Mitzvah Day 2022 was the most ambitious and experimental of all Mitzvah day projects attempted by the Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community (3CLJC) since we were established 14 years ago. We wanted the event to take place on Mitzvah day itself, to encourage the participation of the children in the community and to undertake a social action project which would have an impact and benefit deprived people. We had developed a good relationship with GARAS ( Gloucestershire Action for Asylum and Refugees Seekers), and Adele Owen, Director of GARAS gave a talk following one of our Saturday services, which was very informative.
Following this, and idea was conceived to put on an event for asylum seekers, many of whom were accommodated in hotels in Gloucester. It was decided to focus on families with children. The event was held in a church hall in Gloucester, and we hired the School of Larks, a circus act training group to come along for the afternoon.
The event was highly successful, with our community providing fabulous home made cakes, biscuits, sandwiches, drinks and fresh fruit. We also had extensive donations of children’s books, toys and games for the families to take away with them. The School of Larks kept the children (and some adults) of the asylum seekers and our own community children brilliantly entertained for two hours.
This was a great success, considering this was the first time we have attempted this type of project, and is an encouragement for future similar events.