- SA Jewish Report

EUTHENASIA - A
JEWISH VIEW / 4
‘JEWS DON’T
PROSELYTISE’ ANOTHER VIEW / 11
Friday, 23rd March 2007 / 4 Nisan 5767
MACCABI’S
GREAT
SPORTSMEN
OF THE
YEAR / 6, 24
Volume 11 Number 10
Will Olmert survive pressure
amid questions on the war?
With a government commission of inquiry into the bungled handling of last year’s war in Lebanon
about to issue its findings and challenges to his leadership mounting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
is fighting for his political life, with looming challenges from Livni and Netanyahu. PAGE 10
In the spirit of
camaraderie
LETTERS / 14
John Perlman: The
fun had to end
PAGE 8
IUA brings young
Israeli musicians
to South Africa
PAGE 7
Young Cycalive riders en route from Johannesburg to Durban after six gruelling days and nearly 700 kilometres on the road. Cycalive
aims to promote leadership and camaraderie through common goals, and build bridges between young South Africans in a spirit of
adventure, personal challenge and self-confidence. The initiative was pioneered by Torah Academy in 1998, and has become an annual
PAGE 2
affair organised largely by the learners themselves. (PHOTOGRAPH: YOSSI SILBERHAFT)
THE SCOURGE OF DOMESTIC ABUSE / 10
AN ISRAELI, HEBREW HAMLET / 13
“BACK TO THE ’80s” / 17
2
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
PARSHA OF THE WEEK
Published by
S A Jewish Report (Pty) Ltd,
Suite 175, Postnet X10039,
Randburg, 2125
Tel: 011-886-0162
Fax: 011-886-4202
Printed by Caxton Ltd
EDITOR - Geoff Sifrin
geoffs@icon.co.za
GENERAL MANAGER - Roni Lea
Sub-Editor - Paul Maree
Senior Reporter - Rita Lewis
jont@global.co.za
Editorial Assistant - Shelley Elk
carro@global.co.za
Sports Editor - Jack Milner
Youth Editor - Lara Greenberg
jewishreport@yahoo.com
Contributing Editor (Arts) Robyn Sassen info@frodo.co.za
Cape Town correspondent
Self-sacrifice
NOT ONLY animal rights groups
have difficulty with this week’s
parsha. Many, if not most people
in our modern era have a problem
with the whole concept of animal
sacrifice, which is a major theme
of the third book of the Torah,
Leviticus.
But I have no wish to enter into
a rationalisation of biblical morality. The second verse in the book
lends itself to some interesting
homiletic interpretation, which
makes it quite clear that the
Torah’s focus on sacrifice is not so
much on the animal on the altar
as on the owner who is offering it.
Adam ki yakriv mikem korbon when a man will bring an offering
from among you to G-d, from the
animals, from the cattle or from
the flock shall you bring your
offering.
Now, clearly, the language here
is rather strained. In fact, most
translators have edited the text to
read more smoothly - when a man
among you will bring an offering,
clearly an improvement in the
flow of the verse.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi,
in his classic Likutei Torah,
Parshat
Vayikra
Rabbi Yossy Goldman
Sydenham-Highlands
North Shul
insists, however, that the Torah’s
syntax is deliberate. When a man
will bring an offering, ie he will
want to come closer to G-d - the
Hebrew word korbon has in it the
root of korov to come close - then he
must know that mikem korbon, the
offering must come from you, from
the animal within you.
Every one of us possesses animalistic tendencies and these must
be consumed on the altar of G-d.
We are obliged to slay our inner
animal and humanise ourselves by
working on developing our character traits until the beast within us
has been neutralised - and better
yet - sanctified.
What exactly does this mean?
The verse continues, from the cattle
or from the flock shall you bring
your offering. Cattle - some individ-
uals may behave like a goring bull,
trampling on everyone and everything in its way. He is the proverbial bull in a china closet, stomping, aggressive, bullying, domineering, and utterly insensitive to
people’s feelings.
Others might be like the flock the meek, little lamb that timidly
follows the crowd. She has no opinion of her own; whatever the last
person she spoke to said becomes
her opinion for the moment. She
has no backbone, no sense of self
or self-respect. She stays with the
flock at all costs lest she be labelled
a “black sheep”.
Still others might be moody and
temperamental, changing colours
and character traits from day to
day. One minute they might be like
the raging bull and the next the
docile lamb.
