Mitzvah Day Stands in Solidarity Following Southport Tragedy
August 5, 2024
Mitzvah Day stands in deep sorrow and solidarity with the victims, their families, and the entire Southport community following the recent tragic events. The horrifying attack on innocent children and the subsequent riots have left us all shaken. We mourn the loss of young lives, including Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, and we pray for the recovery of those injured. This senseless violence has no place in our society.
We are deeply troubled by the violent unrest that followed, particularly the targeted attacks on the Muslim community and local mosques. Mitzvah Day condemns these actions unequivocally. Hatred and division have no place in our society. Our values teach us to respond to violence and hatred with compassion, unity, and understanding. We urge all community members to stand together, support one another, and reject any attempts to sow discord and intolerance.
The spread of misinformation and the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment following these events are deeply concerning. We call on all individuals, especially those with influence, to act responsibly and refrain from spreading false narratives that only serve to fuel further hatred and division. We commend the Liverpool Region Mosque Network for their stance against this misattribution of blame and for promoting unity during such a challenging time.
In these dark times, we must hold onto hope and work towards healing. Mitzvah Day reaffirms our commitment to fostering peace, understanding, and solidarity among all communities. As we strive to build a stronger, more inclusive society through our 2024 theme, “Stronger Together,” we are reminded of the importance of unity in the face of adversity. We encourage everyone to come together, support those affected, and work towards a future where all individuals, regardless of their background or faith, can live in safety and harmony. Let us honour the memory of those we have lost by building a more inclusive and compassionate society.
Mitzvah Day is the UK’s largest faith-led day of social action.
Over 55,000 people around the world, come together to give our time, to make a difference to the community around us. We introduce people to social action, to their neighbours and to local charities, setting up projects, which address real needs. Jewish-led, we bring together people of all faiths and backgrounds, to volunteer side-by-side, building longstanding, genuine relationships.
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“This year’s Mitzvah Day, and especially its theme of Stronger Together, is a chance once more to put our core Jewish values into action. It is our opportunity, as a Jewish community, to reach out to friends and neighbours of all faiths and backgrounds – and begin, develop or cement those vital relationships that sustain us in both good times and bad. This November, we look forward to joining thousands of Progressive Jews all over the UK – and abroad – as we stand side-by-side in social action with other faiths to make a real difference to the communities and society around us.” Co-Leads of Progressive Judaism “In times of division, coming together through mitzvot is essential. Acts of kindness help us transcend differences, building a compassionate society. By uniting in service, we demonstrate that our strength lies in unity and forge lasting connections in our diverse world.” “The Hebrew word for hope “Tikva” – has long been a rallying call used by Jews, determined to forge a stronger future. But many people are not aware that in its original use, in the Book of Joshua, the word actually means, a rope. The rope is a symbol of hope because it weaves together, many different strands which individually are weak but when combined, they become unbreakable. Once again, Mitzvah Day has captured the essence of this principle with its theme, “Stronger Together” in these challenging times, when the enmity and division seem rife, Mitzvah Day provides a timely reminder of what we can achieve when we stand side by side.” “Mitzvah Day is a wonderful opportunity for different communities that are maybe fearful and ignorant of each other, especially in today’s very challenging and sometimes hostile climate, to come together and prove that our differences, whether political or religious, do not define us. And where we all work hard to ensure that our shared humanity inspires us to overcome those differences for the benefit of all.” Chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Regional “In a world of fracture and discord, Mitzvah Day reminds us how much stronger we all are when we join forces in a spirit of goodwill to care for our neighbours.” Chair of JLC “Separate reeds are weak and easily broken but bound together they are strong and hard to tear apart.” LLB (Hons) L'Pool (Rabbi Belfast Jewish Community) “…The King was interested to hear of the excellent work of the Mitzvah Day team and in particular your focus on uniting people of all faiths and none for the purposes of social action…..this letter comes with His Majesty's best wishes and hope that Mitzvah Day will continue to be a positive force for interfaith harmony and community service for many years to come.” “…I am writing to express my support for Mitzvah Day once again. This year, felt more acutely than previous years, the core values of Mitzvah Day - the belief that through social action and working together, the world can be a better place - shine a light of hope in this time of darkness. Support for local charities makes a tangible difference to our communities through the projects we complete and the relationships we build. In this time of division, pain and anger, Mitzvah Day invites those of all faiths and none to come together to help repair our fractured and grieving world. I urge our places of worship, schools, youth groups and others to build on the good work already being done, and to reach out once more to local charities, to support them hands on, and to reunite with our neighbours in warmth, kindness and friendship.
I wish you all the best for Mitzvah Day.” Prime MinisterRabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy
Chief Imam Dr Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis
Mark Adlestone CBE
Keith Black
Rabbi Kale MBE
KING CHARLES III
Sir Keir Starmer
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