Chief Rabbi Mirvis swings by The Friendship Circle to open its hub and get to know its members.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis joined members, volunteers and staff on Wednesday to celebrate the charity’s 10th birthday by officially opening The Friendship Circle’s office on Bury New Road, Prestwich. The office, which doubles up as a drop-in for members, hosts a number of recreational programmes ranging from art, singing and drumming clubs to volunteer training and community integration projects
The Chief Rabbi marked the opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and spent the afternoon observing members making Chanukah cards and goody bags for Heathlands Village residents and assembling packs of food and toiletries for the homeless.
When speaking to members, he reportedly claimed his experience even surpassed the time he watched his beloved Tottenham beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford: “Out of all my visits to Manchester, this is the best! This is a place of great joy and you make me feel happy!”
Esty Bruck, programme director, said: “We were overjoyed beyond words that Chief Rabbi Mirvis visited us and spent time chatting and joking with our members and volunteers. The Friendship Circle fulfils a need in our community to provide a safe space where people with physical and learning disabilities can enjoy a wide range of social and recreational programmes.”