Standing alone and standing strong

OWN CORRESPONDENT

Schewitz, who got six distinctions in matric in 2018, told the SA Jewish Report, “Being a Jew in a secular environment brought me closer to my faith as I often had to stand alone, but I was proud to do so.”

She moved to Merrifield “with wooden cabins in the forest as classrooms” in Grade 8 because it was the only school nearby that offered an Independent Examinations Board matric. While she quickly learned to love her school and peers, she said she often had to “stand alone” because of her views on Israel or her spiritual beliefs.

“Being Jewish is part of my identity. [It’s] who I am, what I believe in, and the way I conduct my life,” she says. That wasn’t about to change simply because she was the only one at her school.

“I felt a certain level of responsibility being the only orthodox Jewish person, besides my siblings, at school because for a lot of students, I was the only Jew they knew and were most likely going to know. If I acted or behaved inappropriately, that is what they would know of Jewish people,” says Schewitz.

“I tried to see the positive side, and although my knowledge of Jewish Studies is a bit behind being at a non-Jewish school, it made me aware of being Jewish. I had a strong sense of pride that my parents instilled in me from a young age, and the courage to often stand alone.”

She told the newspaper that when you go to a school with many different religions and cultures, “there is bound to be tension”. However, she said her school handled “every anti-Semitic incident immediately and in the correct manner”.

Her friends were understanding and caring, and if she missed school for a chag (holiday), they would offer to help her catch up. “Many of my close friends loved coming to our house for Shabbos, and learning about our traditions”.

She had a lot of responsibility – not least regarding her studies – in her matric year. “Being head girl and house captain was a lot of work and responsibility, but it was a huge honour, and I really enjoyed all my duties.

“My biggest achievement at school was winning the President’s Award [for Youth Empowerment] at gold level and receiving a fellowship for three years in a row. To be awarded for giving back to one’s community as well as being yourself, and the fact that people saw me as kind and caring was a big deal for me. While I am proud of myself for achieving six distinctions, I believe that as long as one does their personal best, it is enough.”

Schewitz said she was also extremely humbled to be chosen as head girl. “I was selected because I am a strong leader and get things done to the best of my ability in a considerate and respectful manner. I was on the Student Representative Council for two years prior to that, which stood me in good stead to be able to get involved and add value.”

She said her school was supportive of her. “My school has always supported me as an individual, and I think would be proud of me no matter what religion I was. It was about the quality of education I got at the school, not so much my religion.”

Now, she is going to dig deep into her roots as she heads to Israel for the Bnei Akiva programme, Limmud. “Bnei Akiva changed my life. Going on the December camps for the past four years gave me the opportunity to make incredible friends and get the tools I needed to go back home and be the only Jew,” she says.

In August, Schewitz will leave the programme to study at Stern College for Women in New York, and is excited to be surrounded by Jewish people so she won’t have to stand alone.