So the Torah teaches us to be
Adam, a human being of human indeed G-dly - character. Be a man
not an ox, a lady not a lamb. Be a
mensch, behave like a mature,
refined person not like a vilde
chaya. Examine your own behavioural tendencies; check out your
inner feelings and dispositions.
Are you satisfied with yourself
as a human being? Are those
around you happy, or do you intimidate them with your temper
SHABBAT TIMES
23 March/4 Nisan
24 March/5 Nisan
Please note that these are the
latest times for candle-lighting.
Starts
17:58
18:00
17:46
18:06
18:00
17:59
Ends
18:46
19:26
18:35
18:54
18:58
18:48
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Durban
Bloemfontein
Port Elizabeth
East London
Parshat Vayikra
tantrums? Are you mature and
mild-mannered or do you suffer
from road rage?
Searching our souls and our
inner psyches for unacceptable
behaviours and then doing something about it is what we mean
when we say to bring the animal
up on the altar of sacrifice. It is
the animal within each of us. The
true and ultimate sacrifice is the
sacrificing of self.
Moira Schneider: 021-794-4206
Pretoria correspondent
Diane Wolfson
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Honourable Abe Abrahamson (Chairman), Issie Kirsh, Dennis Maister, Bertie
Lubner, Herby Rosenberg, Russell
Gaddin, Marlene Bethlehem,
Stan Kaplan, Gordon Utian, Norman
Lowenthal.
Judge Meyer Joffe (Chair,
editorial comm)
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Cycalive - in the spirit of a common destiny
LAUREN OSHRY
DURBAN
PHOTOGRAPH: YOSSI SILBERHAFT
AFTER SIX gruelling days and
nearly 700 kilometres on the road, a
sweaty jumble of cyclists glided
into the square in front of
Durban’s City Hall last week.
The 50 grade 11 learners from
Torah Academy, Moletsane High
School, and Pace College in
Soweto, formed the 2007 contingent
of the Cycalive campaign, cycling
in relay from Johannesburg to
Durban.
Cycalive aims to promote leadership and camaraderie through
common goals, and to build bridges
between young South Africans and
their respective communities in a
spirit of adventure, personal challenge and self-confidence.
The initiative was pioneered by
Torah Academy in 1998, and has
since become an annual affair
organised largely by the learners
themselves, developing leadership
skills that will no doubt benefit
them as individuals as well as the
country as a whole.
Guest speaker at the launch in
Johannesburg was Nachi Mendelow, who was one of the original
grade 11 learners who spearheaded
the initiative 10 years ago. This is
therefore the 10th campaign and it
really has come, so to speak, full
cycle.
Rabbi Dovid Hazdan, dean of
Torah Academy and mover behind
Cycalive, reflected on the long journey they have collectively travelled, and the even longer one they
still have in front of them.
“It seemed impossible! How can
we possibly cycle to Durban? But
then, when we broke it down into
smaller, more attainable goals, and
when we drew on our base of help
and guidance, we realised that it is
attainable.”
In sport as in life, Rabbi Hazdan
impressed, if you surrounded
Cycalive adventure builds
yourself with support systems and
camaraderie through mutual goals. divided your dreams into attain-
able goals, you could achieve the
seemingly impossible.
The event may be over for this
year, but the campaign is ongoing.
“We’re in this for the long haul,”
says Rabbi Hazdan. “South Africa
has so much potential. A positive
focus is so meaningful and important.”
At a celebratory braai at the
Durban Jewish Centre that night,
chairman of the Council of
KwaZulu-Natal Jewry, Mary Kluk,
welcomed the cyclists and Rabbi
Pinchas Zekry of the Durban
United Hebrew Congregation
praised the participants’ dedication and effort.
“May the Almighty bless you and
your efforts, and may He bless the
ideas of this great country,” he
said. And then, around the glowing
coals, a group of Jews and nonJews sat and sang Heveinu Shalom
Aleichem.
