17 July 2017

The community at Ealing Liberal Synagogue (ELS) raised £5,425 at a special fun day event, with the money going to the Abraham’s Tent Project to turn part of South London Liberal Synagogue into a home for a refugee family.

The fun day included everything from a bake off and bridge lessons to kids’ board games and a meet and greet with Elsa from Frozen. There was also live music, singing and a table tennis tournament.

A silent auction was the biggest fundraiser of the day, with people bidding on a rare signed Gareth Bale football shirt, £1,000 to spend in luxury fashion retailer Rag and Bone, holidays in the UK and aboard, jewellery, shopping vouchers and more.

Guests at the event included local MP Stephen Pound, who successfully bid for West End theatre tickets in the auction, and Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich.

Ealing’s Rabbi Janet Burden said: “The Abraham’s Tent project is so inspiring – in terms of both its intent and practicality – that we wanted to do as much as possible to raise funds for it. I would like to thank all who attended on the day, and/or bid in the auction online, for their amazing generosity.

“As well as raising lots of money, the fun day also showed the strength of our community. It was organised jointly by one of our newer and younger members Emma Nicolet and synagogue stalwart Linda Fraser. Together they put on a super event that brought in lots of people, of all ages, which was enjoyable from start to finish.”

The ELS donation means that South London Liberal Synagogue has now raised more than £30,000 towards its Abrahams’s Tent target of £50,000. Once the total is reached, part of the synagogue building, that was formally used as a caretaker’s flat, will be refurbished to provide a much needed home for a family of Syrian refugees. There have been more than 150 donors so far, and the synagogue is working closely with Lambeth Council.