Community Hero Award

Thursday 16th October 2008


Andrew Roth

The unsung hero is a champion who deserves to shine, writes Erica Morris - the everyday person who works to change their corner of the world, be it through charity work, selfless giving or random acts of kindness, with no thought to reward or recognition.

But their efforts don't go unnoticed and this week, the Jewish News is launching its annual search for an outstanding individual who will be honoured as our Community Hero 2008.

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To help us choose a worthy winner, this year we've joined forces with Mitzvah Day UK, a charity that's encouraging everyone both inside and outside the community to do a good deed on 16 November. Synagogues, schools, charities and even churches and mosques are taking part in this year's event, with more than 10,000 people across the country doing everything from painting hospitals to packing vital goods to be sent to Eastern Europe to singing in care homes (www.mitzvahday.org.uk).

Past recipients of the Community Hero award include a spectrum of diverse individuals, all different in age and profession, but united in their commitment to serving a common cause of goodwill and tzedakah. Among the winners were seven-year-old Andrew Roth from Stanmore who won praise and respect after saving his 18-month-old sister from drowning and Edgware grandmother Flora Frank who raised more than Ł100,000 for Norwood by completing ten marathons, spurred on by her boundless energy and dedication.

Last year, when we marked our tenth anniversary, the milestone was celebrated with three Community Hero awards: a lifetime achievement honour for Lord Janner, recognising his ceaseless efforts on behalf of Anglo-Jewry in parliament, as a member of the Board of Deputies, as chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust and as president of the World Jewish Congress; a young activist honour posthumously awarded to former UJS chair Alan Senitt, who was murdered in Washington; and an outstanding act of selflessness honour for Ron Johnson, a non-Jewish reader of the paper who donated a section of his lung to a terminally ill 10-year-old Israeli girl after we put out an appeal in our pages.

Jewish News Editor Zeddy Lawrence said: "There are so many selfless people within our community who give so much of themselves to others and it's always an honour for us to be able to recognise their efforts. We're delighted this year to be teaming up with Mitzvah Day to present the award.

"We share a belief and commitment to individuals getting stuck in and helping out wherever possible, and it's that spirit of involvement that's embodied in this accolade."

If you know someone who you believe deserves the title Community Hero, tell us about them in more than 200 words. We need to receive entries by 31 October. A panel of judges will then select the overall winner who will be revealed in our issue the week of Mitzvah Day.

• Email your nominations to hero@jewishnews.co.uk, or send them to Hero Award, The Jewish News, PO Box 34296, London NW5 1YW.

Read the latest copy of The Jewish News Online by clicking here.

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