Mitzvah Day once more captivated Essex, as schools, communities and care homes were full of green – celebrating 20 years of this very special day.
At Clore Tikva School, pupils and parents collected toys for Camp Simcha and donated food for Chabad Aid. The children also brought to life the Mitzvah Day theme of 20 Years of Building Bridges, with youngsters from Years 5 and 6 reading and working with the younger pupils in Years 1 and 2.
The school’s Head of Jewish Studies Samantha Bendon said: “Mitzvah Day was wonderful, especially seeing our children building new friendships and connections. The most important thing is these good deeds will continue throughout the year.”
At Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School, families supported Mitzvah Day collections for Camp Simcha UK and Nishkam SWAT, the Sikh charity which distributes food to homeless and financially disadvantaged people in the local area.
WIJPS Jewish Studies Lead Deborah Harris said: “A huge thank you to our community, whose generosity will truly make a difference.”
Year 5 pupils then visited Jewish Care’s Vi & John Rubens House in Ilford, sharing conversation and laughter with the residents – bringing plenty of smiles.
Wallace Leventhal, who lives in the care home, said: “It is so nice to interact with young people and see their amazing smiles.”
The children were equally enthusiastic, with young Isabella saying: “It was an amazing experience… finding out fascinating facts about them.”
Residents at Vi & John Rubens House also enjoyed a celebration funded by Cranbrook United Synagogue, with members’ artwork displayed throughout the week.
Children at the East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue Cheder made Mitzvah Day cards for the community’s Friendship Club, while the adults volunteered at Haven House Children’s Hospice. At both Ilford Federation Synagogue and Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre, members collected food donations for Chabad Aid.
The anniversary was marked with a variety of good deeds well beyond Essex – with 40,000 volunteers taking part across the world. This year’s flagship project was the Big Soup Serve, reaching its goal of delivering 5,000 portions of soup for the homeless and vulnerable.
Looking back over the day and the last 20 years, Mitzvah Day founder and chair Laura Marks CBE said: “We know Jewish communities support local charities day in and day out. But what we saw on Mitzvah Day raised the bar, engaged new people and causes, strengthened essential bridges between communities, and maybe most importantly, felt great.”
• WIJPS and Clore Tikva pictures by Karen Zetter
