Date: 30th March 2006
Norwood Passover Appeal
Norwood , Anglo Jewry's leading children and family services charity, this week launched its 2006 Passover fundraising appeal , with a target of raising at least £80,000 from the community.
Norwood traditionally launches direct marketing appeals to its database of active supporters to coincide with two key festivals in the Jewish calendar, Passover and Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year). 
Passover is a time when Jewish families get together to celebrate their ancestors' freedom from slavery in Egypt. The appeal aims to make a connection between this and the fact that today there are many children and families in the community who are facing an array of challenging social difficulties and learning disabilities, who are still enslaved by circumstances beyond their control. The key message is communicated using easily identifiable themes and images from the festival, and each year a new theme is used to effectively communicate this message.
The 2006 appeal focuses on the symbolism associated with the act of dipping a finger in the wine and placing a droplet on the plate at Passover to recall the 10 plagues, from locusts and frogs to hail and darkness, that resulted in the Children of Israel's exodus from Egypt. It tells the stories of Gabriella; a 13-year old girl who has Rett Syndrome (a devastating genetic disorder), a Norwood service user who requires round-the-clock care, and Ben a 17-year old boy who turned to drugs when school became too much for him.
Speaking as the Charity launched its appeal, Judith Katzler, Norwood's Director of Business Development said: "The stories about Gabriella and Ben are typical of the work that Norwood does every day of the year. Our children's services receive little, if any, government funding and the donations that we receive from this Appeal will help us to continue this work. We urge the community to please give generously. Your support will allow us to continue giving hope to Jewish families in distress or need this Passover."
For further information, please contact Ronit Shebson, Public Relations Manager at Norwood on 020 8420 6900 or email ronit.shebson@norwood.org.uk
