Congolese join the party to thank shul for support

The Congolese were delighted that the party was staged in the synagogue — “they wanted to feel welcomed by a religious community.”

Event co-ordinator Deborah Koder said it celebrated survival and demonstrated “our continuing support to the Congolese community, which had “suffered atrocities on a large scale”.

The drop-in centre currently supports more than than 300 people, offering access to doctors, lawyers and therapists and essential supplies such as food bags and nappies.

“There’s a big interfaith connection,” Ms Koder said. “We love to share our beautiful building.”

Congolese Support Group president Okito Tongomo, who came to the UK in 1997, said: “Since the rabbi condemned the killing of people in Congo and asked the authorities to look at it in the letter [from rabbis to the Guardian], we had to thank him and it all stemmed from there. It’s very exciting.”

Musician Freddy Wanga, who performed at the celebration, said: “More than six million people died in Congo but no one wants to talk about them. I thank the Jewish community for welcoming us and letting us talk about our genocide.”

The communities had previously joined forces for a Holocaust Memorial Day event. Sunday’s gathering was “about doing something happy and joyful together and not just meeting under sad circumstances”, Rabbi Wittenberg said.