Rabbi Wittenberg and Mitzpah received very wide coverage in the press for their walk. Follow the links below to read all about it!
The Times Series Newspapers – 22nd February 2008
The Ham and High – 28th February 2008
Royal Society for Protection of Birds – 7th March 2008
Jewish News – 20th March (see page 13)
Times Online – 20th March 2008
For immediate publication: Monday, 31 March 2008
On a dark and stormy night, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and his dog Mitzpah from the New North London Synagogue wearily made their way to Theydon Bois Wood at the end of Day Three on their 100-mile, seven-day sponsored walk.
Despite the wild weather and the darkness, they were given a warm welcome by John Brown of the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading conservation charity. The rabbi was invited to take a breather on the latest addition to the Trust’s new woodland site – a rustic oak bench, installed thanks to earlier fundraising and tree-planting contributions of the New North London Synagogue (NNLS).
Around 30 members of the synagogue visited Theydon Bois Wood on 24 February to plant 500 trees, a mixture of native broadleaved species; oak, birch, hornbeam, ash and field maple. The inscription on the new oak bench reads: “Part of the surrounding area is dedicated to the many friends and family members of the NNLS who we miss.”
The Woodland Trust has overseen the planting of thousands of new native trees by schools, communities and individuals at the 37 hectare (93 acre) site over the past few months, and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg’s walk resulted in a further £300 cheque for the Trust.
Rabbi Wittenberg and his collie walked the 100-mile route from central London out to the historic Epping Forest and Theydon Bois to raise funds for NNLS’s building campaign as well as a number of organisations and projects visited on the walk. Stops included hospitals and hospices with which the synagogue has close links; places of worship belonging to different faiths; the Houses of Parliament to discuss hopes for peace in Israel and the rights of asylum seekers; the Kindertransport sculpture at Liverpool Street Station plus environmental projects.
The pair successfully completed their walk, and the fund is halfway towards its £100,000 target. With just over a month to go before the donation page on www.justgiving.com/OneRabbiAndHisDog closes, Rabbi Jonathan hopes that readers of his entertaining and thoughtful account of his walk – called ‘One Rabbi and His Dog’ – will donate funds to close the gap.
Rabbi Wittenberg said: “The walk was everything I hoped it would be - a week full of inspiration, learning and reflection.”
Senior British Rabbi, Jonathan Wittenberg is walking over 100 miles in 7days in an effort to highlight issues that faith communities in Britain need to address.
One of his very first stops will be CCJ, the Council of Christians and Jews on the south bank of the river Thames. There he will meet the staff of CCJ, Britain’s oldest national interfaith organisation. Rabbi Wittenberg will be presented with a book on pilgrimages by David Gifford, CCJ’s Chief Executive and go on to discuss his forthcoming programme at theological colleges with CCJ
Dr Jane Clements, CCJ Director of Programmes, said:
"Rabbi Wittenberg has that wonderful quality seen in many rabbis of combining great learning and thought with an ability to communicate, laugh at oneself and cross barriers of distrust and fear. We hope the book the chief executive presents Rabbi Wittenberg will be a spiritual uplift as he crosses barriers of pain with sore feet!"
Rabbi Wittenberg works with CCJ in workshops at selected theological colleges in the UK helping young ordained appreciate the Old Testament from a Jewish perspective.
Rabbi Wittenberg, a congregational rabbi in a Masorti synagogue in London, said:
"Interfaith dialogue is important to me and my association with CCJ continues to grow with exciting developments and making real impact. Students learn more about the common ground and heritage that Jews and Christians share. My walk takes me not only to CCJ’s office but also to Liverpool Street station where so many Jewish children arrived in the kindertransport prior to world war two. It is hugely important for people to identify with their roots and then go onto integrate and contribute to the land of their adoption."
Rabbi Jonathan will not be walking alone though. He is accompanied all along the route by his dog, Mitzpah
You can still sponsor Rabbi Wittenberg and Mitzpah, please go to: www.justgiving.com/OneRabbiAndHisDog or send a cheque (payable to NNLS) to the synagogue office.