South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS)

What South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) does

The South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) is a non-profit organization with 11 employees. The source material substantively describes The Shabbos Project, a global volunteer-driven community movement founded in South Africa in 2013 by Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein, which invites Jews worldwide to rediscover the gift of Shabbat. The initiative runs an annual synchronized global Shabbat observance (next scheduled for 30-31 October 2026), supported by grassroots events including challah bakes, communal meals, and learning sessions organized by local volunteers.

The project's core product surface consists of free downloadable resources — a Shabbat Guide and Shabbat Toolkit (PDFs with practical guidelines, blessings, and prayers), the book 'Shabbat: A Day to Create Yourself' authored by the Chief Rabbi and sold via chiefrabbi.co.za with proceeds directed to the project, and a Canva-based Partner Hub offering customizable marketing templates (Instagram, Facebook, email banners, A3 posters) plus a Google Drive image bank. The website operates in English, Spanish, French, and Hebrew, supporting international reach across the global Jewish diaspora.

The business model is predominantly non-monetized: all educational resources and marketing tools are distributed free as grassroots mobilization assets. The sole disclosed revenue stream is hardcover book sales, with a separate gift-copy channel for learning groups via Google Forms. Distribution is entirely digital and self-serve — no traditional sales force, resellers, or paid media channels are employed. There are no disclosed donor flows, foundation grants, or institutional funding; the 11-person headcount suggests a lean operational core reliant on volunteer labor for event execution at scale.

Name

South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS)

Website

https://saujs.co.za

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) is a 11-person non-profit; its associated initiative, The Shabbos Project, is a global volunteer-driven Jewish community movement founded in 2013 by Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein that distributes free Shabbat resources and organizes an annual worldwide Shabbat observance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Community Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHAJAO

Nonprofit, Social Services & Community Development Congresses

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Association, Government & Academic Congresses

Keywords

• Jewish community engagement
• Shabbat observance resources
• Faith-based community programming
• Religious education materials
• Cultural movement coordination

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Shabbos Project is a global, volunteer-driven Jewish community movement that delivers free downloadable Shabbat preparation resources (the Shabbat Guide and Shabbat Toolkit PDFs), the hardcover book "Shabbat: A Day to Create Yourself" by Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein (sold with proceeds supporting the project), and a library of Canva-hosted marketing templates for grassroots event promotion. It coordinates an annual worldwide Shabbat on 30–31 October 2026 and supports local communities in hosting challah bakes, communal meals, and learning sessions.

Product overview

The Shabbat Project is a global movement offering a unified suite of resources for Jewish community engagement around Shabbat observance. The core offerings consist of the Shabbat Guide and Shabbat Toolkit (downloadable PDF resources providing practical guidelines, prayers, and preparation steps for Shabbat), the book "Shabbat: A Day to Create Yourself" by Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein, and the Partner Hub Templates (social media and marketing templates via Canva). The portfolio is centered on facilitating simple, meaningful, and enjoyable Shabbat participation through educational and promotional resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shabbat Guide

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CanvasupportingTechnology or IntegrationCanva is used as the design platform for the Shabbos Project's Partner Hub. Pre-designed marketing templates (Instagram posts, Facebook posts, email banners, A3 posters, screen graphics) are hosted and distributed via Canva. Local community organizers access these templates for self-service customization and local event promotion. This is a free, self-serve creative tool used to empower grassroots marketing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Birthright Israel Foundation: Birthright funds and organises group trips to Israel for young Jewish adults. It shares the target demographic (young Jews seeking stronger identity) and operates globally with a coordinated annual programming cadence akin to The Shabbos Project's annual Shabbat.
• Orthodox Union (OU): The OU is a major Orthodox Jewish umbrella organisation providing educational resources, programming, and community services globally. Like The Shabbos Project, it produces Jewish educational content and supports grassroots Shabbat observance in the Orthodox community.
• Jewish Federations of North America: JFNA is the central umbrella for North American Jewish communal philanthropy and programming. It coordinates community events, educational initiatives, and engagement programming across hundreds of local communities — a comparable organising structure, though focused on fundraising rather than a single annual moment.
• World Jewish Congress: The WJC represents Jewish communities worldwide and organises international gatherings, advocacy, and educational programming. While more policy-focused, it shares the global coordinating role for Jewish community engagement events.
• Chabad-Lubavitch: Chabad is the largest grassroots Jewish outreach network globally, with shluchim (emissaries) in 100+ countries. Like The Shabbos Project, it focuses on Jewish community engagement, Shabbat and holiday programming, and educational resources — making it the most direct comparable in mission and scale.

Direct peers

• Aish HaTorah: Aish HaTorah is a Jewish educational network that produces learning programmes, digital content, and outreach events aimed at engaging Jews of all backgrounds. Its free educational resources and global programming model closely mirror The Shabbos Project's resource-driven approach.
• Hillel International: Hillel is the largest Jewish student organization in the world, directly comparable to SAUJS's name and mission. It serves college-age Jews globally with Shabbat programming, learning, and community events — the exact audience and activity set the South African Union of Jewish Students targets.

Emerging players

• Bnei Akiva: Bnei Akiva is a global religious-Zionist youth movement with chapters in dozens of countries. It runs Shabbat programming, learning sessions, and community events for Jewish youth — a comparable grassroots model with a similar age demographic and global footprint.
• Ohr Somayach International: Ohr Somayach operates Jewish learning programmes and digital educational content for young Jewish adults. Its focus on beginner-friendly Jewish learning and free online resources parallels The Shabbos Project's free Guides and Toolkits.

Others

• Canva (Partner): Canva is the design platform partner hosting The Shabbos Project's Partner Hub templates. It is included as an adjacent/enabling technology provider rather than a competitor, supporting the movement's grassroots marketing infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-african-union-of-jewish-students-saujs-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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