Image courtesy of Blake Ezra
On Tuesday 11th July 2017 spectators at the Yoni Jesner Awards experienced the growing inclusivity of the awards, as one of the first non-Jewish speakers in the history of the event spoke at their 7th Award ceremony.
Hannah Chowdhry, a Pakistani Christian student at Kantor King Solomon High School was chosen with fellow student Samuel Feldman to represent the school at the awards, by describing their volunteering experience.
This Award honours the efforts of students who complete regular voluntary work. It introduces Jewish young people to community involvement thus making a difference to people’s lives. It teaches responsibility, awareness and appreciation of the values that Yoni held dear.
The Yoni
Jesner Award is named after and dedicated to the memory of this young man who was committed to volunteering. It rewards young people aged 11-14 for time they spend making a difference to their community.
This Award honours the efforts of students who complete regular voluntary work. It introduces Jewish young people to community involvement thus making a difference to people’s lives. It teaches responsibility, awareness and appreciation of the values that Yoni held dear.
There are two different Yoni Jesner Awards: one for completing 20 hours of volunteering and the Yoni Jesner Plus Award for completing 50 hours.
Though these awards traditionally target Jewish youth, in respect for Kantor King Solomon’s diverse student base and the school desire for inclusivity the awards were made open to any school participant. Eight students from KKSHS achieved an award of which only three attained the Yoni Jesner Plus award.
Hannah had completed 112 hours volunteering for Redbridge Recycling, Redbridge Civic Pride and the British Pakistani Christian Association, during which she had raised money to help persecuted minorities in Pakistan, created a database of politicians and media groups across Europe to launch an advocacy campaign, helped plan and event manage Redbridge Easter Parade, Children’s art workshops and several recycling events, designed and built a nativity display in BPCA’s office window and supervised other volunteers from Kantor King Solomon High as they joined her in volunteering.
Hannan’s work helped BPCA increase the interest in the charities work and has resulted in a meeting with MP Martyn Day next week. Her efforts also helped the BPCA hold their largest and most successful Easter Parade event ever with well over 15,000 visitors throughout the day.
Redbridge Easter Parade 2017
Headteacher Matthew Slater, said:
“I am delighted to write this email to commend your daughter on all her hard work for the Yoni Jesner Awards.
Not only did Hannah present her speech in a professional manner, but she was the finest ambassador for everything our school stands for and we are extremely proud of her.”
Hannah Chowdhry, said:
“I have been volunteering from a very young age, it was hard not to when I have a father who is so active in the community. However I have always participated in such activities with great relish, I believe their is something innately natural about helping others.”
“Jesus Christ in his parable of the good samaritan expressed the need for us all to love our neighbour, the example provided illustrated the need for us to love unconditionally despite our differences. I hope my efforts help build bridges and strengthens our society creating a safer future for all.”
Volunteering and being involved in community work is not alien to Hannah Chowdhry. Hannah is largely responsible for obtaining a 50,000 replica of the Ilford Mammoth skull from the Natural History Museum to Redbridge Museum (click here) – she even challenged her previous school to bake to raise funds to help transport the mammoth to Ilford
(click here)
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Hannah brought Matilda back to Redbridge.
Earlier in the year Hannah had also won a prestigious Jack Petchey Award for her volunteer work
(click here). Work toward this prestigious award included planning and organising the delivery of flowers to the High Commissioner of Pakistan to remember victims killed in a bomb attack
Bollywood supremo Honey Kalaria and Hannah Chowdhry at Redbridge Carnival 2013