NOTTINGHAM HEBREW CONGREGATION
"By participating in this Mitzvah Day project our Cheder children have learnt about the beautiful mitzvah of Tzedaka, helping the needy and being kind to each other. Our community has really benefited from something as positive, as uniting and as constructive as Mitzvah Day" Clara Korn (On behalf of the Nottingham Hebrew Congregation Cheder)
OXFORD JEWISH COMMUNITY
"Oxford Cheder has been collecting food for Asylum Welcome for the past two years and parents deliver the collection weekly to those who need it. On Mitzvah day, the children brought in an extra generous amount of food from home and this was taken to the centre." Deborah Friedland (OJC)
FINCHLEY REFORM SYNAGOGUE
"I hope Mitzvah Day will be a regular feature in our synagogue calendar and attract more and more people who want to do their bit for the world around." Rabbi Miriam Bayfield (Finchley Reform Synagogue)
JEWISH CARE TEENAGERS
"...enterprising young people, supported by their parents and Jewish Care staff, were willing to enter into the spirit of Mitzvah day, and all that it means." Debra Fox (Jewish Care Teenager)
JEWISH CARE
"Jewish Care was delighted to take part in Mitzvah Day 2008. Jewish Care staff and service users went along to World Jewish Relief’s Packathon project in Neasden. For some it was their first experience of ‘hands on’ volunteering and they, and Jewish Care, will be signing up for future Mitzvah Day projects." Pauline Gusack (Jewish Care)
HABONIM DROR
"HD UK was proud to be part of such a caring and dedicated initiative and excitedly awaits next years Mitzvah Day!!" Yahal (at Habonim Dror)
BELSIZE SQUARE SYNAGOGUE
"The day was devoted to learning about different mitzvot and how we can make these mitzvot part of our everyday lives... it was a great day and everyone learned a lot and achieved a lot. We look forward to participating in this programme again next year." Jeanie Horowitz (Head Teacher Belsize Square Synagogue Cheder)
ALYTH SOCIAL ACTION
"We helped sort tins, packets of food and clothes, sheets and towels and cleaned furniture. Next year we hope to be involved on a much larger scale and with an even greater number from our own community." Deborah Levy (Chair of Social Action)
NORTHWOOD AND PINNER LIBERAL SYNAGOGUE
Mitzvah Day was observed at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue with activities for all ages. Over 40 shoe boxes were decorated and packed with children’s toys by our Cheder children. They were taken to the Jewish Women’s Refuge, the tzedakah project the Cheder children have been supporting all term. In addition two parties were hard at work on the synagogue premises; one was painting one of the Cheder classrooms and the second was working on some waste ground at the back of the synagogue in order to create a playground for the children. Meanwhile there was a blood donors’ session round the corner at Northwood United Synagogue which attracted over 100 people to donate blood. This is a regular event organised by the two synagogues but which had a special nature this time as the helpers wore Mitzvah Day tee shirts! A group of 13 teenagers went with Rabbi Andrew and Sharon Goldstein to the Neasden warehouse of World Jewish Relief to help sort clothes to be sent to Belarus . (Rabbi Andrew Goldstein)
The JCC for London (Founding Partner)
The JCC led Mitzvah Day 2007 with an array of projects catering to all types of volunteers and supporting a range of charities. Based at the Britannia hotel the JCC team worked with the other partners across London ensuring that around 1000 volunteers took part in over 40 projects. Ending with a celebratory party the JCC put Mitzvah Day on the UK map.
