It is traditional on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to make tzedakah - acts of charity - which has its roots in the word for “justice” or “righteousness” and it is these meanings which have informed our choice of charities to support this year alongside our own community. We have chosen a local Leicester charity and an Israeli cause that is very close to our hearts at Neve Shalom:
Our local charity choice: is Leicester City of Sanctuary, which has been supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Leicester since 2007, supporting them to rebuild their lives, develop their skills and feel part of the community. The charity, with support from over 90 volunteers, provides emotional and practical support to hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers living in poverty and uncertainty, in an increasingly hostile environment. They receive a range of support, including hot meals, language classes, legal support, sport and arts opportunities, clothing and play activities for children. As a member of the nationwide City of Sanctuary movement, supporting Leicester City of Sanctuary also means supporting a nationwide movement of welcome across the UK. As many of us, myself included, descend from refugee families, it feels very fitting to be supporting the City of Sanctuary charity in the current climate of fear and hostility towards migrants.
Our Israeli cause: is Neve Shalom, Oasis of Peace, after whom our community is named. Neve Shalom (Hebrew: נְוֵה שָׁלוֹם, lit. 'Oasis of Peace'), also known as Wahat as-Salam (Arabic: واحة السلام)[2] is a cooperative village in Israel, jointly founded in 1970s by Israeli Jews and Arabs in an attempt to show that the two peoples can live side-by-side peacefully, as well as to conduct educational work for peace, equality and understanding between the two peoples. The village, with 300 residents, is located midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The school in Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom, a village of Palestinian and Jewish families, is fully bilingual, with equal hours of instruction in Arabic and Hebrew for 250 children. The community has also widened its efforts by establishing the School for Peace, a training centre for activists, academics, and civil servants. Some eighty thousand people have completed the School for Peace’s courses, which aim to turn citizens of Israel, both Palestinian and Jewish, into agents of change. Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam provides no definitive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It does demonstrate how one group of courageous, idealistic, and thoughtful individuals is struggling to mediate the tensions inherent in the conflict: “We break the rules, we break the stereotype, the brainwashing of the Israeli mainstream that peace isn’t possible,” Salaime said. “We have to win this and offer a different agenda.”
Our final cause: is our own community of Neve Shalom. We don’t have a specific fundraising target, but all donations will support our events and maintenance of our beautiful building.
Donations will automatically be split equally between the two charities and our synagogue unless advised by you otherwise. Please email our Treasurer if you wish for your donation to be split differently. You can donate via our CAF Donate page by clicking the button below.
