Liberal Judaism rabbis are donating one per cent of their salary to a hardship fund to help congregants affected by the credit crunch.

Boosted by contributions from others within the movement, the fund has raised £8,000 in little over a month.

The idea is to assist those who cannot be helped through other means. A movement spokeswoman suggested that as well as helping those who had lost jobs, the Pe’ah Fund could benefit elderly people whose relatives could no longer support them financially.

As a complementary activity, a skills bank is also available to members drawing on the expertise of accountants and recruitment specialists.
Liberal Judaism chief executive Danny Rich reported that the fund had brought “a heartening increase in members’ awareness of the financial difficulty experienced by those in their midst.

A number of applications have been made to the fund — both by those in need and by others on their behalf. While I was dismayed to hear of individual difficulty, the fund has succeeded in making people more vigilant about need in the community.”