All five South Manchester synagogues came together on Sunday to continue their early activities for this year’s Mitzvah Day programme by tidying Southern Cemetery for the High Holy Days.
Members of Bowdon Shul, Yeshurun Hebrew Congregation, Menorah, Hale Synagogue and Saare Hayim joined forces to clean the graveyard, which is home to so many of their former members dating back hundreds of years.
The newly created South Manchester Mitzvah Day Committee purposely chose to do the project in time for Rosh Hashanah – and ahead of November’s Mitzvah Day – as the Jewish New Year is when people often pay a visit to the cemetery.
With strimmers, brooms, shears, rakes and a good pair of gardening gloves in hand, the team of volunteers worked tirelessly to make a real difference – clearing overgrown weeds and blankets of leaves.
More than 30 bags were filled and left for Manchester City Council to collect.
The Committee’s Sam Bernstein said “Ahead of the High Holy Days, we thought this would be a poignant time to clear things up and make visiting their loved ones easier.
“Bringing all our shuls together for the first time, for Mitzvah Day, created a real sense of community and was very much in line with the theme for this year of Building Bridges.
“I was so pleased to continue the fantastic volunteering work of our friend Fran Hyman, who passed away last year and whom I know would be so proud that her legacy goes on.”
The team will return this Sunday to continue their efforts. Email Mitzvahdaysouthmanchester@gmail.com if you’d like to get involved.