A delegation of African representatives to the World Jewish Congress made a special visit to the Gvura Forum Tent. During the visit, the delegation met with Yehoshua Shani, the Chairman of the Gvura Forum and father of the late Captain Ori Mordechai HY”D, who shared his son’s story and spoke about his ongoing work with the Gvura Forum. The forum is dedicated to commemorating the bravery (gvura) of the fallen while demanding victory in the war. The African delegation was led by South African Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, Director of the African Jewish Congress (AJC).
Among the delegation members were representatives from Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and other African countries.
Members of the delegation were deeply moved by the stories of the fallen and expressed their unequivocal support for the Forum and its work. They also offered their condolences to the bereaved families and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong ties between the African Jewish Congress, the Jewish communities in Africa, and the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the war. They further committed to take the heroic stories of the fallen back to their communities.
The delegation’s visit took place as part of the World Jewish Congress, which convenes every few years. In addition to Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, other members of the delegation included Brian Rubinstein, a representative of the African Jewish Congress from South Africa; Mr. Nahum Gorelick, representative of the Jewish community of Namibia; Ohad Schwartz, representative of the Jewish community of Zambia; and Yossi Kabli, representative of the Jewish community of Zimbabwe.
The African Jewish Congress (AJC) represents Jewish communities across the African continent, including South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Mozambique, and several other African countries.
The Congress works to strengthen the connection between small Jewish communities in Africa and larger Jewish communities worldwide, including in Israel. It also strives to preserve Jewish identity through the provision of religious services, education, and the maintenance of synagogues and cemeteries in various countries. In addition, the organization represents African Jewish communities in international Jewish forums, such as the World Jewish Congress.