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Archbishop congratulates students for Mitzvah Day deeds

Thursday 2nd December 2010

As part of the annual meeting of the Presidents of the Council of Christians and Jews, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, today invited children from four Jewish and Christian Schools to Lambeth Palace, to receive certificates and congratulations for their efforts on Mitzvah Day.

The event was attended by distinguished guests from the CCJ's Chairman's Circle and Friends and by the Jewish and Christian Presidents of the CCJ.  Lord Sacks (the Chief Rabbi), Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield (Head of the Movement for Reform Judaism), The Revd Michael Heaney (Free Churches Moderator) and The Rt Revd John Christie (Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland) presented certificates to pupils from North West London Jewish Day School with their Mitzvah Day partners Christ Church CE School in Kilburn and Ilford Jewish Primary School who partnered with St Augustines Catholic Primary School.

Mitzvah Day is the Jewish national day of volunteering.  Now in its fifth year it engages 18,000 volunteers in a wide range of social action including collecting food for the homeless, repainting schools, sending clothes to Darfur and entertaining the elderly.  It increasingly provides an opportunity for different faith groups to work side by side to make a difference, and this year coincided with the beginning of National Inter Faith Week.

The Archbishop said of the day:

"The Jewish community should be proud of what they achieve each Mitzvah Day.  I am also proud that through the committed work of the Council of Christians and Jews   increasing numbers of Anglican and Jewish groups are coming together both to build bridges and to make a difference to those in our society who, from time to time, need a helping hand"

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