NLJC makes a special High Holy Day charity appeal each year during which we collect and transmit donations on behalf of our community. Members of our congregation choose the charities to be supported each year.
We aim to support two charities a year, raising donations during the High Holy Days and over the Channukah period. We try to choose a Norfolk or British charity and one that is based in Israel. This year we are again supporting 2 charities: New Routes Integration and Norwich Foodbank.
Its aims are:
- To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.
- To develop the capacity and skills of the disadvantaged minority ethnic individuals and communities of Norwich to support the fulfillment of potential and enable active involvement in society.
- To contribute towards social and racial cohesion by building positive images and new connections among people of different backgrounds; thereby integrating marginalised people into the wider community.
2. Hagar: Jewish-Arab Education for Equality
http://www.hagar.org.il/en/home
Hagar is dedicated to creating a shared space for Jewish and Arab residents of the Negev, a space based on the foundtions of multiculturalism, bilinguialism and equality. Through the establishment of bilingual, integrated schools and a vibrant shared community, Hagar provides sustainable alternatives for civic engagement, education and pedagogy, which bring hope for a more peaceful future in the region.
And given the impact the current economy is having on poor families, there has scarcely been a more crucial time to support the Norwich Food Bank, a local charity. NLJC members, along with other members of the local Council of Christians and Jews chapter, have also volunteered at the Norwich Food Bank. NLJC collects & drops off non-perishable foods for the Norwich Food Bank regularly.
Norwich foodbank provides crisis food parcels to thousands of people across the Greater Norwich area every year. But it also helps to provide much more than food by linking its clients with other partner agencies which can provide vital assistance to those in need in areas such as debt counselling, care services and family support for example.
Norwich foodbank has also discovered that many clients are interested in nil or low-cost activities that are happening in their area but they cannot easily find what is available.
This website aims to provide Norwich foodbank volunteers, their clients and anyone else who is interested in easy access to information from the numerous caring agencies, statutory bodies, voluntary agencies, charities and churches that operate across Greater Norwich.
Some of our previous chosen charities:
Kids Court in Conflict (Yachad Youth)
Yachad Youth is a group of young Zionist leaders from across the religious spectrum in the UK. They want to see Israel thrive as a sanctuary for the Jewish people that stays true to the democratic, tolerant and peaceful ideals it was founded upon. They believe that if someone has committed a crime, they should be held accountable. Israel has a duty to ensure that it is a safe and secure nation. However, they also believe that every person is entitled to due legal process and that Palestinian children should have access to a lawyer throughout their judicial process.
We have supported Ma’ayan baBustan (or in Arabic, Ein Bustan). It is the first Jewish/Arab Waldorf kindergarten in Israel. Smile Train and Shaare Zedek are others.