Parliamentarians pack pencil cases during Mitzvah Day event
Politicians from numerous parties attend event run by the Board of Deputies and APPG on British Jews this week
Heavy-hitters from the world of politics put their Brexit concerns aside for an hour at Parliament on Tuesday afternoon to lend a hand with volunteers at social action charity Mitzvah Day.
Lib Dem Leader Vince Cable, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, Conservative Vice-Chairs for Communities Helen Grant and Rehman Chishti, and SNP Westminster Group Leader Ian Blackford all helped pack pencil cases for School Aid, which provides educational equipment for children in Africa.
The event was sponsored by MP Wes Streeting and meant 29 parliamentarians including peers such as Lord Mendelsohn, could kick off a month of action culminating on or around 18 November, with Mitzvah Day now in its tenth anniversary year.
It was organised by the Board of Deputies and the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Jews, and Board vice-chair Edwin Shuker was joined by the charity’s founder Laura Marks as well as Mitzvah Day’s interfaith chair Lady Daniela Pears.
“Mitzvah Day not only sees all of Britain’s different faith groups come together in social action, but it also brings together civil society and Government,” said Marks. “It encourages Government to engage in civil society.”
Cable said he was “very much inspired” by the event, while Thornberry said: “Events like this remind us all that everyone is not as lucky as each other and we must always think about helping those less fortunate.”
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