| Project Organiser | Project | Who took part | What was involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| JCC for London | Travelling Singers | Everyone! | A bus of hearty singers touring Jewish care home with elderly residents to - hopefully - brighten their day. |
| JCC for London | Supergran Knitting Circle | Everyone! | Part of the Inncent Drinks Supergran Campaign, knitting hats for smoothie botles. For each behatted bottle sold, 50p was donated to Age Concern. |
| JCC for London | A Stitch in Time | Everyone! | Stitching a wall hanging to brighten up the counselling rooms at Jewish Women's Aid. |
| JCC for London | Bone Marrow Testing | Healthy adults only | Screening day held by the Anthony Nolan trust for potential donors. |
| JCC for London | Royal Free Hospital Playroom Makeover | Adults only | Renovation and facelift of the play room at the Royal Free Hospital, painting, building shelves, sorting toys etc. |
| JCC for London | Project Sunshine | Everyone! *Ideal for smaller children* | Making activity packs for the children at the Royal Free Hospital. |
| JCC for London & World Jewish Relief | Packathon - JCC team | Everyone! | World Jewish relief 'packathon' - packing bags of donated clothes, books etc to be sent to needy Europeans. |
|
JCC for London & New North London Synagogue |
Donations Galore | Everyone! | Collection of items for Kit Aid, The Camden Refuge Centre and New North London Synagogue Refugee Drop-In |
| JCC for London & Jewish Care | Changing Rooms - The Van | Everyone! | Transforming an old van into a travelling mini-shop for Jewish Care in the community. |
| JCC for London & Boston Consulting Group | Changing Rooms - The Shelter | Strong, eager and cheerful people | Joined a team form Boston Consutling Group to transform a room in a shelter for the homeless. |
| Habonim Dror & World Jewish Relief | Packathon - Habonim Dror Team | Everyone! | World Jewish relief 'packathon' - packing bags of donated clothes, books etc to be sent to needy Europeans. |
| Habonim Dror & The Aegis Trust | Day For Darfur | Everyone! | A day of action and cultural exchange for Darfur. Exhibitions, letter writing and campaigning. |
| Habonim Dror & The Aegis Trust | Darfur Kids Workshop | Children and Young People | A workshop engaging young people in the issues facing Darfur. |
| Belsize Square Synagogue | Mini Mitzvah Day | Cheder | Projects in the cheder involving the students in a range of hands on Mitzvah Day events |
| Jewish Care & World Jewish Relief | Packathon - Jewish Care Team | Everyone! | World Jewish relief 'packathon' - packing bags of donated clothes, books etc to be sent to needy Europeans. |
| Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue | Changing Rooms - Decorating the Cheder | Everyone! | A day of cleaning, painting and repairing the cheder. |
| Northwood United Synagogue | Give Blood in Northwood | Healthy adults | Blood drive. |
| Finchley Reform Synagogue | Bringing Chanukah Cheer | Everyone | Putting together and performing a show at a Jewis Care home |
| Finchley Reform Synagogue | How Clean is Your Brook | Everyone | Supervised by arnet council staff, hlep to clean out a local brook and so actually improve the enviroment |
| Finchley Reform Synagogue | Greetings With a Card | Everyone | Making greetings cards at Finchley Reform Synagogue for donation to the London Hospice and Oxfam shops |
| Finchley Reform Synagogue | All Aboard! | Everyone | Help out at the All Aboard charity shop - clearing, sorting, packing and selling |
| Finchey Reform Synagogue | Rummage and Sort | Everyone | Helping out at the Oxfam sorting centre during the pre-Cristmas busy period. |
| Finchley Reform Synagogue | Changing Rooms - Crisis Shelter | Everyone | Refurbishing part of a building that will be used to house the needy at Christmas |
| Alth-North Western Reform Synagogue | Help the Homeless | Everyone | A day of helping Homeless Action Barnet Day Centre with sorting, clearing, folding and general helping out. |
| World Jewish Relief | Packathon - World Jewish Relief Team | Everyone | Collecting and packing clothes books etc to send to needy Europeans. |
| World Jewish Relief | Young Sephardim's Made in Taiwan Party | Everyone | Young Sephardim party wih great music, food and drinks with the entry fee (a new toy or winter garment) going to poverty stricken Eastern Europeans |
| Jewish Women's Aid | Bangles and Beads | Everyone | Make jewellery to donate to the Jewish Women's Aid shelter and to teenagers at Barnardos for Christmas. |
| Tikun | Feeding the Homeless - Tikun | 20's - 30's | A day to join Tikun in working with the homeless in this, one of their regular social action projects. |
| Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue | Religion School Choir | Choir Members Only | Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue Choir singing for resident of the local home for seniors. |
| NPLS | Barnardos Christmas Boxes at NPLS | Cheder | Making gift boxes for under-privileged children. A chance to really bring a smile to a child this Christmas |
| Alyth | Barnardos Christmas Boxes at Alyth | Cheder | Making gift boxes for under-privileged children. A chance to really bring a smile to a child this Christmas |
| New North London Synagogue | Mini Mitzvah Day | Cheder | A wide range of projects and activities to support a range of charities |
| Alyth | Mini Packathon at Alyth | Cheder | A small scale packathon for World Jewis Relief held in the cheder and run by years 1-3. |
|
Immanuel College School |
Book Sort for Jewish Care | Students from Immanuel College School | Students will sort out the vast library at a home for seniors |
| Oxford Jewish Community | Food Collection | Cheder | Food collection for the homeless |
| Nottingham Hebrew Congregation | Toy collection | Cheder | Toy collection for the Salavation Army Christmas appeal |
| Manchester Habonim Dror | Missing in Action | Youth | Evening of awareness for soldiers MIA |
| Birmingham Habonim Dror | Missing in Action | Youth | Evening of awareness for soldiers MIA |
