21st November is National Sewa Day and Mitzvah Day. The Temple has joined forces with Alyth North Western Reform Synagogue which has registered for Mitzvah Day and the Parish Church in Golders Green.

What is National Sewa Day & Mitzvah Day?

The National Sewa Day (NSD) initiative recognises the need for local people especially Black and Ethnic Minority communities  to take the responsibility for overcoming the societal challenges of disadvantage and deprivation by harnessing resources and talents that exist within their communities.

The three key principles of National Sewa Day are :

• Relief Of Poverty And Hardship
• Helping The Enviroment
• Bringing Joy Where None Exists
  

See Natinal Sewa Day website for more details

Mitzvah Day is a similar Jewish led day of social action.  On Mitzvah Day, around the world, thousands of people take part in hands on projects, without fundraising, to support existing charities and to build stronger communities.

See Mitzvah Day Website for more details

Recognising the significant influence that Faith has on inspiring action in communities, the Temple is playing a major role in a revolutionary idea of shared interfaith visions - leaving aside differences and focusing on the common ground.

At the recent launch of the National Sewa Day campaign, the Temple’s spiritual leader of, His Divine Holiness Acharya Swamishree Purushottampriyadasji Maharaj inspired action by saying ”Lord Swaminarayan has said in his code of conduct that service (sewa) is a primary duty (dharma), sewa to socierty must be our mantra and in this lies true liberation for the soul.”

Arup Ganguly, Chairman of the NSD Committee said, “Clearly, one day isn’t going to make a significant difference but it is hoped that National Sewa Day will lead to habit formation - that folks who take part this year will make volunteering a part of their regular routine. It is also hoped that the thousands of people taking part in this year’s event will send out a very powerful message to the other 60 million people in the UK and encourage them to step forward next year.”

Laura Marks Chair of Mitzvah Day says "Mitzvah Day is delighted to be working with the Hindu community to promote social action within and beyond our own communities."

Rabbi Goldsmith from Golders Green Alyth North Western Reform Synagogue added “I sincerely hope that our sharing and working together with the Temple on 21st November will help to lead us more and more into the habit of being the kind of people that we should be for a better world...locally..nationally and internationally.”

November 21st therefore will be the day for local communities from all faiths and backgrounds to unite with the common vision to create a better world locally, nationally and internationally by harnessing local talents and goodwill.

What is our Temple doing?

Shree Swaminarayan Temple Golders Green has teamed up with Alyth North Western Reform Synagogue and Golders Green Parish Church to:

Sunshine For Seniors...Bringing Joy Where None Exists

Time 11.30am to 1.30pm
Entertaining the elderly and housebound residents of Barnet at Golders Green Temple to bring ‘Sunshine to Seniors’ with dance, music and culinary delights. Volunteers will pick-up, collect and care for residents throughout the day.

 

Time 2.30pm - 4.00pm
Entertainers from all three faiths will also visit Lady Sarah Cohen House and entertain the residents.

 

National Sewa Day and Mitzva Day Sainsbury’s Shopping Stalls...Relief Of Poverty And Hardship

Time 11.00am to 2.30pm
We will be setting up shopping stalls outside two Sainsbury’s branches in Golders Green to collect items of shopping that will be distributed to Barnet Refugee Services and the homeless in Brent.

Volunteers from the faiths will man the stalls and Alyth Synagogue’s 40 strong choir will be entertaining the shoppers.

 

Collectathon...Helping The Enviroment

Holding a ‘Collectathon’ - collecting unused unwanted spectacles that will be given to Vision Aid International for distribution to those in developing countries who are disadvantaged by poor vision.

Specially crafted collection bins will be housed at the Temple, Alyth Synagogue and The Parish Church.

You can help make a massive difference, in a very simple way

Sunshine for seniors If you know someone elderly who is normally house bound and would like to be entertained and brought to the Temple by our volunteers, or want to help as a volunteer then please email your request to pr.london@swaminarayangadi.com before 7th November.
Collectathon Give the ‘gift of sight’ to a stranger who can’t afford the eye care to help them see properly, and open their eyes to a new world! Vision Aid International will distribute these to the many such deprived people in the developing world. If you have spectacles you are no longer using then please drop them in one of the bins on or before 21st November.
National Sewa Day and Mitzva Day Sainsbury's Shopping Stalls...Relief of Poverty and Hardship Help provide emergency access to food for the local deprived, homeless and destitute this winter. By shopping donating an item of your shooping on 21st November. Volunteers from the church synagogue and the temple will be collecting outside Sainsbury's stores on Finchley Road and Golders Green Road

All donations will go to the Barnet Refugee Service and Homeless Action in Brent.