A cooking session took place in London involving people from Jewish, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Bukhari Muslim, Ismaili Muslim and Greek Orthodox volunteers from across the city.

They joined forces to prepare a meal for residents of Ashford Place, which assists disadvantaged and marginalized people with issues including homelessness, mental and physical health, substance misuse and unemployment.

“Volunteers arrived as strangers and left as friends,” reported Daniela Pears, interfaith chair at Mitzvah Day, the organization that hosted the cooking session.

“While we chopped we chatted. We learnt a little about each other’s faiths and compared the Jewish Yom Kippur fasting to the fasting over Ramadan and the period of dietary limitation for the Greek Orthodox community.”

The early event was designed as a showcase for everything that is set to come on Mitzvah Day – the UK’s biggest faith-based day of social action – which will take place on and around November 19.

“We realized how much we shared and it left us all feeling warmed by new friendship and excited about what we will all do together on Mitzvah Day in November.”