Friends reunited on Muslim ‘Mitzvah Day’
THERE WAS significant Jewish support for Sunday’s Sadaqa Day, the Muslim Mitzvah Day equivalent.
Joint Sadaqa Day/Mitzvah Day projects were held throughout the UK. At Stanmore Mosque, 800 Muslim children were helped to collect and pack essential items for the disadvantaged by members of Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Pinner United Synagogue, Edgware and District Reform Synagogue and the JW3 community centre.
Cardiff’s Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Christian communities united for a series of projects, including litter clearance, collecting goods for a local food bank and visiting a care home.
MP Mike Freer joined Jewish and Muslim volunteers and residents of Sunridge Court care home in Golders Green to pack goods for the vulnerable.
Another collection of food and toiletries for the less well off involved 1. Cooks from a variety of faiths at JW3
2. Jeremy Coleman cooking with Imam Abid Khan 3. Collecting for a food bank at Sainsbury’s in Camden 4. Stirring things in Wembley 5. With Muslim support, the Friendship Circle in Manchester collected for Gift 6. Wembley volunteers Leeds Jews and the local Muslim Youth Forum.
At JW3’s Finchley Road premises — traditionally a key centre of Mitzvah Day activity — volunteers from across London cooked a three-course meal for a Sadaqa Day project helping those in financial difficulty.
Volunteers from Muslim Minds, City Sikhs, Mitzvah Day and Chevening — the UK government’s international scheme to develop leaders — were among 50 people who gathered in Holborn on Saturday night to feed the homeless. Other joint ventures took place in Manchester, Nottingham, Bradford and Essex.
Many of the interfaith partnerships progressed relationships forged through joint Mitzvah Day activities down the years.
Daniela Pears, Mitzvah Day’s interfaith chair, said the day offered Jews “a wonderful opportunity to re-engage in local projects with our Muslim friends.
“Volunteering side-by-side on meaningful projects not only helps so many in need around us but builds stronger bonds of friendship across local faith communities.”
Sadaqa Day founder Julie Siddiqi added: “Having our Jewish sisters and brothers involved is a real key to the event’s success. So many new connections have been made between people that will go way beyond this one day.
“The Muslim community looks forward to returning the goodwill on Mitzvah Day in November.”