Nov 25, 2008 -- At the age of nine, Simon Deng, a member of the Shilluk tribe in southern Sudan, was abducted and given as a gift to an Arab family. His job was to draw water from the Nile River and carry it back to the household, work typically assisted by camels. Deng spoke about his experience as a child slave at “Slavery Unshackled: An Exploration of Modern Day Slavery,” a panel discussion co-sponsored by the student-run Social Justice Society, the Center for Ethics at Yeshiva University and the Marcia Robbins-Wilf Scholar-in-Residence Program on Nov. 19. Hundreds of Yeshiva University undergraduates gathered in Rubin Shul on the Wilf Campus to hear the story of Deng, now an American citizen and anti-slavery activist. He shared the podium with Mary Temple, volunteer coordinator for Free the Slaves, which works to eradicate slavery while liberating slaves around the world, and Rabbi Shalom Carmy, assistant professor of Bible at Yeshiva University, who offered a Biblical perspective on the topic. Deng thanked the sponsoring organizations for allowing him to be “the voice of the voiceless.” He said that most people think slavery is a thing of the past, but he is living proof that it continues to exist in modern times. After three and half years as a slave, Deng was liberated by a man from his former village who recognized him and arranged for his escape. “Some of you might feel bad about what happened to me, but we can’t take it back,” Deng said. He sees his main role as an advocate, and is hopeful for the future, “knowing it will take someone who is free to free someone who is not.” Mary Temple highlighted the difference between historic and modern-day slaves. “A historic slave was seen as a capital expenditure and was given clothing, shelter and food in order to allow for the most substantial return on investment,” Temple explained. “In the past 50 years, the price has collapsed and the average price of a slave is now $90. People have become disposable.” Temple urged students to join the fight against slavery by “getting educated,” writing to their political representatives and being conscious of the products they buy and whether they were processed through slavery. Rabbi Shalom Carmy shed light on the complex depiction of slavery in the Torah. He noted that a close analysis of Biblical and halakhic [Jewish legal] texts reveals “that to be a slave is… regarded throughout as a misfortune, as a curse,” because slaves are dependent on their master’s will. A Jewish slave owner however, Carmy added, must require their gentile slave to observe mitzvoth [commandments] so he will feel that God is his ultimate master. Gilah Kletenik, a member of the Social Justice Society, explained the impetus for the panel discussion: “Our collective experience as slaves long ago and as victims throughout history suggests that we have a unique opportunity to free those enslaved, to be the custodians of justice throughout the world.”