The Jewish community in London is a vibrant and diverse one, with different levels of celebration and observance of the festivals. Nizam, a senior director of Mosaic and Community Integration at The Prince's Trust, has a passion for understanding the mechanisms of building trust within and between communities, including their relationship with forced migration and internal displacement. He has been working in the London volunteer sector to create safe spaces for people to share their realities, raise awareness and explore the issues that interest them. Briony and her team are also actively engaging with LGBT+ communities to ensure that those in power hear their voices.
U3A members have reported the main benefits of being part of the U3A learning model in terms of trust, feeling supported in new communities, learning new skills, combating loneliness, feeling valued and enjoying life. Sukkot is celebrated from sunset on Friday, September 29th to sunset on Saturday, October 7th for most Jewish communities outside of Israel. Although fixed in the Jewish calendar, the exact date of the festival varies because Jewish months are based on the lunar year. It ends at nightfall on Friday, October 6th for some liberal Jewish communities and for Jews living in Israel.
The efforts taken to promote diversity and inclusion within the Jewish community in London are varied and wide-reaching. From creating safe spaces for people to share their realities to working closely with LGBT+ communities to ensure that those in power hear their voices, these initiatives are helping to foster a sense of belonging and trust within the community.