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
3
Looking for a Seder in Prague
NYU study abroad student Michael Cavayero, in Prague on March 15, 2007, is typical of
many Jewish students studying abroad - he says without an invitation, most students
from abroad are unlikely to show up alone at a Passover meal with people they don’t
know. (Credit: Dinah A. Spritzer/JTA)
4
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
Medical ethics and euthenasia
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY
MOIRA SCHNEIDER
CAPE TOWN
IN JEWISH law, there was no
obligation to prolong a life of purgatory, but neither could one hasten its end, even by one second,
said Rabbi Gidon Fox, spiritual
leader of the Pretoria Hebrew
Congregation, addressing the
topic “Live and let die - can we be
kinder than G-d?” at a gathering
held under the auspices of
Nechama.
Rabbi Fox is a specialist in marriage and relationship counselling and has a particular interest in medical ethics.
He prefaced his remarks on
issues surrounding death by saying: “I would hate you to go away
with the notion that the Torah is
devoid of emotion towards people
who are undergoing the experience. Each case has to be dealt
with and viewed on its own merits
and demerits,” he stressed.
Dealing with the question of
terminating a life of purgatory,
where there was no so-called
“quality of life” or the possibility
thereof, Rabbi Fox referred to the
Shulchan Aruch. He said life was
considered absolute and there
was no qualitative evaluation of it
in Jewish law.
“The act of termination of life,
even one second early, is murder
and is therefore not allowed,” he
said. This includes a prohibition
on doing anything proactive in
order to terminate life.
However, it is permissible to
remove that which prevents a person from dying, as long as it is not
attached to his body.
Dealing with the question of
prolonging life, Rabbi Fox said
there was no obligation to prolong
a “tormented” life. “In fact, (leading halachic authority) Rabbi
Moshe Feinstein goes so far as to
say we’re prohibited from doing
so,” he noted.
Describing defibrillation and
life-support as falling into the category of “heroics”, Rabbi Fox
said they did not necessarily have
to be resorted to. “But, hydration,
nutrition and oxygen have to be
given regardless - this is not negotiable.
“A hundred years ago, this was
not an option as there was no
intravenous feeding, but the
moment G-d gives us a technology, we have a duty to use it in
these categories,” he said.
Patient autonomy was not
unequivocal, he added. One could
write a “living will”, but it should
direct those concerned to consult
a competent rabbi for guidance.
In the case of a terminal patient
developing a secondary infection,
was there an obligation to treat
the latter? “One authority says
‘yes’, but one cannot contribute to
the pain of the patient.
“If he can take medication orally or in a drip, that is fine. If you
have to give an injection and it’s
going to be uncomfortable, you
don’t have to.”
In the case of giving morphine
for pain control, increasing the
dose may lead to heart failure, he
said. “The (Jewish) law is that you
can do it because the motivation
is to ease discomfort, even if it is a
factor that may contribute to the
patient’s death.”
Rabbi Fox spoke of the pressure
AROUND
THE WORLD
NEWS IN BRIEF
AUSCHWITZ BOOK WINS
IRISH AWARDS
Nechama director Pauline Sevitz, Rabbi Gidon Fox and Dr Stan Ress
at the lecture on medical ethics delivered by Rabbi Fox.
sometimes put on families by doctors because of lack of resources.
“They may say: ‘He’s 95, he’s had
a good innings’,” whereas there
may be a stranger of 20 outside
waiting for treatment.
“The family feels guilty whatever they decide - whether it’s in
terms of the stranger or prolonging the life of their ill father.
When they invest authority in
Torah law they’re liberated because they’ve removed the trauma of having to deal with it.”
Conceding that this could be
problematic as doctors did not
“like being told how to practise”
by a rabbi, if the person was cognisant of the situation, they did
understand, he said.
Replying to a doctor in the audience who asked when it was permissible to switch off life-sup-
port, Rabbi Fox said there was no
short answer to this “very problematic” situation. In Israel, lifesupport machines had enough
power and oxygen to last for 24
hours.
In secular law, if there was no
response from the brain, one
could take a patient off life-support. In Jewish law, however, one
was not permitted to do the tests
necessary to determine this and
to disconnect a patient would be
regarded as murder.
If after the 24 hours there was
no spontaneous respiration for 30
seconds, the patient could be considered dead and one did not have
to put them back on the machine.
If there was respiration, one had
to put them back on, but each case
would be decided on its own merits, he stressed.
DUBLIN - A children's book
about the relationship in
Auschwitz between a young
inmate and the commandant's son, has won two
prizes at the Irish Book
Awards.
John Boyne's The Boy in
the Striped Pyjamas won children's book of the year and a
people's choice award after
spending 40 weeks at No 1 on
the Irish bestseller list.
