After school, many of my friends emigrated and now post-university, others are considering following the trend, and so the question looms at the back of our minds, “Am I going to stay in South Africa?” Often, we need to be taken out of our reality to see it for what it really is. Though I was overwhelmed at being with our global Jewish family and counterparts, being with them made me appreciate not only being Jewish but also South African, and that I had a return flight to Johannesburg. Yes, some might use this influence for antisemitic rhetoric, but I see it as an incredible achievement, and it reminds me of my duty as a Jew to make a difference. When it comes to being Jewish, if our influence is compared to our numbers, it doesn’t make rational sense. Second, the fact that I was beyond grateful that as a Jew, I live in South Africa. Throughout the trip, there was a recurring thought in my head – first, how proud I was to be part of the global Jewish community and the contribution it makes in the world. But the most incredible part of it was being surrounded by more than 150 Jews representing their communities around the world. We met the European Union Parliament, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Israeli President Isaac Hertzog, and countless other Jewish organisations. The conference began in Brussels, Belgium, and then moved to Jerusalem, Israel. I was part of one of WJC’s delegations called NextGen, as a fellow of The Lauder Fellowship. ![]() Last week, I returned from the World Jewish Congress (WJC) conference, with the theme of bridging the gap between diaspora Jews and Israel. ![]() Oh, how much greener the grass must be on the other side! We dream of living in Israel among all the Jewish people, especially when loadshedding hits and the 100th discussion is had about the state of South Africa. We dream of studying at one of the many schools or universities in America. We dream of walking the streets of Europe.
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