Helping refugees on Mitzvah Day
An old Jewish saying says, “Old minds have the to create history, and young minds have the power to change history”. A few days ago on Mitzvah Day I saw how true that saying is. Falling on a Sunday in November each year, Mitzvah Day is a day when Jewish people come together to give their time and effort to social action and community. This year the children (and parents) of Brondesbury Park Synagogue in north-west London came together to support local refugees and asylum seekers. They collected toiletries and gifts at our local Sainsbury’s throughout the day, and people …
The trauma of Afghan children
Some of the little Afghan girls and boys I see at our distributions seem so sad it’s unbearable. They’re so quiet and withdrawn, and while some just want to be with their mums, others seem quite detached from everything. At our last distribution, a little boy of about six came along with his mum, but then just found a child’s chair, sat down facing the wall, and stayed like that. He didn’t want to move, or talk, or interact with the other children at all. We tried very gently to encourage him to join in the playing, but he …
Lord Dubs’ Visit To Calais
Last week, we were delighted to welcome Lord Alf Dubs to Calais and take him to meet some of our friends living in the area. The Labour peer came to the UK as a child refugee in 1939 and has spent his political career campaigning against injustice. Lord Dubs has never given up on the many young people in northern France who have been abandoned by our government and he is continuing to fight for them today. “These are the forgotten children on Britain’s doorstep,” he says. “We’ve abandoned them. I’m so angry about it.” We have the greatest respect …
