Urban Pilgrimage
Submitted to: Interfaith
Posted: February 20 2008
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The capital is set to be the scene of a rather special pilgrimage this March. Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and his dog, Mitzpah are getting ready to embark on a sponsored walk with a difference.
This isn’t just any old sponsored walk, because included in the walk will be 25 stops to sites, institutions and projects which encompass the sense of community spirit and values we all aspire to – each one highlighting cultural, historical and community significance.
Hospitals, hospices and environmental projects are all incorporated into the route, as well as a variety of interfaith stops such as visits to different places of religious worship. The sculpture at Liverpool Street Station will also feature in the walk to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and the work of World Jewish Relief. Dr Rudi Vis MP at The House of Commons will be visited to discuss asylum and environmental issues.
Paul Anticoni, the Chief Executive of WJR, notes "…at World Jewish Relief we are committed to providing support to individuals and communities in need through long-term life-changing projects that will enable them to thrive and be self sustaining. We fully support the work of Rabbi Wittenberg in his quest to communicate the core ethos of our collaborative efforts to support our wider communities and bring assistance and hope to the Jewish people."
Perhaps most importantly, the route will take Rabbi Wittenberg via The House of Lords to discuss the interfaith work between the Muslim and the Jewish communities, and the UJIA (The United Jewish Israel Appeal) offices will provide the chance to discuss projects to work towards reconciliation between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Rabbi Wittenberg has said “…but what's most significant for me is the expression of personal commitment to the values I believe matter most in the world. The walk itself is a kind of modern pilgrimage. I hope to have the privilege of experiencing in a small way what Heschel described when he said after Selma that he felt he had been praying with his feet. I hope also to mark through my route the outline of a response to that vexed and impassioned question which I'm often asked: 'What is Judaism for?'”
The walk is set to commence on March 8th 2008, covering 100 miles of London soil, and will last for one week. To sponsor Rabbi Wittenberg and his dog Mitzpah please go to www.justgiving.com/onerabbiandhisdog
For more information please contact Claire Mandel at execdirector@nnls-masorti.org.uk
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