MORE than 500 members of the Jewish community gathered in Hove last night for celebrations, including a special song contest, to mark the 50th year of the state of Israel.

Top names from the arts and media and local dignitaries joined representatives from around the world at the showcase event at Hove Town Hall. Among the star guests were Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett and veteran local councillor Joe Townshend, who opened the event in place of mayor Betty Walshe. And there were messages of support sent by political leaders, including Prime Minister Tony Blair. Beryl Sharpe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Israel 50 Committee, said: "It was an electric evening. "We had supper served by the children of the local community, who were wearing Israel 50 T-shirts and baseball caps, and there was entertainment by an award-winning comedian, Mark Meyer, and a cabaret act called First Night." The event started with a special memorial service conducted by Rabbis Silverman, Collick and Glanz. Song contest winners were London-based group Destiny, who won £1,000 for their performance of Children of the Promised Land, by Jonathan Rosen. Judges were Hove MP Ivor Caplin, former That's Life producer Richard Woolfe, member of the Royal Opera House Jonathan Fisher, BBC radio presenter Joanne Goode, Area 51 studio boss David Courtney and Lorraine Easidale, daughter of Theatre Royal owner the late David Land. The event will be followed by a free exhibition of photographs detailing the history of the state of Israel, which starts next Wednesday. More than 50 panels of pictures compiled by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs will go on display at Ajex Hall, Palmeira Square, until May 14.

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