Donations pile high in ‘act of love’ for refugees
A SYNAGOGUE has been flooded with supplies for refugee Afghan families after a Facebook request was met with ‘a tremendous act of love’ from the local community.
Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, of the Bushey United Synagogue in Hertfordshire, sent a message to worshippers on Thursday and saw donations pack out the venue’s car park by Sunday.
The rabbi had been contacted by Laurence Brass, the councillor for Bushey North, who said 72 Afghan families had been placed locally and needed items such as clothing, toiletries, toys and basic school supplies.
Rabbi Feldman said: ‘My response was, “I am absolutely sure we can help although I am not sure we can look after all of their requirements, but we can certainly try”.
‘It went crazy. People copied the message. They forwarded it around and by the time Sunday arrived we had around maybe 3,000 bags of items that had been brought to help out.’
He added: ‘It has been a tremendous act of love and completely run by volunteers who all just wanted to help. They are not just Jewish. Everyone just wanted to make a difference.’
Volunteers are now working through the donations to see where best to place the items for the families, with anything extra going to other charities.
Rabbi Feldman said he has met some of the families, who thanked him and shared what they had been through. He said: ‘These are interpreters. These are the supporters of the Afghan forces and the UK. These are amazing people that we owe so much gratitude to. These are not just fleeing refugees. They are not like us, they are heroes.’