Chesed & Welfare
Hadley Wood
Chesed Comedy Bingo
Target Audience: Over 70s
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Description: It is a twice yearly 2 hour afternoon tea with a different theme each time - completely free of charge​
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Aim: To bring some of the more senior members together socially
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Why was it a success? Great atmosphere, good entertainment, good food, good energy, free of charge, well looked after.
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: Get entertainment for your target audience, change it around, be generous with the food, lots of tea and coffee, lots of staff looking after them, make it all about them!
Melanie Joseph, Chesed Chairlady
Edgware
Event with Jewish Women's Aid
Target Audience: Everyone in the community
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Description: This was a Zoom event, as at the time we were limiting in-person events. The volunteer from JWA spoke for around 40 minutes about different issues surrounding domestic abuse and then opened up for questions.​
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Aim: To educate and inform the community about issues of domestic violence in the Jewish community, how we can spot this and what to do in different situations.
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Why was it a success? It was a success because it is a vitally important subject and it is important that we ensure everyone is educated about this. The leader giving the address was really good, spoke very clearly, concisely and with great sympathy which is vital for such a delicate subject.
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: It would be better in person, and also think communities need to work hard to ensure people are aware this is not just an event for woman but for everyone.
Avi Son, Community Development Manager
Barnet
Chanuka cards for the elderly
Target audience: Children and the elderly
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Description: The children in the community designed Channuka cards for the elderly, sent via pre-paid envelopes given by the shul
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Aim: To give the elderly some Channuka cheer and put a smile on their face
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: This can be done at any time of year. Make sure you have the relevant permissions re the addresses
Karen Wilfin, Administrator
Mill Hill
Chill Out Zone
Target Audience: Parents and children
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Description: We provided a quiet room with water, fidget toys, books, chairs so that people who might be experiencing a sensory overload could still be within the shul, still have a positive experience and still feel welcome within our community.​
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Aim: We wanted to give people a space to relax and regain composure if the noise and number of people became too much. Especially for families who have children with extra needs.
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Why was it a success? It was used by a small number of parents but I think mostly people felt pleased it was there!
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: It's very easy and well worth doing! The community responded so positively to it when we emailed out and posted on Fb about it.
Kellie Leigh, Vice Chair
Finsbury Park
Shabbat Food Project
Target audience: Most vulnerable members
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Description: Ongoing weekly project, cooking food for Shabbat in the shul to deliver to the most vulnerable members. Project is paid for via donations
Aim: To encourage people to take part in Mitzvah day and take part in good deeds.
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Why was it a success? It is very much needed, very appreciated by recipients and give vulnerable members a sense they are not alone.
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: Set out criteria based on vulnerability - this is difficult and challenging. Make sure volunteers for cooking and delivering are planned suitably in advance.
Maytal Charing, Chair
Edgware United
Mitzvah Day - Selfless Selfie
Target audience: Everyone, with a special focus on youth
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Description: People were encouraged to perform mitzvot on mitzvah day, take pictures of themselves doing it and send those pictures in. There were also specific projects that we recommended people take part in. There was a prize for the youth member whose parents sent in the most pictures of mitzvot.
Aim: To encourage people to take part in Mitzvah day and take part in good deeds.
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Why was it a success? It allowed people to get involved in mitzvah day in a way they were comfortable with, possibly even from their own homes.
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: Reaching out to people individually to ask them to get involved in an event like this is a great way to ensure success.
Avi Son, Community Development Manager
Edgware
Living with BRCA
Target Audience: Everyone in the community
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Description: This was a Zoom event. Sara retold her experiences of living with a BRCA gene mutation, including two lots of major preventative surgery as well as her family history leading to this and some of the science behind BRCA gene mutations.​
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Aim: To raise awareness of the likelihood of being a BRCA gene carrier if you are Jewish.
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Why was it a success? It was a success because many people attended, many good questions were posed and awareness of BRCA was raised
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: Please get in touch and we can help.
Sara Balabanoff, EUS Member
Woodford Forest
Community Conversation
Target audience: Adults​
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Description: Continue a pre COVID-19 event, we moved his online, taking place monthly. It is a chance for the community to speak to each other, normally with a focus from our JAMI rep. Breakout rooms are used and meaningful conversations take place
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Aim: To give an opportunity for members to talk to each other in a safe environment with our trained rep from JAMI
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Why was this a success? Gives people a space to talk that they wouldn't have otherwise
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Advice for communities looking to replicate: We have found that it's better to not outwardly advertise it as a "JAMI" or "mental health" event, as it may put some off. The converse is it is important people know the actual format of the event.
Rabbi Wollenberg, Rabbi