The United Synagogue

Finchley Synagogue Responds To Urgent Need For US Welfare Support

PRESS RELEASE

London,
29th September 2009

FINCHLEY SYNAGOGUE RESPONDS TO URGENT NEED FOR US WELFARE SUPPORT

Recognising the current financial climate and the increasing demand for the United Synagogue's welfare services, Finchley United Synagogue took Project Chesed's Rosh Hashanah appeal one step further this year and produced appeal cards where members could pledge how they intended to use their time effectively.

With Project Chesed, the US' charitable arm, calling on US members to volunteer for its Community Care Groups, Finchley's Rabbi Mirvis dedicated his Rosh Hashanah sermon to appealing for congregants' time to assist those in the community less fortunate than themselves. Members were asked to pledge time to a number of urgently required services including hospital visits, delivering of food parcels, bereavement support, transport provision and shopping assistance.

During his sermon, Rabbi Mirvis handed out an American survey which looked at how people used their time, and the results demonstrated that people spent more time sleeping and watching TV than they did speaking to children or partners. Rabbi Mirvis then encouraged Finchley's members to use their time more effectively and appealed to them to help the community in whatever way they could.

The United Synagogue's campaign is intended to assist communities who are facing a real and urgent need for volunteers as many members are living longer than ever (close to 11,500 members are aged 70 or over) and also many care groups have expanded outside the traditional welfare provided for older members and are now reaching out to younger members in need of support as well.

Candice Woolfson, Director of Project Chesed, commented: "In these challenging financial times, we are asking our members to provide time and effort supporting the US Community Care Groups which do vital and urgent work in the communities and do not have nearly enough volunteers for all the activity required. We are grateful to Rabbi Mirvis and Finchley's Vice-Chair Howard Rubenstein for promoting the campaign so widely, and however much time members have to spare, they can genuinely make a real difference to others in their community."

Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis of Finchley United Synagogue said "There was an incredible sense of the community coming together to find time to help those who need it most."

Jon Mendelsohn, Chairman of Finchley United Synagogue commented that the community is in the midst of a £1.5 million refurbishment project and members have been generous with their financial support to the rebuilding. "Now we have had a fantastic reaction from our members to give us their most precious asset - their time."


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