http://stsonline.org/links/2009-10/MarchApril_Shofar.pdf
THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG:
And, It All Started Right Here at STS As told to the Shofar Staff
That is the message delivered to nearly 200 Shomrei Torah Synagogue members by a trio of Southern California young people who had traveled to far away Uganda to help lead the first-ever Conservative Movement Youth Conference on the African continent. It heralds the spread of Judaism throughout all of Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond in an area where, until now, there has been only a small Jewish population. And it all started here at Shomrei Torah Synagogue by our USY, our own youth group. We all have much of which to be proud.
The story is a prime example of positive thinking and positive actions. Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, then a rabbinic intern at STS, was engaged in conversation with David Weingarten, who was, at the time, the President of our Synagogue’s USY chapter. “What,” David asked, “could our USY do to help the youth of the Abayudaya?”
Without hesitation, the Rabbi responded, “David, what I would like to envision is a youth group organized as you young people are here in America.” And, as a result, the die was cast, and a partnership was born. According to Rabbi Camras, David conceived of the idea to establish the partnership and went about selling the idea to the youth and adults at STS, before challenging Far West Region USY to join in the endeavor..
Enlisting the aid of the Shomrei Torah Synagogue, our USY chapter began a fundraising campaign to bring three youths from the Abayudaya community to Los Angeles to let them experience the spirit and enthusiasm of a USY regional convention, participate in leadership training workshops and develop a variety of skills (as well as seeing a bit of Los Angeles). Three Ugandan teenagers came to the United States in May 2009 and returned home committed to fashioning a similar youth movement and convention in their village.
To help them, Far West Region USY raised an additional $3,000 to help finance the first convention in Africa hosting Jewish youngsters from eight Ugandan villages, Northern Uganda and neighboring Kenya. With additional fundraising, three California teen agers, David Weingarten (Regional VP Membership), Elyse Weissberger (Regional VP Social Action/Tikkun Olam), and Jason Schreiber (STS USY member), were selected to join their African partners in January 2010, when they traveled to Uganda to participate in the first-ever Jewish youth convention in Africa .
It was these three, soon after their return, and while Rabbi Sizomu and his family were in Los Angeles, who reported to the STS assembly recently the details of the first Abayudaya Youth Association convention. More than 200 young people participated in the five-day event modeled after Far West Region’s USY conventions in which leadership training, an Israel program, the rewards of education, HIV prevention, drug and alcohol abuse avoidance, and the role of religion in their lives were discussed at the many workshops. And, there was fun time! There were varied sports activities, including a soccer tournament and a dance and music festival.
As for the future, the growth of Conservative Judaism in Africa seems most promising, as the partners in this intercontinental venture grow and move forward. The young people on both continents are staying in touch via e-mail. Meanwhile, here at STS and at Far West Region USY, plans are in motion to continue the relationship. Already, the Abayudayan Youth Association is recognized as an honorary affiliate of the Far West Region.
So, what was the most memorable moment of all from this once-in-a-lifetime experience, I asked David. “Without doubt,” he replied, “it was knowing that this was the first time that the kids in Uganda led all the services, completely and totally. They conducted the Friday night services, delivered the D’var Torah and all of the Shabbat services, including the Torah readings, the Haftorah and the Havdallah. That was very cool.”
And as Rabbi Gershom told us when he was here in Los Angeles, “After the Elders of the community experienced the leadership of their youth during those Shabbat services, they all felt confident that the next generation is ready to carry forth our tradition. The future looks bright.”
A similar report by our three emissaries was made in Santa Clarita’s Beth Shalom Synagogue, where Elyse’s family is a member.
