We call ourselves
activists and in an entire month we haven't had the chance to speak out about
what we care about most. We've been busy doing and seeing but sometimes life
gets the best of us and time is lost. Now that we've been settled, many of us
have decided to branch out and get involved! On Friday Erica and I took a trip
to Parliament to attend a rally against gender based violence. We had no idea
what to expect and we also didn't know where exactly we were going but the
opportunity presented itself and so went.
We were walking along noticing that the time was getting close and so we
rushed around asking people where to go
and eventually we started following two girls assuming they were headed the
direction we were going. Our intuition was correct and as we arrived to the
rally we had met a new friend and we were ready to go! The scene was exciting
but still growing! We got shirts and stickers and found a spot right in the
front behind the speakers. Who knows how many press and media pictures we ended
up in because of where we were standing but it was so fun! There were cameras
and signs everywhere. I loved the message that this rally was sending. We
continued to attract attention throughout the entire time gaining people and
support and making our voices heard by chanting "enough is enough!"
and raising our voices together!
The rally was
nothing like I could have expected. There were not millions of people and
police vehicles like at other rallies I've been to but the passion was genuine
and that made it feel larger than life. I learned only after that communities
around the world were rallying for the same cause that day and I was proud to
be part of an international effort! I wanted to laugh, cry, smile, and shout
all at once. The program was amazing and so motivating. There was a certain
energy that radiated from the group was so encouraging. It didn't matter who
you were or what your experience was but the fact that you were there was a
beautiful thing and I felt accepted. People shared their personal experiences
and joined together in songs and cheers. They said that they would no longer be
silent and while Zuma (the president of South Africa) played golf they'd be
sure not to let their efforts stop at the end of the protest. Something that
was interesting to me is that the women were singing songs from the apartheid
years during the rally. They were passionately singing these words that their
parents and some of them even sang in the years of oppression. It was really
difficult for me to see the struggle against gender based violence compared to
the apartheid and I left the rally thinking a lot about oppression and human
rights. I wanted to agree with what everyone was saying because they were so
right! I was shocked by the experiences that were shared and the statistics
that were exploited. Even so, I knew that by being there and supporting the
cause I was contributing in one way or another to making a difference. Two of
my favorite quotes from the rally were, "I dislike the term ladies because
ladies are expected to keep their legs closed", and also " it's a
dress, not a yes". It seems to me that passionate people have a way of
saying things so much better than I ever could! It was like, I was thinking the
same thing all along but couldn't have said it better if I tried! I was glad to
have attended this event and have a chance to get involved in the community.
As part of our time
in Cape Town we are each expected to partner with an organization that we feel
passionate about and dedicate our time to address certain need and issues that
the organization is dealing with. I have decided to partner with an organization
called Netzer South Africa. Netzer is a Reform Jewish Zionistic youth movement
in South Africa. They are considered the
"underdog" in South Africa and they are lacking support and also
members. I am excited to work with the coordinators to plan a leadership
retreat for the grades 10, 11, and 12 students in the middle of March. Being
part of a Jewish community has always been so important to me. In South Africa
I've been so busy that for a while I let that slip away. I am excited to get
involved and advocate for myself and share my experiences and skill set with
this new community. I hope to also get involved with the Cape Town Holocaust
Center at their new exhibit about homosexuality in the Holocaust. I am so happy
to be finding things that I love to get involved in! It is another opportunity
to learn while I am here. Once I reached
out to one person at Temple Israel in Cape Town the emails and phone calls kept
coming. It reminds me of the song "Wherever You Go There's Always Someone
Jewish" because it's true. And just like Ubuntu spreads through Africa,
being Jewish ties you to the entire world.
It is amazing how many things there are to do in Cape Town and how easy
it is to get involved. Time here moves so quickly that I hope to be able to do
everything I want in Cape Town before the time runs out!
We call ourselves
activists and in an entire month we haven't had the chance to speak out about
what we care about most. We've been busy doing and seeing but sometimes life
gets the best of us and time is lost. Now that we've been settled, many of us
have decided to branch out and get involved! On Friday Erica and I took a trip
to Parliament to attend a rally against gender based violence. We had no idea
what to expect and we also didn't know where exactly we were going but the
opportunity presented itself and so went.
We were walking along noticing that the time was getting close and so we
rushed around asking people where to go
and eventually we started following two girls assuming they were headed the
direction we were going. Our intuition was correct and as we arrived to the
rally we had met a new friend and we were ready to go! The scene was exciting
but still growing! We got shirts and stickers and found a spot right in the
front behind the speakers. Who knows how many press and media pictures we ended
up in because of where we were standing but it was so fun! There were cameras
and signs everywhere. I loved the message that this rally was sending. We
continued to attract attention throughout the entire time gaining people and
support and making our voices heard by chanting "enough is enough!"
and raising our voices together!
The rally was
nothing like I could have expected. There were not millions of people and
police vehicles like at other rallies I've been to but the passion was genuine
and that made it feel larger than life. I learned only after that communities
around the world were rallying for the same cause that day and I was proud to
be part of an international effort! I wanted to laugh, cry, smile, and shout
all at once. The program was amazing and so motivating. There was a certain
energy that radiated from the group was so encouraging. It didn't matter who
you were or what your experience was but the fact that you were there was a
beautiful thing and I felt accepted. People shared their personal experiences
and joined together in songs and cheers. They said that they would no longer be
silent and while Zuma (the president of South Africa) played golf they'd be
sure not to let their efforts stop at the end of the protest. Something that
was interesting to me is that the women were singing songs from the apartheid
years during the rally. They were passionately singing these words that their
parents and some of them even sang in the years of oppression. It was really
difficult for me to see the struggle against gender based violence compared to
the apartheid and I left the rally thinking a lot about oppression and human
rights. I wanted to agree with what everyone was saying because they were so
right! I was shocked by the experiences that were shared and the statistics
that were exploited. Even so, I knew that by being there and supporting the
cause I was contributing in one way or another to making a difference. Two of
my favorite quotes from the rally were, "I dislike the term ladies because
ladies are expected to keep their legs closed", and also " it's a
dress, not a yes". It seems to me that passionate people have a way of
saying things so much better than I ever could! It was like, I was thinking the
same thing all along but couldn't have said it better if I tried! I was glad to
have attended this event and have a chance to get involved in the community.
As part of our time
in Cape Town we are each expected to partner with an organization that we feel
passionate about and dedicate our time to address certain need and issues that
the organization is dealing with. I have decided to partner with an organization
called Netzer South Africa. Netzer is a Reform Jewish Zionistic youth movement
in South Africa. They are considered the
"underdog" in South Africa and they are lacking support and also
members. I am excited to work with the coordinators to plan a leadership
retreat for the grades 10, 11, and 12 students in the middle of March. Being
part of a Jewish community has always been so important to me. In South Africa
I've been so busy that for a while I let that slip away. I am excited to get
involved and advocate for myself and share my experiences and skill set with
this new community. I hope to also get involved with the Cape Town Holocaust
Center at their new exhibit about homosexuality in the Holocaust. I am so happy
to be finding things that I love to get involved in! It is another opportunity
to learn while I am here. Once I reached
out to one person at Temple Israel in Cape Town the emails and phone calls kept
coming. It reminds me of the song "Wherever You Go There's Always Someone
Jewish" because it's true. And just like Ubuntu spreads through Africa,
being Jewish ties you to the entire world.
It is amazing how many things there are to do in Cape Town and how easy
it is to get involved. Time here moves so quickly that I hope to be able to do
everything I want in Cape Town before the time runs out! 
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