It has been nominated for
numerous prizes in the United
Kingdom, United States and
Italy.
The novel tells the story of
Bruno, the young son of Auschwitz's new commandant,
who escapes loneliness by
befriending Shmuel across
the wire in the camp. The
book has been a major global
success for Boyne, who also
has written four works of
adult literary fiction, none of
which has approached the
popularity of his children's
story.
The Boy in the Striped
Pyjamas has been translated
into 24 languages, including
Hebrew. Miramax is scheduled to start shooting the
film version in Budapest in
April. (JTA)
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
Lest We Forget
Taken from their families, these young
captive Israeli soldiers are denied the most
basic of human rights as enshrined in the
Geneva Convention. The Israel Foreign
Ministry is active in efforts to gain their
release on all levels . Neither Israel nor
any other civilized, law abiding country
can accept this situation.
We at the South African Zionist Federation
are committed to ensuring that they are not
forgotten.
EHUD GOLDWASSER
253 DAYS
ELDAD REGEV
253 DAYS
GILAD SHALIT
270 DAYS
ZACHARY BAUMEL
9050 DAYS
YEHUDA KATZ
9050 DAYS
TZVI FELDMAN
9050 DAYS
GUY HEVER
3504 DAYS
RON ARAD
7462 DAYS
Help us to help them.
Be their voices,
for their voices cannot be heard.
Let us, the South African Jewish
community, join hands and fight for their
return. Let us make a difference.
Let us give them back their lives.
Contact: (011) 645-2510/2
5
6
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
SOCIAL SCENE
Rita Lewis jont@global.co.za
Cheetahs Super 14 rugby coach Rassie Erasmus (left) and SA Football Association CEO Raymond Hack
(right), were probably both hoping for some divine inspiration from Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein.
Former Springbok rugby captain Naas Botha receives a gift from
Maccabi SA Chairman Mervyn Tankelowitz.
A night when
(Jewish) sport
reigned supreme
JACK MILNER
PHOTOGRAPHS: JOE YUDELOWITZ
Maccabi SA President Raymond Hack (left) stands
in for Investec’s Stephen Koseff, while Koseff in turn
stands in for Bernard Kantor. Both Koseff and
Kantor were honoured for their assistance to the
2005 SA Maccabiah team.
Maccabi Sportsman Of The Year runnerup, golfer Stacy Bregman, with Maccabi
SA executive member and triathlete, Basil
Kletz.
LAST WEDNESDAY night saw
one of the feature events on the
Jewish sporting calendar - the
Maccabi South Africa Sportsman
Of The Year Banquet - which took
place at the Sandton Shul Hall.
It was - as is the case every
year - a glittering evening attended by a number of leading sporting personalities, Maccabi officials past and present and prominent members of the Jewish community.
Three former Springboks featured prominently at the event one of the heroes of the 1995
Maccabi World Union President Jean
Futeran gives former Springbok lock Kobus
Wiese a few lessons on how to be a tough
guy.
Rugby World Cup, Kobus Wiese,
and Rassie Erasmus, who is now
coach of the Cheetahs Super 14
franchise. And also present was
Naas Botha, former Springbok
captain and one of the greatest
flyhalves this country has ever
produced. Erasmus was a looseforward of note while the bulky
Wiese was a lock who played
hard, but fair - someone who didn’t take any nonsense, or prisoners.
Canoeist Shaun Rubenstein was
named Sportsman Of The Year
while golfer Stacy Bregman was
the runner-up.
See story page 24
A blast from the past: Two former Maccabi SA chairmen,
George Mendelssohn (left) and
Butch Blacher.
Maccabi SA treasurer (left) Jack Lurie presents the
Gerald Fox Humanitarian Award to Motty Sacks.
Maccabi SA chairman, Mervyn Tankelowitz
(left) recognises the participation of former
Springbok and Jewish Hall Of Famer, Wilf
Rosenberg.
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
7
Young Israeli musicians to
perform in Joburg concert
A GROUP of young classical musicians,
ranging in age from 12 to 18, from the Beith
Shemesh Music Conservatory in Israel,
will be coming to South Africa for a one
night only performance in the Linder
Auditorium in Parktown, Johannesburg on
March 27.
