Community

GIFT help for families over Rosh Hashanah

GIFT volunteers Viviane & Jeremy Goldsmith with children Zac, Daniel, Victoria and twins James and Harry, packing hundreds of Rosh Hashana support parcels for the community

GIFT has been helping individuals and families in need across London, Manchester and Israel with a food packing initiative for Rosh Hashanah.

For almost two decades over 30,000 volunteers have distributed over 500,000 essential food parcels.

GIFT has seen a significant surge in warehouse volunteers these past three years. With a 40% increase in food referrals since March 2020, acts of giving to those in need are intensifying.

As GIFT is supporting over 400 households it continues to make the joy of giving and receiving possible throughout the community’s most predominant time of the year, the month of Tishri.

Families and individuals packed over 1,000 food support parcels for Rosh Hashanah including honey cakes, grape juice, jars of honey and boxes of Yom Tov candles together with dry bags, fresh fruit, vegetables and challah packages to ensure a sweet start to the year.

Viviane Goldsmith and with her family came to pack support parcels on Sunday. They have been volunteering for four years in various capacities. Husband Jeremy collects food weekly from the local Sainsbury’s GIFT collection box and her five children enjoy packing at the Giving Hub.

“Each time our kids are left feeling inspired and wanting to do more to help the community,” she said. “What is so special about GIFT is that kids are able to instantly make the connection between packing the food and it reaching those in need.”

A service user thanked GIFT for constant support. They said, “My condition means I’m unable to get out, even to the shops. Your food parcels are always varied, thoughtful and help me get through the week and the Rosh Hashanah bag is such a treat! I also really look forward to the volunteer’s visit as it’s often my only contact with another person.”

Food parcel packing remains an enjoyable family activity and popular initiative at GIFT.

In the same spirit, GIFT’s education team joined Finchley Federation Synagogue in making up Rosh Hashanah packages, designed cards together with Connect Borehamwood, and decorated honey jars with Bushey Shul.

Yavneh students provided 100 GIFT families with honey cake recipes for the New Year. Families and students noted this was the highlight of their day and inspired them to do even more.

GIFT’s Manchester branch organised a Rosh Hashana parcel wrapping session alongside King David High School students.

GIFT’s Israel branch initiated thousands of Rosh Hashanah cards designed by children in schools across Jerusalem to be given to soldiers and their families.

Rabbi Moshe Feldman was invited to talk about Rosh Hashanah and blow the Shofar at St. Phillips RC School Broughton, in the heart of the Kehillah. Over 300 children and teachers listened intently.

Rabbi Moshe Feldman blowing the Shofar

PHOTO: LAWRENCE PURCELL

A Memorial Service for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll was held Sunday evening in the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation. Attending were; His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Mrs Diane Hawkins, The Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Donna Ludford, Mr Mark Adlestone Chair of Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region, Metro Mayor of Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mr Andy Burnham and Mr Christian Wakeford MP for Bury South.

Kisharon job opportunities for Year 12 students

Eight students from Hasmonean High School and JFS in Kisharon’s year 12 programme started paid work shifts in the summer.

Another wave of recruitment is underway since the start of the new academic year.

Ben, a pupil of Hasmonean High School for Boys, has been making challah with tenants at Montpelier Rise.

He said, “Baking together was a great experience. It proved how inclusive challah baking and the project can be. Together we all made perfect bread for Shabbat.”

Word spread about Kisharon’s recruitment to students and after completing forms and interviews, on accepting the jobs each pupil had online training.

Two hours a week is the minimum working requirement and Kisharon expects the team will settle into regular working patterns. Available shifts are posted on a WhatsApp group and anyone available to work at that time can respond. During the work no one is left unsupervised.

In addition to challah baking, students have signed up to spend quality time with people Kisharon supports on a Shabbat playing games, singing songs and enjoying seudah shlishit with them.

While the project will not ease the serious shortage of support workers that has impacted social care across the UK it will go some way to enhancing the Jewish atmosphere in supported living at Kisharon.

Rachel Ucko, Kisharon’s Community Inclusion Coordinator, said, “The programme has had a really positive impact on the people we support. It’s bringing Jewish energy into Kisharon and we look forward to the next recruitment phase.”

Head of Jewish Living, Sara Levin added, “We are really excited about the project, which we hope will plant seeds for future careers in the minds of some talented and capable individuals in the community. I am delighted that the Year 12 students have begun, and will continue to bring a real boost to Jewish life for people we support.”

To join the programme email Rachel at Rachel.ucko@kisharon.org.uk

Rabbi Shmuli Brown with Broughton Jewish Cassel Fox Primary School year 1 children. He brought his Shofar Factory to the classroom.

Broughton Jewish Year 1 pupils looking closer at this large Shofar

PHOTO: LAWRENCE PURCELL

Souled Musical Selichos with Rabbi Yaakov Klein at the Ohr Yerushalyim Shul, Broughton. This was his first time in Manchester. Starting with a Divrei Chizzuk followed by an inspirational Selichos experience. Rabbi Yaakov Klein is an author, musician and speaker devoted to sharing the inner light of Torah through his books, music and inspiring Shiurim.

AJEX ‘honey bee’ project

Nightingale Honey

AJEX recently funded an inter-generational Beehive project for Nightingale Hammerson at Nightingale House care home in Clapham.

Nightingale’s gardener Phil led an extraction event for residents and children from Apples and Honey Nursery located on the grounds of the house.

The project was possible due to Welfare Officer, Colin Shieff and AJEX Vice President, Arnold Phelops who managed a grant from the AJEX Housing Fund.

The Fund was established from proceeds when the original AJEX house was sold a number of years ago.

Funds support projects at care homes in the UK Jewish community and veteran residents. Funding has been donated to 30 projects. These also include building restorations, furniture, wheelchairs, garden design, sports equipment, a music project in Manchester, memory tables and VE day celebration tea in Leeds.

As part of the project, a series of talks were held. Residents heard about different aspects of beekeeping including uses of beeswax.

Interactive classes included visits to the Apiary, candle making, honey extraction and frame making. Activities also took place in the Nursery, including making a model beehive. Nearly 100 jars of honey were produced

Income from honey sold will be donated back. The project will continue next year, AJEX are looking for volunteers to decorate bees.