Bushey Synagogue has been nominated as one of the finalists for the Mitzvah Day 365 Award for its Bushey Gives Back social action programme.

This programme, the first of its kind, was initiated back in 2017 in response to the overwhelming success of Mitzvah Day where so many members of the Bushey Synagogue community volunteered their time and energy, it was obvious that one day a year was not enough.

Bushey Gives Back allows members of the Bushey Synagogue community to be involved and give back to both their own and the surrounding local community through social action initiatives all the way throughout the year. Since its formation over two years ago, its initiatives have included numerous cooking events for refugees and homeless shelters including for the Watford New Hope Trust and US Asylum Seekers Centre, packing warm winter bags for Small Acts of Kindness each October and November, collections for several charities including Goods for Good, Sals Shoes and Noahs Ark Children’s Hospice, tidying gardens for Watford General, organisation of the United Synagogue’s first B’Nei Mitzvah Fair connecting Bar and Bat Mitzvah children with 12 different charities, setting up of the Gift of Challah involving over 100 volunteers, putting on musical teas for surrounding care homes and joining forces with neighbouring religious communities such as on Sadaqa day.

The initiatives involve all ages from nursery children to our over 80's and the number of projects and members volunteering grows each year.

By name or by nature, Bushey really does give back!

By Sarah Zackheim, Vice Chairman Bushey Synagogue