Record number of Jews take part in Muslim Mitzvah Day
More than 1,500 volunteers joined this year's Sadaqa Day of Muslim-led social action to help the homeless, refugees, the elderly and most vulnerable in society.
A record number of Jews took part in this year’s Sadaqa Day of Muslim-led social action.
An estimated 1,500 volunteers joined the Muslim equivalent of Mitzvah Day on Sunday, with projects designed to help refugees, the homeless, elderly and most vulnerable in society.
Among the event were 15 joint Mitzvah Day and Sadaqa Day projects which were held nationwide. They included 800 Muslim school children from Stanmore Mosque teaming up with members of Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Pinner United Synagogue, Edgware & District Reform Synagogue and JW3 to collect and pack items for Sufra Food Bank, the Refugee Council, Salusbury World, a charity which supports refugee children, and Al Mizan, a Muslim charitable trust. Elsewhere, volunteers from across London gathered at JW3 to cook a three-course hot meal for a local homeless shelter.
Daniela Pears, Mitzvah Day’s interfaith chair, said: “This event offered our Jewish community a wonderful opportunity to re-engage in local projects together with our Muslim friends.
“This sincere continued engagement, through volunteering side-by-side on meaningful projects, not only helps so many in need around us, but builds stronger bonds of friendship and greater relations across local faith communities all year round.”
Mitzvah Day founder and chair Laura Marks added: “Mitzvah Day, and this sister initiative in the Muslim community, are growing stronger each and every year. With hatred and division seemingly all around us, projects such as those on Sadaqa Day and Mitzvah Day – where genuine friendships are formed between people of different faiths – are more important than ever.”
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