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.
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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]