United Synagogue’s Chesed department has opened a new purpose-built warehouse in Bushey, Hertfordshire, to provide weekly essential food parcels to roughly 150 households in the Jewish community.

The Chief Rabbi, Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP and The Mayor of Hertsmere, Councillor Richard Butler, were among the special guests in attendance at the celebratory opening of the Chesed Hub this week, which will foster a continuation of the work the Chesed team has already been carrying out for a number of years.

The foodstuffs will go to elderly people, those who are struggling financially, people who have a spouse in hospital and are unable to cook and those who have just come home from hospital and need help with meals until they are back on their feet.

A volunteer at Chesed Hub packs food for families in need. (Photo: Leivi Saltman)

Special items are provided during the Jewish holidays, such as honey cakes for Rosh Hashanah, Mishloach Manot for Purim, and food parcels for Pesach. The Chesed Hub also offers an opportunity for United Synagogue volunteers to check in with members and offer support if needed.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who affixed the mezuzah to the door frame of the new warehouse, said: “The new Chesed Hub is not just the hub of the US Chesed, it’s the hub of our United Synagogue because performing acts of kindness is at the centre of who we are and what we do. Chesed defines us - it’s what we always want to do, and it is our hope and aspiration to inspire others.”

Leivi Saltman Photography

Local MP Oliver Dowden reflected on the “wonderful” United Synagogue synagogues he has in his constituency – Borehamwood, Bushey, Radlett and Shenley – and his visits to those communities over the years.

He said: “The wonderful shuls in my constituency regularly come together to work for the benefit of the wider community. I want to wish everyone an early Sweet New Year, and we certainly need it after one of the most challenging years in the history of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

As well as providing for the Jewish community, Chesed also supports the wider local community. With their recent stationery drive, Chesed and several partner charities were able to provide over 350 filled pencil cases for children returning to school. A similar drive will take place in December for the donation of toys and festive gifts.

Left to right: Sharon Daniels, Head of US Chesed; Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP; Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis; Cllr Richard Butler, Mayor of Hertsmere; Jo Grose, US CEO; Michael Goldstein, US President. (Photo: Leivi Saltman)

Sharon Daniels, head of chesed and volunteering at the United Synagogue, said the organisation was previously based “in the garage at the United Synagogue’s central office as a temporary set-up”, whereas the new “bespoke” warehouse and dedicated hub coordinator will allow the team to “provide a better service and a nicer environment for our volunteers”.

“A very big thank you to the donors who made both the building and the food purchasing possible,” Daniels said. “Chesed means ‘loving-kindness’ and is about helping our community and also the wider community, and we hope to expand what we are able to offer as a result of this new hub.”