They are brought to South Africa by the
IUA-UCF and Partnership 2000, together
with patrons of the evening, Ros and David
Sussman, who saw the group play in Israel
and were “blown away” by their performance. They will be accompanied by the
Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
under the baton of Michael Hankinson.
The Conservatory has over 200 students
from all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. A media release from the IUA says
it has become a place where diverse groups
of children can experience learning together, while building a foundation for future cooperation and sustainability.
Among these talented musicians is violinist Daniel Askarov, who is originally from
Stavropol, a small village in Russia. He made
aliyah at the age of two with his family.
Fourteen-year-old Danny Askarov is one of the top violinists in Israel today.
8
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
Perlman: Eventually
the fun had to end...
LIONEL SLIER
THE SMALL hall at Beyachad was packed
well before the scheduled start of the meeting, with many people still waiting to get in.
where well-known radio personality John
Perlman was to address WIZO’s monthly
meeting. It was therefore decided to move
the meeting to the larger hall next door.
Perlman was the presenter of AM Live
and the After 8 Debate on SAfm for more
than nine years, but he resigned recently
under, what many thought, were “unusual
but inevitable” circumstances related to
him on air contradicting SABC spokesman
Kaizer Kganyago when the latter proclaimed no blacklist existed of who were
allowed to take part in debates. During
question time Perlman said the “blacklist
issue” had not been resolved at the SABC.
Joyce Chodos of WIZO who introduced
Perlman, said Perlman’s resignation was a
tragedy for free speech in South Africa.
Perlman initially avoided all references to
the controversy about the “blacklist” and
his own resignation. Instead he spoke about
two things that happened because of his
programme. In one, a young black matriculant from Mpumalanga achieved seven distinctions in his final exams. He had no
money to continue with his education. The
broadcast was at 07:25. Forty minutes later
an engineering firm from Durban phoned
through with the offer of a bursary and a
job when he qualified.
The next story was about an 84-year-old
man, Patrick Chauke, who wrote and
passed his matric. An offer came in from
East London to finance his further studies.
“There is something about radio,” said
Perlman, “it is the immediate impact it
makes. For instance, I once interviewed
Jacob Zuma when he was deputy president
and he said he supported Zimbabwe. Later
that day the rand fell.”
Perlman confessed that the job had personal demands. He woke up every morning
at 04:00, had a cup of tea and watched BBC
or CNN. Somehow he had a filing system in
his head and he realised what he needed to
know.
“It’s amazing, radio goes out in silence
but in the studio itself it is produced in
noise with people rushing around, senior
producers’ voices coming through the earphones; I myself am in contact with others;
studio guests are being shown to their
places... We were two floors underground
with no way of knowing what is going on
outside of us. In radio a minute is an incredibly long time and it is amazing what you
can pack in.”
Perlman paid tribute to Sally Burdett
(now of e.tv) who was his co-presenter
when he first started in 1998. The SABC had
Australian advisers because of the tenden-
cy for the organisation to be impressed by
people from abroad with long CVs and large
bills. The SABC took itself too seriously, he
contended.
“One of the most important parts of AM
Live was the one hour debate every morning from 08:00 to 09:00. We felt that listeners
wanted to get involved and give their opinions but I was at times perplexed by some of
the answers people gave. I am not always
sure that people can back up their beliefs.
However, we do not screen calls.
“Then, how do we decide on topics? Some
that come to mind that we have had: Are we
right about Zimbabwe? Will food prices ever
come down? Who is the greater threat to
world peace, Bush or Saddam? Is Cape
Town a truly African city? Should fashion
advertising carry a health warning?
“While talking about some of the good
things that happen, live radio can still be
extremely stressful. The phone lines can
drop, the lights can go off and we are in
pitch darkness two floors underground.”
Asked at question time whether he
thought the SABC was a mouthpiece for the
ANC, Perlman said: “No, I don’t think that
it is. There are differing views about the
economy, about HIV/Aids and on a whole
range of other subjects. Deep down, journalists don’t want to be just amplifiers.”
Another questioner asked whether the
SABC was anti-white. Perlman responded:
“I don’t think that anything that happened
to me had anything to do with my race. The
SABC in the old (National Party) days
would never have allowed a show like mine
to have taken place. It is not the same.
“Now journalists have more space. The
SABC does want more black journalists but
it gives them virtually no training. They are
not told what to do or what is expected of
them.”
