Mitzvah Day at 20: Why showing up in green matters more than ever

It’s hard to believe we are about to celebrate 20 years of Mitzvah Day.

For those of us who take part every year, those two decades of interfaith and community action have gone by in a flash.

On the other hand, Mitzvah Day has become such an important fixture in our communal calendar that it feels like it has been around forever.

Whether it’s planting bulbs with Methodist and Muslim leaders in Finchley, tea parties with the elderly to combat loneliness, or joining ProjectIMPACT last year to prepare food for Homeless Action Barnet, Mitzvah Day has become a staple of my Jewish life.

This year, I will be at Alyth Synagogue taking part in one of 100 Mitzvah Day Big Soup Serves happening in the UK and around the world to support food banks, hostels and shelters alongside senior rabbis, bishops and imams and congregants of different faiths.

But the importance of Mitzvah Day goes beyond just those we can help on Sunday, 23 November.

It is also about showing positivity and pride in being Jewish.

The last two years have been a difficult time for all of us. With antisemitism on the rise, we have felt our sense of safety erode. But we can never let those seeking to do us harm define us as British Jews. Amidst the struggles we face as a community, we must resist the urge to turn inwards.

Mitzvah Day is the antidote. It forces us to turn outwards, to seize the opportunity to build bridges across faiths even when – perhaps especially when – it is hardest. It enables us to amplify the wonderful work our community does.

It galvanises our year-round dedication to “tikkun olam”, repairing the world by giving us the opportunity to bring in new people, connect with new charities and reach out to wider society with generosity.

For the last 20 years, it has given us the opportunity to showcase Jews collecting for the homeless, supporting refugees, tidying parks and cemeteries, and spending time with people who may be isolated or lonely. This is what we do – it is part of our DNA.

Whilst some people feel justifiable anxiety over showing their Jewishness, Mitzvah Day continues to bring people together, which has been shown to reduce prejudice and build social cohesion.  Mitzvah Day encourages us to live out our Jewish identities and get back to basics, even in a challenging world.

For me, the value of Torah im Derech Eretz and helping our neighbours defines my Jewish identity. Those Mitzvah Day values of Tikkun Olam – repairing the world, Gemilut Chasidim – acts of loving kindness, and Tzedek – justice, are my values too.

That’s why, this year, once more, I’m going to be putting on my green T-shirt. I’m going to be standing side-by-side with my Jewish constituents as collectively we reach out to wider society and show the very best of our community in action.

• Sarah Sackman is the Labour MP for Finchley and Golders Green.