By TAMAR LAZARUS
Sometimes, out of tragedy comes new hope. This is true of the untimely death of the head of the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Libstein, an Israeli who in all his work demonstrated unique leadership. Killed on October 7th 2023 during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Kfar Aza – when his son, a nephew and his mother-in-law were also murdered – the loss of Ofir impacted many in Israel and beyond the country’s borders. But his leadership legacy is now living on through the Ofir Leadership Program – A Bridge for International Jewish Leadership, offered in partnership with the Gesher Leadership Institute and Givat Hatachmoshet Jerusalem.
The programme’s lessons in international Jewish leadership are being brought to our community in Cape Town through the selection of three active members of the Cape Town Jewish community for the leadership programme. Kelly Melnik from WIZO CT, Hayley Cohen from the SAZF CC, and Orli Barnett of the Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre, join 25 other young leaders from around the world on this programme. These leaders from all walks of life and from all corners of the global Jewish community represent 11 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Uruguay and the USA.
The 10-month programme will consist of monthly Zoom meetings, lectures, and two in-person seminars. The first seminar was held in Budapest in early February and the next will be in Israel.
A core element of the programme is the belief that our strength lies in diversity, dialogue, and the ability to connect. Program participants engaged in inspiring discussions about the challenges facing the Jewish people, shared challenges, told their personal stories and, most importantly, learned how much our strength lies in unity. The participants met with Jewish leaders in Hungary, saw their tremendous work up close, and connected with the local Jewish community, which proudly continues to preserve its identity despite its many challenges.
Kelly enthuses about her experience of the Program, commenting, “These moments were larger than life. Seeing the sparkling eyes of people who understand that they are part of something bigger. Feeling the mutual longing for connection, for true partnership, for finding practical solutions to everyday problems, for a deeper understanding of each other. They were there! Jews from all corners of the world, with different backgrounds, and different languages, but with one heart beating to the same rhythm.”
“This seminar was part of a dream come true,” says Tamar Lazarus, a member of the organising team of the Ofir Program. “It is the first step in a journey that continues the path and vision of the late Ofir Libstein – the man who saw far and wide, who believed in unity, in partnership, and in our ability to build a shared and more connected future. In his light we walk and, thanks to him, we advance together a future of true Jewish connection.”
The group includes Tamar Lazarus and the three Cape Town Program members
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