Every summer, the ISJL office is privileged to be one of the stops on the journey of teens participating in Operation Understanding.
Operation Understanding, which has sites in Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, D.C., brings together African American and Jewish youth, who spend time learning together first in their own communities, then traveling to visit civil rights sites. They learn about each other’s cultures and unique legacies, and also find common ground in their shared values and experiences.
As the students who participate in OU know all too well, while as a society we’ve made tremendous strides there is still so much work to be done. Working together, across racial, religious, and other potential “divides” that can instead become uniting, we can move forward. The painful realization that divisions still exist and the hopeful knowledge that unity is possible inspired this video, put together by OU-D.C. students.
They shared it with us when they visited the ISJL office, and we’re honored to share the #TrayvOnward video here:
You can also keep up with the Operation Understanding Students on their blog, which shares the lessons and adventures of their journey.
