READY FOR THE CHICKEN SOUP CHALLENGE?
ONE THOUSAND portions of chicken soup will be made from a kosher recipe with halal poultry at East London Mosque as part of the centrepiece of next month’s Mitzvah Day.
To mark the tenth anniversary of the day of good deeds, Mitzvah Day leaders have reacted to demand for a national unifying activity by coming up with the Chicken Soup Challenge.
The target is to make 5,000 portions of the “Jewish penicillin” during the day for distribution to the needy, creating an unofficial world record in the process.
Although the biggest production line will be at the mosque event, organised in conjunction with Muslim Aid, soup-making sessions will also be held in areas including Nottingham, Manchester, Chigwell, Stanmore, Radlett and Peterborough, as well as at London’s JW3 centre. A vegan version will be produced at the Jewish Vegetarian Society, which is offering its recipe to the wider community.
“It’s the food of the soul — and we will give it to the people who need it,” explained Mitzvah Day CEO Dan Rickman. “It’s not just about making soup, it’s about the recipients. It is also about people coming together as many of the sessions will be interfaith.
“This idea works because, say, at Stanmore Synagogue, you can do your Mitzvah Day collections and knitting while the soup is being prepared.
“So many United Synagogue communities do this thing regularly anyway. This time they will be doing it specifically for Mitzvah Day.”
Among other new or expanded activities for the estimated 25,000 UK participants in the cross-communal enterprise will be a project earlier in the month involving Jewish and Muslim service personnel supporting the homeless.
“It will be the first time they have engaged jointly in social action,” Mr Rickman said. “A lot of guys become homeless after experiencing difficulties when they leave the services so this is something that resonates.”
Once again, Mitzvah Day will coincide with the Ajex remembrance parade. In previous years, people have been encouraged to turn out in support as their mitzvah. This time, volunteers will be more actively involved, distributing order of service booklets, assisting those with mobility issues and managing the VIP area.
The launch of the latest United Synagogue refugee centre at Woodford Forest shul in East London next month has been timed to coincide with Mitzvah Day “and our volunteers will continue to run it”, Mr Rickman reported.
Britons will also assume key roles in international Mitzvah Day events. For example, UK Jewish volunteers will lead a project in Rwanda, where 500 orphans will undertake good deeds in their local communities. In Israel, UK volunteers will join Magen David Adom ambulance shifts.
On the home front, the organisation is becoming more environmentally friendly. Its pens and balloons are now biodegradable, its bags can be reused for shopping and its T-shirts are responsibly sourced.
“Our job is so great,” Mr Rickman reflected. “You are asking people to do something they love.”
It’s not about the soup — it’s about the recipients’