Answering a question about the errors in
pronunciation and different accents of the
broadcasters which some people find difficult to grasp, Perlman reiterated that it was
a question of training, but he said there was
a range of accents in South Africa and these
should be used. At one time people who had
northern accents or Scottish accents could
not get into the BBC, but that was no longer
the case.
Inevitably the name of Snuki Zikalala
(head of news and current affairs at the
SABC) came up during question time.
Perlman felt that if Snuki left it would make
no difference at the SABC. The systems and
circumstances that made the blacklisting
possible had not been addressed and would
only be dealt with when someone thought
there was a problem.
“I have been at the SABC for nine years,
one month and two days. I have had a long
working life and I have never had so much
fun, but it had to end.”
Bet David signs
a new rabbi
RABBI ROBERT A Jacobs (pictured) from Maryland, US, will join
Bet David in Morningside in
Sandton, in August this year. Bet
David’s management committee
invited Rabbi Jacobs to visit
Johannesburg in February. During
his stay he officiated at Shabbat
services, led various adult education groups, interacted with youngsters from the Religion School, and
attended a few of the community’s
tikkun olam projects in Alexandra
Township, among others.
Rabbi Jacobs was ordained at
Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion in 1975. He
read for his Masters in Hebrew
Letters at the same institute and
graduated with honours in 1973. He
was the recipient of the SS Wise
Prize for Academic Excellence.
Currently, Rabbi Jacobs works at the
Temple Adas Shalom-Harford Jewish
Centre in Havre de Grace, Maryland, and
has been there since 1998. Prior to this, he
worked for Danzansky-Goldberg Memorial
Chapels, Inc. in Rockville, Maryland; the
Centreville Area Jewish Community in
Centreville, Virginia; the Congregation
Agudas Achim in Livingston Manor, New
York; and was executive director at the Leo
Baeck Institute in New York.
He has focused on various areas of
Judaism including membership retention,
community empowerment, education opportunities, Jewish outreach and social
action. He has launched initiatives in synagogue transformation and staffing; developed an adult parallel school programme;
and run a programme for parents on B’nei
Mitzvah preparation.
Rabbi Jacobs spent two six-week periods
with Temple Israel in Cape Town on
Sabbatical in 2005 and 2006 where he led
services, ran lifecycle events, interfaced
with leadership in and outside the Jewish
community, and participated in international conferences and local interfaith
activities. These experiences in South
Africa encouraged him to explore other,
more long-term, opportunities in the country.
“I am happy to move on to a challenging,
exciting and creative phase of my rabbinate rooted in partnership and co-operation that can incorporate the best of the
past into a blessed future,” says Rabbi
Jacobs.
Says Desmond Sweke, Bet David’s chairman: “We have found a rabbi who seems to
be the perfect fit for the community. Not
only is Rabbi Jacobs an experienced and
well-rounded rabbi, but he is also extremely knowledgeable about Judaism and has
many accolades to his name.”
AROUND THE WORLD
NEWS IN BRIEF
ISRAELIS SPLIT ON PA CONTACTS
JERUSALEM - Israelis are split over
whether to negotiate with the
Palestinian Authority coalition government, a poll has found.
According to the survey in Monday's
Yediot Achronot, 40 per cent of Israelis
agree with their government's decision
to continue boycotting the Palestinian
Authority until its dominant faction
Hamas recognises the Jewish state and
renounces terrorism.
An almost equal number, 39 per cent,
call for new talks with the Palestinian
Authority, though 17 per cent said the
contacts should be limited to Cabinet
ministers from the moderate Fatah faction.
The poll had 517 respondents and a
margin of error of plus or minus 4,3 percentage points. (JTA)
ISRAEL: LEBANON CONFLICT WAS A WAR
JERUSALEM - The conflict last summer
in Lebanon between Israel and
Hezbollah was a war, an Israeli committee has decided.
The Ministerial Committee for Symbols and Ceremonies arrived at the definition on Monday. The Jewish state
never officially declared war, and the 34
days of fighting were referred to since in
other terms, a fact political sources
attributed to Finance Ministry concerns
about the fiscal burdens that would
entail in terms of compensation payouts
to northern communities.
However, following complaints from
parents of fallen Israeli soldiers, committee chairman Yaakov Edrey proposed that the fighting be called a war
and given a name.
