One-hundred organisations have already signed up to participate in the eighth Mitzvah Day of good deeds on November 18.

Synagogues, youth and student groups, schools, interfaith organisations and businesses will be taking part in the community’s biggest day of social action.

For 2012, Mitzvah Day is part of A Year of Service, a government-backed initiative encouraging people of all faiths to volunteer together. An increasing number of Mitzvah Day projects involve Jews working alongside a wide range of other faith organisations. There will be at least 40 multifaith ventures.

Offices can take part on the preceding Friday (November 16), through the associated Give Away Your Lunch, designed to support the homeless.Employees will be encouraged to buy extra food for distribution by charities.
Mitzvah Day projects range from Ilford Jewish Primary pupils collecting toys for Camp Simcha to the Jersey community tracking down Judaica for use in former Soviet Union countries.