Mitzvah Day is the best way to show what we stand for

As we now head into a special 20th anniversary year on Sunday, things have changed.

There are now around 40,000 volunteers, drawn from every faith and background but still firmly led by our own Jewish community. Projects take place across the entire UK and in 30 other countries. Many have months of planning and preparation behind them, as our volunteer coordinators build relationships with local charities.

Those taking part include prime ministers, mayors, ambassadors, and many of this country’s most senior rabbis, imams, bishops and cardinals, along with a sprinkling of celebrities giving it a “hechsher” and encouraging more participation in this powerful exercise in Jewish-led social cohesion.

There have, of course, been many challenges.

Covid forced us to rethink almost everything. Instead of bustling kitchens and crowded collections, we organised phone calls, socially distanced collections in car parks and, most popular of all, online cookathons led by actors Maureen Lipman and Hugh Dennis.

We were challenged again by the horrors of October 7 and the ensuing war in Gaza. There is no doubt it has made our Jewish–Muslim work harder, but building trust across communities is one of the pillars of what we do, and remains so. We are grateful for the support of our funders, particularly the Pears Foundation, who have believed in this work, even in the toughest of times. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: the confidence Mitzvah Day gives us as a Jewish community.

In a world where many of us, especially today, feel the urge at times to hide our Judaism, this is a day to be proudly, visibly, joyfully Jewish.

At the core of Mitzvah Day has always been Jews doing good for the wider society around them. Cooking for people who are homeless or vulnerable, collecting warm clothes for refugees, tidying the local areas we all share – these are simple, meaningful acts that show our Jewish values in motion. They say: this is who we are, this is what we contribute.

Knocking on the door of a local mosque or church or inviting their communities into our services can feel daunting. Asking people to chop vegetables with us or stand side by side outside a supermarket collecting tins is far easier. In non-Jewish schools, offices, on campus, Mitzvah Day offers a way to reach out with confidence. It is in those ordinary, apron-on moments that friendships form. Those friendships are what sustain us when times are tough.

We also learn more about our own Judaism by reaching out to others. Explaining what we do – and why we do it – deepens our own understanding. We become more rooted in our heritage and more able to share it with pride.

These are difficult times for social cohesion. Communities feel fragmented, trust is fragile and public life often seems defined by division. Yet Mitzvah Day has become a model of integration: bringing people together while retaining a strong Jewish identity.

Twenty years on, the message is unchanged. When we act together – as Jews, and with our neighbours of every faith and none – we create a kinder, more connected society.

This year, my son is running a Mitzvah Day in Sydney, and the rest of my family will be with me as ever. Because, ultimately, after 20 years, the society we build and the legacy we leave are what really matter.

Laura Marks CBE is founder of Mitzvah Day