Voice of our youth
By RUBY KAPELUSHNIK, vice-chairperson of SAUJS Western Cape
In our modern world of short headlines and catchy slogans, it is easy to commit oneself to believing in and fighting for a certain narrative, without pausing to ask questions and form an understanding before expressing an opinion.
SAUJS Western Cape, in collaboration with Maccabee Task Force and the South African Zionist Federation, came together to combat these quickly thought-of narratives and promote deeper thinking about Israel. Together, a cohort of 14 non-Jewish influential students from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and members of SAUJS Western Cape embarked on an eight-day educational tour. The programme aimed at showing the nuanced conflict between Israel and Palestine, bringing awareness to how the headlines we see in the media only reflect a small part of a large and complex situation. By agreeing to come on this trip, the students, both Jewish and non-Jewish alike, were asked to challenge their personal stances about this conflict and form an understanding based on what they experienced on the ground.
The programme dove deep into the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by touring significant areas and listening to educational and personal speakers from all understanding.
We were guided through the Nova Festival site and Kibbutz Kfar Azza by survivors. We gained knowledge from journalists, and understood the reality of war from soldiers. One student (who prefers to remain anonymous) speaks about these experiences, commenting that, for the first time, he wasn’t just understanding the Israeli perspective, he was empathising with it. Listening to the stories of Israelis living through the realities of war gave him insight into the fact that often people forget that, “The Israeli government is not fully representative of all its people; thus any frustration towards it should not be directed at innocent civilians.”
We were also taken on a tour of East Jerusalem, spoken to by a Palestinian journalist, as well as a member of Fatah. This highlighted the difference between Hamas and Palestinian civilians, which, as one of the students mentioned, is not actively separated for many South Africans.
Being shown these dual perspectives gave us a well-rounded view of the conflict. Within the group there were many people with differing perspectives, but we learned how to communicate and engage in productive dialogue despite our differences. The tour was extremely emotional for many of the students, especially those who have been personally affected for the past nine months. The balance of dealing with personal emotions and being consistently challenged academically was difficult; however, it brought the group closer together.
UCT is home to a vibrant and diverse student body which, on the whole, has no interest in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, a small group of unignorably loud students, paired with the powerful voice of the SRC, has been able to bring a large storm of anti-Israel hate that the Jewish and non-Jewish students of UCT bear the brunt of. The personal bonds that were created through our trip showed us that healthy conversations and debates are possible. We are all passionate about continuing these conversations, specifically within a university context, and creating unity amongst the students.
One of the students reflects on his understanding deepening and his opinion gaining more nuance, stating that he believes this can
“…only be achieved once you actually visit Israel and interact with the people affected by the situation”. Another attendee speaks about her shock at seeing how open, accepting and diverse Israeli society is. She comments: “They [Israelis] seemed to be united in one thing: their home – Israel’. She felt this acceptance on a personal level and went on to explain: “There were no preconceived notions about who I was from the people that I met. This was such a freeing experience as often – even in my own country – I am faced with the struggle of limitations placed on me by others because of the way that I look. In Israel I was reminded not of my colour, not of my age, not of my social class, not of my nationality, but of my humanness.”
21-year-old Ruby Kapelushnik moved to Cape Town from Johannesburg in 2022 to study BA Law and Psychology at UCT. She has been involved in various Jewish youth movements, including Habonim, Bnei Akiva, Diller Teens and SAUJS, all of which helped shape her Jewish identity and the value she places on being Jewish.
• Read the October 2024 issue in magazine format here.
• To advertise in the Cape Jewish Chronicle and on this website – kindly contact Lynette Roodt on 021 464 6736 or email advertising@ctjc.co.za. For more information and advertising rate card click here.
• Email us to sign up for our newsletter and never miss another issue.
• Please support the Cape Jewish Chronicle with a voluntary Subscription for 2024. For payment info click here.
• Visit our Portal to the Jewish Community to see a list of Jewish organisations in Cape Town with links to their websites.
Follow the Cape Jewish Chronicle: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
