Immanuel Showcase Social Action at Pears Foundation Training Day

Wednesday, 31st October 2007

?The Social Action for Jewish Schools Network? was launched on Wednesday 31st October by the Pears Foundation when 15 teachers from a variety of Jewish Primary and Secondary Schools participated in an Inset Training Day on Social Action and Social Justice in schools.

Elaine Robinson, Deputy Director of Jewish Life at Immanuel College, facilitated the day which included workshops on how to integrate Social Action projects into the school curriculum, as well as a practical session with many of the leading Jewish Charities who run projects in the schools.

The showcase of the day was a presentation by Immanuel College students who simulated a ?Day in the Life of Tikun School? and highlighted many of the projects that they have launched in Immanuel, including: the Yoni Jesner Award Scheme which requires pupils in Years 7-9 to complete a prescribed number of volunteering hours during the school year; ( they are awarded a certificate by the Chief Rabbi if they do so; ?Manna from Heaven?, the meals prepared once a week by Immanuel pupils for 70 local homeless people under the auspices of the Watford New Hope Trust; the Sierra Leone Poverty Relief project; Act for Darfur Campaign; World Jewish Relief; and the Environmental Campaign which pupils ran at the school.

Participants said that the day was both inspiring and practical and that they were motivated to launch various social action projects within their own schools.

The Pears Foundation announced that they would be allocating £10,000 to a Social Action for Schools Fund, from which schools could apply for a small grant to set up their own social action projects.

Elaine was thrilled with the way the day went and said that this is the way to inspire young people. ?As Jews we have an obligation to involve ourselves in Social Action and Social Justice issues. If we don?t start in the schools we have lost another generation. I am very excited to see what creative and productive projects the young people themselves come up with and to see the Jewish Community as a whole striving to make a difference in the world.