that she might like to take some home.  The evening ended with the arrival of the royal car and as the royal couple walked up the front path to their car, the Princess suddenly turned, scurried back to the house stating, “I’ve forgotten my doggy-bag!”  The following day Lady J sent a package of the special jelly to the Palace.

When the late Chief Rabbi passed away in 1999,   I joined the hundreds of members of the community at the shiva at their home in Hendon.  On the 9th May 2010 the roads around her Hendon home were again closed off for the hundreds who came to pay their last respects to an irreplaceable Lady of our Jewish community.  Her eldest son and one of her sons-in-law joined Chief Rabbi Sacks and others in the Hesped.  Her son mentioned that only a short while ago she had made the last of her regular caring visits to the Rt. Hon.Margaret Thatcher.

A most sincere dedicated patron of so many causes in the community and beyond it. She is survived by her children.  May her dear soul rest in peace.

Prof. Martin Aaron
President – FIRST LODGE OF ENGLAND
Hon. President –  JAMI - THE JEWISH ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL ILLNESS