Chief Executive and Trustees

Rebecca Weinberg Chartered Manager FCMI RMA CE JP // Chief Executive

Rebecca Weinberg has been Chief Executive of LJWB since April 2005. Having 28 years experience in the voluntary sector, she has worked specifically for the Jewish Community since 1987.

Rebecca’s career history spans a wide range of social care roles. Initially qualifying as a teacher, Rebecca developed a clear focus on community engagement and the promotion of social justice.

Previous experience includes residential social work with male young offenders in the heart of Salford, Education Welfare Officer for Manchester and Bury Education Committees, Deputy Manager at the Citizens Advice Bureau in inner city Manchester and Student Services Manager at a residential college for young adults with learning difficulties. In 1987 she was recruited by the then Jewish Blind Society (later to become Jewish Care) to develop the Nicky Alliance Day Centre in Manchester.

The Chief Executive reports directly to the Management Board and is responsible for a highly professional staff team of approx 170 people. Her role is to provide effective leadership to the organisation ensuring quality standards and best practice are achieved. Rebecca is joined by a team of senior managers with extensive expertise in social care and business and together they enable LJWB to meet the diverse needs of the community.

Rebecca is a Fellow of the Chartered Managers Institute, holds the Open University qualification in Managing Voluntary and Not for Profit Organisations, achieved the Registered Managers Award in 2003 and was appointed a magistrate in 1990. LJWB is an organisation at the forefront of service delivery in both the Jewish and wider communities and Rebecca is a Director of St Gemma’s Hospice as well as Chair of Volition.

Rebecca has recently become a proud Grandmother to baby Sophia.

Edward Ziff // President

Edward is Chairman and Chief Executive of Town Centre Securities plc. He joined the company in 1981 in the estates department before being appointed to the Board in 1985 becoming Managing Director from 1993. He was appointed as Chief Executive in February 2001 and took over as Chairman in July 2004 on the death of his father, Arnold, who was also a past President of the Welfare Board. Edward brings a strong pastoral care aspect to the business, encouraging individual leadership and an active role in the community through local charities.

Edward is a Non-executive Director of shoe retailer Barratts Priceless and he is a Governor of the Grammar School at Leeds. He was a member of the Advisory Board of Leeds University Business School and a Non-executive Director of The Leeds Building Society until 2008.

Edward has had a long association with Leeds Jewish Welfare Board going back to the early 1980’s when he joined the Variety Show Committee. From there he went on to join the general committee with responsibility for the New Year Appeal and fundraising, an involvement which continues to date. In 2006 he took over as President of Leeds Jewish Welfare Board. He is particularly proud of expanding the fundraising and finance effort of the Board and being involved in the fundraising for and procurement of the Community Centre.

Outside of work and his interest in the Leeds Jewish Community Edward is a passionate family man. He is married to Diane and has four children

James Denton // Chair of the Variety Show Committee // Chair of the Golf AMAM

James Denton has been a Trustee of Leeds Jewish Welfare Board for over 20 years. He has been a stalwart fundraiser for the Board since he first became involved in 1979 when he joined the Variety Show Committee. He went on to become chairman of the Variety Show Committee in 1990 and still drives it to this day. He is also the current chairman of the Golf AMAM Committee which he joined in the mid 1990’s.

James is married to Berit, has 2 children and 6 grandchildren.

Martin Lee // Treasurer

Martin is the Financial Director of Crown Eyeglass plc. He qualified in 1984 as a Chartered Accountant and is married to Linda with 4 children. Hobbies include sports, particularly tennis and jogging. Martin has been the Treasurer at LJWB for 17 years and has been a member of the Variety Show Committee for 23 years.

Martin is also a member of the LJWB Investments Committee and is Joint Chairman of Leeds Jewish Blind Society.

Andrew Lewis // Chair of The Social Care Services Group // Chair of The Social Care Services Group

Andrew Lewis has lived in Leeds almost all of his life and is married with two children and a dog.

Not just any dog!

Andrew has been involved with LJWB all his adult life starting on the Variety Show committee. He then moved on to the care side chairing OPS and Rainbow before becoming the Chair of The Social Care Services Group which involves attending all project management meetings from time to time. He is also on the PR committee, Health and Safety committee and New Year Appeal committee. He was previously on the Development committee overseeing the building of the Community Centre.

Andrew does have a life outside LJWB where he does relocation work for medical professionals and property management. He was previously in the advertising industry for twenty years before becoming ‘too old’ and running out of trendy ties!

Andrew is committed to LJWB having been involved for over 30 years and is proud of the work of the organisation keeping a watchful eye on pioneering progress without compromising excellent service delivery.

Helen Lewis BA (Hons) (Oxon) // Chair of Moorcare

Helen was brought up in a family of Jewish community activists, learning to stuff envelopes at an early age. Her Jewish voluntary involvement includes work in BBYO, UJS, the Oxford University Jewish Society, and as a shule board member. She is currently a Foundation Governor at Brodetsky Primary School as well as a Trustee of LJWB.

