SAJBD participates in the G20 Interfaith Forum
This past week, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) had the profound privilege of representing the South African Jewish community at the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) held in Cape Town.
We joined religious leaders, community representatives, and policymakers from around the world to ensure that the voice of faith is included in some of the world’s most important decisions made at the G20 level.
Our National Director, Wendy Kahn, delivered a speech during the opening ceremony. She highlighted how, throughout the conference, we should draw on the principles of Shalom and Ubuntu, to unite in our differences, not despite them, but because of them.
We also witnessed a historic moment when two Israeli Rabbis and two international Imams signed the Pledge for Responsible Religious Engagement, as part of the Jewish-Muslim Fraternity Project - a powerful step toward interfaith understanding and cooperation.
SAJBD’s KwaZulu-Natal President and Country Director of HIAS South Africa, Alana Pugh-Jones Baranov, spoke on a panel about the Jewish community’s deep and ongoing commitment to the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons.
Overall, the G20 Interfaith Forum showcased the strength of collective action across faith communities. Together, we affirmed that our spiritual heritage can serve as the foundation for peace, meaningful dialogue, and global collaboration.
