Unprompted, a refugee child stuck this happy drawing on the wall at our Refugee Week Shabbat, on 17th June 23. BPS marked Refugee Week by welcoming interfaith visitors, refugees and asylum seekers to share our Shabbat service, kiddush and lunch.
Leading the service, BPS member Debbie Goodkin mentioned the terrible loss of life off the coast of Greece as asylum seekers fleeing war and persecution tried to reach safety.
Refugee Week Shabbat built on BPS’s Three Faiths Iftar in April, marking Pesach, Ramadan and Easter coinciding. Our many Muslim and Christian visitors were very appreciative. Shenaz, a Muslim woman, wrote, ‘Absolutely enjoyed the Shabbat service. Such a warm welcome. Felt like home. Thank you.’
At kiddush, BPS Chair Clive Neuberg welcomed our visitors, telling his father's story of arriving as a child refugee from Nazi Germany, and going on to build a life in the UK. Then we welcomed over 60 people for lunch, including 20-25 refugees and asylum seekers, Iranians, Iraqi Kurds, Afghanis and Hondurans, all living in temporary accommodation locally. Delicious vegetarian food came from SHOF, a refugee-run catering business https://www.facebook.com/Grab.2Eat/ Artist Sally Harper ran a creative arts workshop that kept people stitching and talking together.
It was a pleasure to see people enjoying the food, relaxing and connecting. We are drawing on the Jewish community's refugee history – and sharing it with refugees and asylum-seeking families today, who look forward similarly to contributing to our national life here in the UK. BPS member and ex-refugee Ruth Shire wrote afterwards, ‘I feel that sort of special meeting is OUR job and we are there to do it.’
BPS is grateful for funding from Celebrating Sanctuary, which covered some of the food, travel and room hire, as well as the art workshop. Thanks also to everyone in our energetic Rolling Up Our Sleeves team who brought food, helped set up and clear up, and contributed to security to make a safe and enjoyable event – great team-building and community-building, and very much appreciated.