The Committee for Symbols and
Ceremonies plans to co-ordinate the
choice of a name with a separate committee established by Defence Minister
Amir Peretz. (JTA)
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
9
10
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
OPINION AND ANALYSIS
FORUM FOR DIVERSE VIEWS
Will Olmert survive the pressure?
What’s in a name?
DOES IT matter what names are given to wars?
For the casualties and their bereaved parents,
there is no name that will bring them back. And
whether the war was won or lost will not be
altered by the name it is given.
However, if the current argument in Israel
over what to call last year’s conflict with
Hezbollah in Lebanon is any indication, it clearly does matter. For a start, there has been debate
over the very question of what it actually was a war, battle, operation, retaliatory raid, or
something else. This lack of clarity - unlike the
Six Day War for example - reflects the general
confusion and anger in Israel over its cause and
how it was conducted, and the generally acrimonious political climate.
After much hand-wringing, the government
has now officially declared it a war, which gives
it a certain national status legally and morally.
The Israeli populace is already colloquially
calling it the “Second Lebanon War” - a fairly
bland term which does not reflect the confusion
and ambiguity associated with it. But as if to
emphasise the gap between politicians and citizenry, the panel set up by the government to
choose an approved name has considered various more value-laden alternatives, including
War of the North, Peace for the North War, War
of the Captives and Operation Homeland
Defence.
What it will ultimately be called by ordinary
people and historians, however, cannot be determined by government edict.
What is crucial, however, is that the victims of
war must be able to identify emotionally with
the name of a war, with its “place in history”.
In South Africa, controversy has often been
caused recently by the naming and re-naming of
roads, airports, towns and regions - mostly at
the initiative of the ANC. The declared motivation has been to reflect more accurately the feelings and history of the black majority and its
victory over white rule. Clearly, an element of
triumphalism also factors in - the victor gives
official names to things.
Resistance has come from some nervous
whites, for whom the continued existence of the
pre-1994 names reassured them that their history and culture had a place in this country.
Names like Gauteng, Polokwane, Tshwane,
Mpumalanga, etc, evoke very different cultural
and political resonances compared to Jan
Smuts, Pretoria, Hendrik Verwoerd, etc.
A plane from London coming in to land at O R
Tambo Airport connotes something different
from landing at Jan Smuts Airport or
Johannesburg International.
The Holocaust provokes its own dilemmas
about names. When UNESCO declared the site
of Auschwitz a UN cultural heritage site, it
called it the “Auschwitz Death Camp”. Last year
Poland requested that the name be changed to
“Former Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau
Death Camp”. The Poles wanted to persuade the
media from describing it as a “Polish death
camp”, which insulted many Poles because it
was run by Germany and what happened there
was of German design. Jewish organisations
supported Poland on this issue.
Israel has had heated debates over the naming of the many wars in its history. Official
names approved by the government have often
not taken root, because of differing perceptions
of soldiers, bereaved parents, politicians and
historians.
In 1948 David Ben-Gurion set the official
name of the War of Independence as “War of
Komemiyut” - a grandiose, poetic term for
“independence”. However the public remembered it as the “War of Atzma’ut” - a more prosaic word, also meaning “independence” - as if
to say we should be careful about describing
war too poetically.
There was less dispute over naming the SixDay War and Yom Kippur War, which quickly
received their popular names. For these, the
government followed the popular line and made
those names official.
In contrast to the positive, heroic connotations imbedded in the names of the three Israeli
wars mentioned above, last year’s bungled war
against Hezbollah is unlikely to carry such
resonances, no matter what the government
decides to call it. Sadly, given the current
Mideast reality, it is very unlikely we will be
able to call it “The Last War”.
Olmert, Peretz and former Chief of Staff
Dan Halutz, who resigned in January following criticism of his wartime performance. In the media release, the commission
explained that it had divided its work into
three periods:
• The six years following Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000
to the outbreak of hostilities in June last
year;
• The first six days of the war, from June
12, when Israeli soldiers Eldad Regev and
Ehud Goldwasser were kidnapped, to June
17, when Olmert made it clear in a speech
to the Knesset that Israel viewed the fighting as full-scale war.
• The final four weeks of the war.
The interim report in April will focus on
the first two periods and, according to the
commission, “will deal with the prime
minister’s, the defence minister’s and the
chief of staff’s responsibility for the decisions leading to war and the way those
decisions were made.”
