The Cape SAJBD engage, educate and empower young adults to ensure their voices are heard. In commemoration of this Youth Day, we held two initiatives to celebrate the youth and give them a platform to affect change.
Our first event saw 15 learners from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faiths, come together to discuss climate change. After brainstorming the current concerns that they have within their own communities, they came up with an 18-point plan that will be shared with their peers, families, schools and communities, which begins with: “We, young people of faith, commit to helping our planet to become greener”. This session would not have been possible without the help of Imam Salieg Isaacs from the Muslim Judicial Council and Reverend Berry Behr of the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI).
Our second event was in collaboration with the author of Goodnight Golda, Batya Bricker where mothers and daughters were invited to attend a self-awareness journaling workshop on the book, which focuses on brave and mighty Jewish women, past and present, who can inspire us all. Batya guided the group to find their own journey to become young heroes in their own right and challenge the status quo. Girls got to take a copy of Goodnight Golda home to explore how each lesson could empower them in their own lives.
Our youth are not to be taken for granted- united, they are a powerful force to challenge what we know, create innovation and shape the future. Happy Youth Day!