Community Heart of the GRADUATION DAY

An audience of family members recently attended the graduation of participants of The Fed’s Bar-Bat Mitzvah Programme.

The Fed’s Bar-Bat Mitzvah programme recently celebrated another crop of graduates. The programme exposes children aged 12 and 13 from a wide range of local Jewish and secular schools to the culture of giving to and caring for others through charity, kind deeds and getting involved in community work, and was developed by The Fed’s Next-Gen Project Lead, Dan Jeffries and colleague, Fundraiser and Events Planner, Natasha Sarak.

Natasha explained: “By learning about our work and gaining hands-on experience we aimed to help set them up for life to be contributing community ‘doers’ and leaders.” Dan added: “We helped them develop empathy towards others, an awareness of how fortunate they are in comparison to people who lack so much and their own power, even at such a young age, to change things for the better.”

Guest speaker, Head of Religious Studies at Manchester’s King David High School, Rabbi Benji Rickman commented: “The Fed has taken the Bar and Bat Mitzvah programme concept to a whole new level.”

He told graduates: “never see a Jew as being different – whether they wear black coats and fur hats or live somewhere outside of that community. Have eyes to see what other people need and really hear what people are saying, to listen and know when someone says ‘I’m fine’ that they may mean ‘I’m struggling’; feet to run and help; hands to lift people up and support those who are frail or need a helping hand or a hand of friendship.”