Chief Rabbi launches Ghana social action scheme for Jewish students

“Since many of the local inhabitants work seven days a week but still do not earn enough to be able to afford a decent living standard, the visit will provide participants with a much more nuanced understanding of extreme poverty, its causes and its context.”

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis highlighted social responsibility as one of his priorities when he came into office four years ago.

The scheme, which is named after the talmudic sage Ben Azzai who emphasised that all human beings were made in the image of God, is intended to produce “engaged and outward-facing Jews” and raise awareness of international development.

It is run in conjunction with the charity Tzedek, which is active in India and Ghana, and Olam, an international Jewish volunteer network, and supported by the Pears Foundation.