As part of a month of Mitzvah Day-related activities, St Katharine Cree and Bevis Marks Synagogue celebrated the opening of the City Interfaith Community Garden, a new shared space supported by local faith communities. The occasion was marked by the participation of the Senior Rabbi of the Spanish & Portuguese Sephardi community, Joseph Dweck and the Archdeacon of London, The Ven Luke Miller, alongside clergy and congregants from both communities.
The garden – tucked away behind St Katharine Cree, a short walk from Bevis Marks Synagogue – has been regenerated over the past six weeks through a joint effort between the two congregations and community partners. The project follows a successful Interfaith Community Mitzvah Day lunch held on 23rd October with Shoreditch Trust, St Botolph, and Bevis Marks Synagogue.
With generous support from the Aldgate Ward Club, City-based gardening clubs, and volunteers from both St Katharine Cree and Bevis Marks Synagogue, the previously underused space has been transformed into a welcoming area for visitors and a base for a weekly gardening club, open to all. A new shed, fully equipped with tools, has been donated, along with a large selection of bulbs that were planted during the dedication event.
As part of the ceremony, Rabbi Shalom Morris of Bevis Marks Synagogue presented Revd Josh Harris, Priest-in-Charge of St Katharine Cree, with the keys to the new shed – further cementing the close relationship between the two faith communities in the City of London.
Revd Josh Harris commented:
“We are delighted to be working with our friends at Bevis Marks Synagogue to bring new life to this forgotten garden, so that the whole community can enjoy God’s creation together. This Mitzvah Day celebration brought our communities closer, and will help us serve our neighbourhood better together in the months and years to come.”
Archdeacon of London, The Ven Luke Miller added:
“In what has been a traumatic year for the Jewish community, it is vital that we come together to promote unity and peace. Mitzvah day reminds us that faith is lived not only in prayer but in kindness, bringing together people of different faiths and those of none, and showing even small acts of compassion can strengthen our communities.”