She is particularly proud of having been the member of the team which designed the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Community Centre and being the chair of its management committee at the time of its opening. She is currently the chair of Moorcare, LJWB’s home care provider. In her ‘real life’ Helen is a career health service manager having joined the NHS in London in 1988 and working in a variety of roles there before moving to Leeds with her husband Bill in 1994. She currently works at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She is the mother of two sets of twins who also started attending committee meetings at an early age!

Russell Manning // Chair of Community Centre Management Committee

Russell was born, educated, works and lives in Leeds!

Educated at Roundhay High School.  After a short apprenticeship with estate agents in Leeds he set up his own business in 1979 in Leeds City Centre.  That business expanded into the suburbs and was eventually sold to William H Brown in 1987.  Russell remained with the company achieving Regional Director status with responsibility for 65 branches in the North.

 He set up his current business Manning and Company in 1991 which in due course merged with Staintons Residential in 2001 to form Manning Stainton which is now one of the Top 25 UK independent estate agencies operating from 14 branches across Leeds and Wakefield.

 The company has won many awards including the much coveted Top Independent Estate Agency in the UK in 2006.  The company has also been included on numerous occasions in the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies in the UK to work for.

 Russell has been involved in communal activities for nearly 30 years, principally with the Leeds Jewish Housing Association for whom he was chair for some 9 years and latterly as a Vice President of the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board.

Russel has 2 children, Mark, who works in the family business, and Rebecca and has 2 very special grandchildren. His principal hobbies are music and golf.

Nikki Ross // Chair of the Manny Cussins Family Project

Nikki was born in Leeds but moved around the country in the 80’s and 90’s pursuing a teaching career which included positions as Head of a Nursery and Infant Department in a school in Brighton and as a Drama Teacher in Nottingham where she produced and directed plays for children and adults. Nikki has always had a special interest in working with children with additional needs and is fully qualified in dealing with child safeguarding issues.

Nikki has been involved with Leeds Jewish Welfare Board for 6 years as chair of the Manny Cussins Family Project. She is particularly proud of the creation of the ‘Time 4 Space’ project which supports families with children with additional needs.

She is married to Jonathan, has two children and a dog.

Michael Sandpearl

Michael Sandpearl is our newest Trustee and is married to Delise with 2 children.

Michael is an active member of BHH, and although currently retired he is a qualified accountant with extensive financial and general management experience.

From 1999-2001, whilst living in Hong Kong, Michael was Executive Director of the Ohel Leah Charitable Trust which involved running the Community Centre with catering and sports facilities, as well as managing the investments of the Trust and administering the benevolent society. Prior to this Michael was Chairman of the JCC in a volunteer capacity.

When he is not spending time with his family and enjoying his grand-daughter Michael enjoys playing golf, keeping fit in the gym and travelling, as well as serving the community as a JP.

Jonathan Straight // Chair of Fundraising

Jonathan Straight was born in Leeds and is the 46 year old Chief Executive of Straight PLC, the eponymous company he founded 19 years ago. He has been a pioneer of recycling in the UK, specifically by developing and supplying systems for handling source separated waste.

Following a “Eureka moment” in 1988, Jonathan began working in the container industry, initially as a consultant to the McKechie Group plc and then forming his own business in 1993. This has grown from one man and a desk to the UK’s leading supplier of kerbside recycling boxes, home compost bins and water butts with a £30m turnover, more than 40 employees and a listing on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market.

In 2006 Ernst & Young awarded Jonathan the prestigious national title of Enterpreneur of the Year for Quoted Companies.

Jonathan is married with two young children and lives in Alwoodley. He is well known for his waxed moustache and ponytail as well as an ever growing collection of spectacles, currently into three figures.

Simon Walton BSC Hons // Chair of New Year Appeal Committee

Simon Walton was born and still lives in Leeds. He is married to Samantha and has 3 children. Simon is Managing Director of Berrys and has been involved with the Board for over 11 years. Roles at LJWB have been in fundraising, including Vice Chairman of the variety show committee and Chairman of New Year Appeals. He was involved on the fundraising committee for the Community Centre before becoming a trustee for the Welfare Board.

Ron Wiener // Chair of Neshama

Dr. Ron Wiener is a senior sociodrama trainer with a world wide practice. He is also a lead tutor in drama at the Lawrence Batley Theatre and a trustee of Leeds TIDAL. He is the author of a number of books and articles and is a grandfather many times over.

A Tribute to Amanda Manning

Amanda Manning 1957 - 2011

 Amanda passed away in August 2011.  She became a Trustee of LJWB in 2004.  Her rare mix of pragmatism, incisiveness, empathy and compassion enabled her to be a tremendous asset to the organisation. As Chair of the Rainbow project, Amanda brought tremendous qualities to the table, and she was ideally suited to her work with people with learning disabilities. Amanda could engage with, and relate to, people on every level and her warmth and humour endeared her to everyone with whom she came into contact.

 Her loss has been a significant blow to all of us.  We have been very lucky to have had the privilege of knowing Amanda and we will miss her as a Trustee, as a colleague and as a friend.