Over 200 people visited St. John’s Wood Synagogue on Sunday to donate supplies – including food, toiletries, and clothes to Ukrainian refugees. Responding to an urgent call from the charity GIFT, who were sending supplies via Poland to Lviv. The community donated thousands of items with incredible generosity. These supplies went straight to the front-line of the Polish-Ukrainian border to provide much needed support to those who need it.

The collection was boosted by the enthusiastic volunteer support of the Synagogue’s youth, and many others who volunteered to organise, sort, and package the donations as people turned up with entire car boots filled with items.

In the words of Georgia Aaron, 11, who is going to be celebrating her Bat Mitzvah in May, “I really enjoyed helping and it made me feel great seeing how generous people can be and how a community can join together to do something to make an impact!” Allegra Crystal, 13, added It was such a pleasure to be able to help the organisers of SJW sort out the donations for the food and clothes drive to send to Ukraine. It was incredible to see the huge outpour of donations from the extended community, from canned foods, cereal bars, baby essentials and even sleeping bags and pillows. It made me realise how important it is to be in a position to help those who have had to leave their whole world behind and only pack a backpack o if lucky a suitcase and flee to safety. It made me wonder… if I had to fit all my essentials in one bag… what would I pack with me?”

Thanks to Toby and Bracha Weiniger, our Youth directors for organising this outstanding project.