Mitzvah Day honours its best of the year, as voted for by JC readers

She said the projects got people involved in social action, enhanced relations between different faiths and groups and made life in participating communities that little bit better.

A prime example example of this was the winner of the outstanding Mitzvah Day award, Newcastle’s United Hebrew Congregation, an ageing community of around 200, whose members engaged in filling festive boxes for a homeless charity, knitting blankets for the needy, and hats for Israeli soldiers, and collecting canned and dried goods for a local food bank. Two of the key participants in the knitting enterprise were Irene Gatoff, aged 100, and Sybil Vyner, 96.

Presenting the award to UHC vice-president Gerald Stern, JC editor Stephen Pollard said the paper was proud to be associated “with the wonderful, inspirational Mitzvah Day.

“For me, by a factor of about a thousand, this is the best communal event of the year.”

Mr Stern told the JC he was thrilled at the accolade, especially in the context of being a small community. “We feel we punched above our weight.

“At times the community feels demoralised and isolated so to have been recognised is particularly pleasing.”

He paid tribute to project co-ordinators Brenda Levinson and Adrienne Ross.

Another small congregation, Northwood United Synagogue, took the interfaith prize.

A team of Northwood volunteers helped out at a lunch club for the homeless organised by a Pentecostal church in Watford, with which the synagogue has built a close relationship. Members also made gift packs for the lonely and elderly in Hertfordshire and donated and distributed goods to a food bank.

South Hampstead High was honoured in the youth category, pupils having collected food and sanitary products for charities and run an upcycling project, transforming old T-shirts into tote bags.

Handing out the “going greener” award, reflecting the Mitzvah Day 2019 theme, Rabbi Jeffrey Newman observed that the “Jewish community is at last beginning to catch up with its responsibilities” towards the environment.

The winning group was Friends of Harrow Weald. New to Mitzvah Day, its project brought together existing volunteers, shul members, local residents and brownies to plant hundreds of bulbs, clear overgrown areas and pick up litter.

Melbourne resident Caroline Heard exclaimed “I’m amazed” as Mitzvah Day Australia was announced as the international category winner.

Australia has been a long-term Mitzvah Day partner and there were more than 50 projects across the nation last year.

Ms Heard had come to London via Israel, where she attended a Wizo centenary celebration — her Melbourne Wizo group, Masada, is the largest in Australia with 250 members.

She told the JC that local supporters had filled more than 50 Mitzvah Day Australia bags with items to help Jewish and non-Jewish families in need.

Mitzvah Day had not only positively raised the profile of Jews within Australia at a time of growing antisemitism. It had made the community feel more connected to Jews elsewhere.

A staunch advocate of Mitzvah Day’s environmentally conscious stance — “my weekly landfill refuse is one bread bag” — Ms Heard also applauded its wider mission.

“If you don’t drip feed people to be charitable, and to know what a mitzvah is, then we are lost.”

Wrapping up, Mitzvah Day founder Laura Marks said the quality of work undertaken by volunteers worldwide was ever more impressive. It was a powerful gift to bring people together “on something we all agree on”.

In another eco-friendly move, the “nasty plastic” award trophies had been replaced by more attractive wooden mementos.

She added that with the awards for 2019 presented, it was time for project leaders to begin planning their 2020 activities. So keep November 15 free.