Mitzvah Day 2014: ‘Social action goes a lot further than donating money for charity’

Pupils from Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School taking part in Mitzvah Day with Lee Scott, MP For Ilford North and John Clifton, of the Salvation Army. (Image: Archant)

That is the view of Deborah Harris, the Jewish Studies Lead at Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School, Forest Road, Redbridge, who believes Mitzvah Day teaches us how those less fortunate than ourselves live.

“It goes a lot further than donating money for charity for our children can see how other people live,” said Ms Harris, who has helped organise Mitzvah Day at the school since it started in 2005.

“It is important because our pupils, thank god, are fortunate to live in a home and buy a pen and pencil when they want.”

The primary school will run two different events to mark Mitzvah Day this year on the specially organised schools’ day on November 14 - two days before official event.

One project will be run with charity Camp Simcha, which will see children distributing toys in hospitals to ill children.

The school will also produce notebooks to give to charity Onechild Ghana to develop education in the African country.

Ms Harris’ pupils will also collect pens and pencils to give to Ghanian schoolchildren.

“For us as a school it is good for the children to understand charity does not just involve money,” she said.

“It is good for them to understand that other things take time. The school children are so poor - all they have to write on is a piece of paper just cut down the side.

“Making notebooks for them is something so simple for our kids to do, but to others it will mean so much.”

Ms Harris added the children get “very excited” each year in planning Mitzvah Day activities.

The school hall will also be decorated in green - the Mitzvah Day colour.

Are you organising an event for Mitzvah Day on November 16? We’d love to hear from you. Email harry.kemble@archant.co.uk or call him on 020 8477 3825.