Shabbat Meal Fundraiser for Palestinian Poet
Hastings Jews for Justice is hosting a traditional Shabbat meal to raise funds for Hala Mdukh, a young poet and trainee nurse in Gaza.
Shelley Feldman and Katy Colley – food is at the heart of Judaism
A traditional four-course meal will be served, alongside first-class local entertainment. Although meat, especially chicken, is traditionally central to the Sabbath meal, the group has adapted every dish to be vegan, kosher and halal.
According to Katy Colley: “Food has always been at the heart of Judaism. Many of us were brought up eating these dishes every Friday night, from chicken soup with lokshen and kneidlach to challah and chopped liver. It also represents the warmth and love of our community, and that’s why we’re keen to share them with our community in Hastings.”
Funds raised will help support Hala’s health, family needs and university education. Shelley Feldman says: “Oftentimes, it feels like we can do so little, for the many people suffering in Gaza, and worldwide, but, as it is written, ‘To save one life, is to save the entire world’.”
Hala’s extraordinary gift was first recognised through the British education charity Hands Up Project, where she performed in online ‘remote theatre’ productions. Her poem Friend appeared in the 2023 book Moon Tell Me Truth, and she is today part of the Palestine Writers Workshop, a mentoring programme supported by SOAS. Last year, a collection of her poems, Hala, was published.
But Hala has lived through nearly three years of genocide, she suffers from serious health issues, and her family have no means of supporting her. Previous fundraising enabled her to begin university, and Hastings Jews for Justice hopes to help her continue.
She says: “I grew up in a place that taught me how to be strong in silence, and how to keep my dreams alive despite everything that tries to extinguish them. I believe that a person is known by their depth, not by their noise, and by their impact, not by their words.”
Katy comments: “Many of us have been moved by Hala’s poetry, and we know that if she were born anywhere else in the world, she would be collecting prizes for her astonishing work.But Hala lives in Gaza, where survival is not guaranteed, where futures are shredded and hopes crushed.
“One of her poems, Hell in Bottle, expresses this despair, opening with the line ‘How do I tell the world I’m drowning on dry land?’ We are hoping that through these efforts, we can send out a lifeline to help her to fulfil her immense potential.”
Tickets cost £32. The event begins at 6.00pm on Friday 2 October at The Printworks. ticketlab.app/event/39519-Friday-Night-Fundraiser-tickets#/ For more info on Hastings Jews for Justice visit hastingsjewsforjustice.org
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