Turning Values into Action in 5776

“>Jewish World Watch (JWW) has wasted no time in 5776 in turning our Jewish values into action. 

This week, JWW sent a team on our “>Maison Dorcas, a training and healing center for women survivors, created by Dr. Denis Mukwege and sponsored by JWW. There are 600 women, mostly survivors of multiple rapes, in the program who attend literacy classes and learn marketable skills like sewing, basket weaving, embroidery, bread baking, and soap making. I felt incredible pride when Diana and Mike shared with me the words of one of the graduates: “You are the light. We need you to help heal us and our country. Share what you know. Don’t be discouraged. Continue to stand up.”

For me, it’s moments like this that bring clarity to the purpose and importance of JWW’s work. Again and again, we have heard from the people of the Congo that our organization can make a big difference, even in the most challenging of circumstances.   The stories we hear – the struggles of these survivors – feel familiar for our community, which has historically suffered persecution. It’s our duty to do what we can to help.

Yet, making change depends on our ability to identify partners like Dr. Mukwege, who has long been one of the most outspoken advocates for women in the Congo; in fact, his courageous advocacy triggered more than one assassination attempt on his life. Yet, Dr. Mukwege refuses to back down. Partners like Dr. Mukwege inspire us all to be more courageous as we exercise our voices of conscience.

Fostering this spirit of courage and persistence in Congo’s next generation is critical. To this end, while in Goma this week, our travel team met with another JWW partner,  Generation Hope, an project started by Camille and Esther Ntoto . Generation Hope seeks to nurture young leaders with the capability, drive and courage to move the Congo toward a brighter future.

During JWW’s visit with a group of