A Priest and a Rabbi walk into a castle. No, it’s not the start of a joke, but the beginning of a meaningful and memorable journey.

Rabbi Neil Janes from South Bucks Jewish Community and Father Stuart Owen, Rector of St Peter’s Church Berkhamsted, have begun a four-day pilgrimage – titled the Soul Food Walk – from Wallingford Castle in Oxfordshire to Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire to raise money for the Trussell Trust and the Hunger Project.

Their route retraces the steps of an event from 1242 – when the Jewish population of Berkhamsted was forcibly moved to Wallingford – while stopping at places that positively impact the community in the modern age. The walk starts today and is timed to take in both Sukkot and the Christian Harvest Festival.

As they set off, they said: “We want to thank organisations that enrich the local community and recognise the many different ways in which our humanity is fed, including faith, sports, the arts, politics, healthcare, education and others.

“Both the Jewish and Christian traditions celebrate harvest festivals at this time when we give thanks for the food that nourishes our bodies, and this year, we wanted to combine that celebration with an act of thanksgiving for all those experiences which also nourish our souls.”

A website with updates and donation links can be found here. Watch Rabbi Neil interviewed by Trisha about the Soul Food Walk below.