Mitzvah Day - what a day!

What a day!

I got up at 6.30, shook some kids and dashed out in new green t shirt to BBC Radio London to be on the Faith programme. A good buzz to start the day. Rushing back in a cab I made a list of items to take – camera, video, umbrella (surely it wouldn’t rain?) and some offspring

First stop Habonim central – our temporary offices -  to meet the team, eat the first pastries and blow balloons

First stop the LJS project – Sainsbury’s at the O2.  I heard later they collected piles of groceries for Doorstep but when we were there, early, they were chasing a boy who had stolen one of the helium balloons, and they got it back!

Then to Adafina in St Johns Wood to see Bnei Akiva doing Mitzvah Day shopping.  Lady Sacks joined us which was a thrill and she dutifully bought some items and put them in the GIFT donations box.

Back in the car to Tesco's on Englands Lane to briefly see South Hampstead United presiding over the clearing of the shelves – all items donated to New Horizons Homeless shelter. 

On to Kentish Town City farm. Yes the rain was now coming down and I confirmed my suspicion that mitzvah day umbrellas should have been bought!  Jonathan Freedland, Julia Neuberger and Dan Patterson all joined this multi faith gathering and dutifully joined in with sweeping and cleaning though they were all a bit wary of the sheep.  A little pizza and on.

LondonUkraineNext to the WJR Packathon in Neasden. What an amazing gathering with hundreds of people packing clothes and other items to send to the Ukraine.We had sent 8 teams of teens from across London to assist with this massive task and everyone was working together to get the job done.

A few more pastries and then on to Ella and Ridley Jacobs House (Jewish Care) to join a sing song. This was a group from many different places, all ages just united by a desire to join the project. We hung bunting and tied up even more balloons and sang and danced with the residents who all dutifully wore their Mitzvah Day badges. I have to say the homes for seniors are always the best projects for me. It is so real, so hands on and such a wonderful feeling. The Jewish Care staff incredible and we all came out utterly uplifted.   Just one pastry.

Next down to the JCC project in Belsize Park.The town hall was throbbing, with collection projects, a Darfur project, knitting hats for newborn babies in developing countries via Save the Children, sorting and packing clothes, toys and stationery, bone marrow screening for Tay Sachs with Jewish Care, workshops by Tzedek and JCore. A big buzz with loads of people.

 
Then to the Mitzvah Day thank you event – with fireworks.  Using food donated to us by the Mitzvah Day shops and Brondesbury Cricket Clubs hall we had a wonderful evening and Zeddy Lawrence from the Jewish News announced the winner of the Community Hero awards  - but it wouldn’t be fair for me to steal their thunder.  Luckily lots of volunteers on hand to clear up.

One more event, the Barnet Mayor's Mitzvah Day concert at Alyth.  

As I sat and watched and listened, I paused for reflection.  We are truly blessed in our community. Where else would you find that level of participatory giving.  What other community could pull off something as positive and inclusive as Mitzvah Day.

Thank you to the hundreds of people who made Mitzvah Day possible and the thousands who donated items and gave up their time. We didn’t change the world today – but we did make our mark!

 

Comments

[shlomo]

A mitzvah never does any harm, specially on the mitzvah day when many people are doing more mitzvas.
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