BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/11/2007

Help for Belarus Jews

by: Leslie Bunder

Over 300 people between the ages of 5 and 90 have taken part in The Jewish Community for London (JCC) Mitzvah Day to help pack 384 boxes of humanitarian aid to benefit the Jewish community in Belarus where of the 70,000 Jews there, half are living below the poverty line.

The participants spent the day at World Jewish Relief's (WJR) warehouse in Neasden, north west London to fill the boxes which will be distributed by the orgaisation. Among the 10,000 items to help Jews in eastern Europe were clothing, children's toys, personal sanitary items and bedding.

As well as packing at WJR, volunteers from Radlett and Bushey Reform and Radlett United Synagogue were packing up over 120 boxes themselves at their own synagogues.

"The humanitarian aid sent by World Jewish Relief gives immediate help to many thousands of people," said WJR's Rosalind Bluestone. "Often these people do not have coats or shoes for the winter. They have to make daily choices as to whether to buy medicines, or food."

Source:

http://www.somethingjewish.co.uk/articles/2571_help_for_belarus_jew.htm