Jewish organization builds bridges in Bosnia

DW (English)

A young Jewish Bosnian woman in Sarajevo explains how playing an active role in the community can be the bridge between personal faith and society as a whole.

Transcript

00:00 Teja Abinun is not too old for a bit of fun, even if it means getting her hands dirty.

00:06 The 27-year-old is vice president of the youth program of La Benevolencia, a cultural, educational

00:12 and humanitarian organization run by the Jewish community in Sarajevo.

00:16 Teja says that she learned from her parents how fulfilling it can be, both for herself

00:21 and the people around her, to work on social projects.

00:24 La Benevolencia is an organization that managed to connect me with my Jewish identity.

00:33 In my case, my religious identity was not so pronounced.

00:38 We are more of a Jewish identity through work in the community, through activities in the

00:48 society, and other types of activities, religious ones.

00:55 That's how I managed to connect with my tradition.

00:59 Despite the rise in anti-Semitism around the world, Teja is not afraid to publicly express

01:05 her Jewish identity.

01:06 Her hometown of Sarajevo has been inhabited by Jews, Christians and Muslims for centuries.

01:11 During World War II, 10,000 of the 14,000 Jews living in the country were murdered in

01:17 the German death camps.

01:18 Today, Teja is one of about 700 Jews in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

01:23 She values the unique experience this community has given her.

01:27 I think that La Benevolencia and the Jewish community shaped my childhood and my growth.

01:33 They gave me experiences that I would never have experienced as a Bosnian.

01:40 I travelled and met many friends all over the world, and I still maintain good contacts

01:50 with them.

01:51 I think that friendship shaped me.

01:55 Despite being a minority, the Jewish community feels both socially and politically included

02:03 in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

02:05 It promotes dialogue on both religious and cultural matters.

02:09 Educational programs for students also address hate speech, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and

02:15 xenophobia.

02:17 It also plans to broaden its activities, reaching out to even more people across the country.

02:23 We have an extraordinary relationship with the Minister, with whom we cooperate on the

02:32 International Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust victims.

02:39 We are part of the institutions where we are relevant as a religious community and La Benevolencia

02:43 as a national society.

02:45 Contributing to the community plays a big role in the development of personal identity.

02:50 For Teja, playing an active role in society is the bridge between personal faith and society

02:55 as a whole.

02:57 Even though she wouldn't define herself as a religious person, her Jewish background

03:02 has a huge impact on her identity in a country where Islam and Christianity dominate the

03:07 national narrative.

03:09 My identity is really Bosnian-Herzegovina Jew.

03:21 I can't imagine one without the other.

03:25 Bosnia-Herzegovina is my only country.

03:28 However, I know and feel that I have a different culture than my friends.

03:38 I am really proud of both identities.

03:42 In Teja's view, focusing on how to build bridges and not on conflict is the strength of a community

03:49 joined in faith, regardless of whether that community is Christian, Muslim or Jewish.

03:55 [Bosnian-Herzegovina]

03:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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