The Movement for Reform Judaism Joins 25,000 Volunteers for Mitzvah Day
Monday, 21 November 2011
Members of Reform communities across the country were among the 25,000 Jews who gave a day of their time to support numerous good causes on Mitzvah Day, Sunday 20th November.
The Movement's communities nationwide were busy with a broad range of activities, from cleaning a cemetery in Manchester to knitting blankets for World Jewish Relief in Wimbledon.
It was also a time to reach beyond the Jewish community: teenage members of Kol Chai - Hatch End Jewish Community met and worked with refugees of the same age and Radlett & Bushey Reform Synagogue joined forces with other local faith communities to clean up the local environment. Alyth organised a food collection with the local Christian and Hindu communities in Golders Green. Members of Finchley Reform Synagogue worked on making welcome packs for their winter shelter project which offers emergency support to homeless people over the coldest months of the year.
Many activities focussed on cheering people up in simple ways: West London Synagogue members baked and decorated cupcakes, and then Rabbi David Mitchell took some of their post B'nei Mitzvah teenagers to deliver them to children and staff at the St Mary's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. They ended up with so many cakes, that they had to find extra places to take them - including another hospital, and a police station. Rabbi Miriam Berger and some other new parents from Finchley Reform Synagogue visited Rubens House Jewish Care Home in Finchley with their babies.
Members of Jacksons Row, Manchester Reform Synagogue got stuck in entertaining the residents of Brookvale, as well as cleaning up Southern Cemetery and collecting food from shoppers at the Co-op in West Didsbury. Sinai Synagogue, Leeds encouraged people to join the Anthony Nolan register at the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Community Centre on Mitzvah Day.
Find out more about the projects which took place on Mitzvah Day in Reform communities
The Movement for Reform Judaism took part in two different projects in the run up to the big day. They organised a 'collectathon', contributing items of judaica for the community in Polotsk, Belarus as part of a Jewish Child’s Day initiative. A spokesperson for Jewish Child's Day said: "This means more to the Jewish communities in Belarus than you can know. Your donations make it possible for them to have a fuller spiritual life".
Staff at the Sternberg Centre were also involved in the 'Give Away Your Lunch' initiative and donated food to the Homeless Action in Barnet day centre in Finchley.
Ben Rich, Chief Executive says: "Mitzvah Day is about giving not cash but time. It’s amazing what a difference we can make to someone else by donating just a few hours. The Movement for Reform Judaism is delighted to be able to support this fantastic community initiative."
Find out more about Mitzvah Day
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