Nominations for Jewish House and Cuddle Bundles
Mazal Tov to Rabbi Mendel Kastel from Jewish House and Michele Brandenburger from Cuddle Bundles on their nominations for this year's Westfield Bondi Junction Local Hero awards.
Two inspirational community members, Rabbi Mendel Kastel and Michele Brandenburger, have been nominated for this year’s Westfield Bondi Junction Local Hero.
Rabbi Kastel is the CEO of Jewish House, which provides hundreds of homeless people with crisis accommodation, food and mental health care.
“Jewish House is thrilled to share the wonderful news that Rabbi Mendel Kastel OAM, CEO of Jewish House has been selected as a finalist in the Westfield Bondi Junction Local Heroes,” Jewish House wrote on its social media channels.
“Rabbi Kastel goes above and beyond to provide hundreds of homeless people with crisis accommodation, food and mental health care each and every day. If Rabbi Kastel is successful with the most community votes he will become the Westfield Bondi Junction Local Hero for 2023, receiving a $20,000 grant for Jewish House which will be used to support an additional 10 people for three months.”
Brandenburger is the founder of Cuddle Bundles, a National Council of Jewish Women program that gifts high-quality preloved babywear to families with limited means. No questions are asked, and every order is fulfilled with love and respect. So far, the charity has provided bundles for 800 babies.
If Brandenburger is successful in the community vote, Cuddle Bundles will use its funds to provide a multipurpose box for each baby and will also purchase breast pumps and baby bottles.
Cuddle Bundles wrote on its social media channels that Brandenburger “works tirelessly to devote her free time to fulfil requests from social workers, manage our volunteers and support as many vulnerable families as possible each week.”
To vote for Rabbi Kastel and Brandenburger visit https://www.westfield.com.au/local-heroes
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