Last December, a group of Jewish university students from across the UK travelled to Rwanda as part of the Office of the Chief Rabbi’s Ben Azzai programme, in partnership with World Jewish Relief. University of Birmingham student Samuel Gorman writes for Jewish News.
“What does it mean to be Jewish? This is a particularly pertinent question now as we experience a meteoric rise in antisemitism worldwide. Our way of life is under threat, and we cannot hope to survive if we lose sight of our values and purpose.
Since 7 October 2023, much of our collective attention as a Jewish people has turned to the suffering of our brethren in Israel. This, of course, is not without good reason. However, we must be wary of becoming insular. Our care and compassion for our own people must be promoted, but it must not come at the expense of us neglecting our identity and true purpose.
The “purpose” in question is our responsibility to act as a לגוים אור (light unto the nations). This expectation is clearly communicated in Isaiah 42:6 where G-d declares His will that the Jewish people should serve this function. As a light unto the nations, it is incumbent upon us to extend our interest, care and compassion to all corners of the earth.
Judaism is NOT meant to be insular. We must care for our own whilst also maintaining a strong engagement with the outside world. If we fail in this task, then we have lost our Jewish identity.
I recently got to experience the Jewish tradition of modelling care and compassion beyond our own community as part of the Chief Rabbi’s Ben Azzai Programme. Along with 11 other Jewish students from across the UK, I Travelled to Rwanda to witness the incredible work being done by World Jewish Relief and its local partners.
Seeing the challenges people face there was harrowing. Still today, many Rwandans live without running water; there are people who walk 3 hours to and from work each day; there are children suffering from malnutrition. World Jewish Relief, in accordance with our shared Jewish values and identity, is among those leading the charge to tackle these challenges.
Together with their partners, they are providing vocational training for at-risk youth and lifting families out of extreme poverty. On the trip, I met real people who attribute their ability to afford schooling for their children to the impact that World Jewish Relief and its partner SACCA’s vocational training had on their lives and finances.
At the very beginning of the Torah, G-d relates to us how all of mankind was created “בצלם אלוקים (in the godly image) (Genesis 1:27). Moreover, the great mystics of our faith teach us all humans contain a soul. That soul, they teach, is a ממעל ה-אלו חלק (piece of G-d). All people, regardless of whether or not they are Jewish, contain a godly essence. Judaism believes all people are created as equals by G-d. It is, therefore, our godly duty to do our utmost to assist any and all people in need. We have no right to deny aid to others, despite our own hardships. Equality under G-d is a core Jewish value. We are meant to provide aid and support beyond our community as well as within.
These are trying times for us. Yes, we must provide aid to Israel and our own community in earnest, but we must simultaneously maintain our commitment to the betterment of the outside world. Our core values must not be forsaken.
The world can be a brutal place. These days, we are all feeling that reality a bit more than we normally do. Our community faces hardship, but so do many others. I beseech you not to turn inwards. Our hardships present a unique opportunity to feel the pain of others all the more acutely. Tune into the pain of others. We all share a common humanity. We all share a common godly essence.
The greatest threat to Judaism is the degradation of our culture from within. For this reason, I implore you to renew your commitment to our core values. Be that light unto the nations and work to fix the wider world. Make a donation to a cause beyond the Jewish community.
By doing so, you are perpetuating the Jewish legacy and actualising our purpose on this earth. Judaism is not meant to be insular!