The fact that the commission did not
send out cautionary letters to Olmert or
any of the others, which is the usual practice when a government official or army
officer could be hurt by an inquiry’s findings, led to much speculation.
“Does it mean that there are no findings
that will compel Olmert and the others to
hang up their hats? columnist Yoel Marcus
asked in Ha’aretz. “Or will the personal
conclusions suffice to make the public
throw all three to the lions?”
The fact is, according to Attorney
General Menachem Mazuz, the commission cannot recommend the firing of the
prime minister who appointed it. But it
can create a public climate in which it will
be impossible for Olmert to carry on.
Writing in Yediot Achronot, political
analyst Sima Kadman observed that there
was “a pistol on the table”, and it would
“fire in mid-April”.
Olmert, however, does not intend to go
down without a fight. In an impassioned
speech to Kadima’s governing council two
days after the commission’s media release,
the prime minister declared that “even
though some people think this is the hunting season, I am sorry to disappoint my
critics, but I am here to go on leading and
working”.
Olmert’s biggest problem, though, is his
almost total loss of public support. In the
fight-back speech, he put his unpopularity
on the table but argued that, paradoxically,
it stemmed from the fact that he was working hard, making tough decisions and not
wasting time pandering to the people.
But no matter how eloquent the case he
makes, the numbers are against him. Polls
show that less than three per cent of
Israelis want him to stay in the top job, and
that with him at the helm, Kadima would
crash from its current 29 Knesset seats to
just seven or eight. From such a political
nadir, pundits say, there is no way back.
That means a lot of pressure building up
inside Kadima to replace Olmert with
someone who would have a better chance of
keeping the party in power. The frontrunner is Livni, who has been quietly building
her power base in the party without overtly
challenging Olmert, but without giving him
any public support either.
But there is an interim scenario: 83-yearold Shimon Peres as caretaker prime minister after Olmert for a few months until
Kadima sorts out its leadership roster.
According to the Kadima constitution,
anyone who becomes acting party leader in
the wake of the incumbent’s resignation
cannot run for permanent party leader.
And since Peres is the only top Kadima
politician who has no designs on the longterm party leadership, he is being touted as
Olmert’s immediate but temporary successor.
Given Kadima’s current weakness, power
could shift from the party to Likud. The
Likud’s Netanyahu sees two avenues to the
premiership: a constructive vote of no-confidence in which 61 legislators coalesce
around him as an alternative prime minister, or early elections.
For now he is making a bid to muster the
support of 61 legislators for a majority in
the Knesset.
With Livni, Peres and Netanyahu chomping at the bit, and Kadima in turmoil, the
pressure on Olmert to step down after the
Winograd Commission issues its report will
be enormous. (JTA)
Women abuse - the all-pervasive scourge
said, was a lesson in how people should act
around one another, because “we are all
brothers and sisters descendant from Adam
and Eve”.
In relationships between men and
women, both had to understand that they
were both created in the image of G-d and
were therefore equal. This however, often
caused “clashing sovereignties” with both
understanding that no-one had authority
over another, unless the Torah gave that
authority.
From a Jewish point of view the role of
women was very important, the proof of
this being when at the giving of the Torah,
women were commanded with the mitzvoth
before men showing that “if you don’t get
the women on board, then there is no
Torah”.
Rabbi Goldstein added that according to
halacha, if a man developed a condition
which made it unlivable for his wife - even
something like bad breath - the Beth Din
could force him to give her a divorce. If this
could be done for something as small as bad
breath, then how much more so in other
cases such as that of abuse.
Solarsh said that if people noticed that
their friends were cancelling a lot of
arrangements, showing up with unexplained bruises, displaying possessive personalities, or just displaying unusual conduct, it was important to speak to them.
She reiterated Rabbi Goldstein’s words
that the best way to protect oneself from
abuse was to have good self-esteem and a
high value of oneself, as well as being
assertive and cautious.
And if, G-d forbid, anyone should find
themselves in an abusive situation “as soon
as possible, tell someone who you trust”.
• The Jewish Community Services’ emergency telephone counselling and referral
service can be reached on (011) 321-0505 or
082-499-1010. Jewish Community Services
can be reached on (011) 532-9616.
LESLIE SUSSER
JERUSALEM
WITH A government commission of
inquiry into the war in Lebanon about to
issue its findings and challenges to his
leadership mounting, Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert is fighting for his political
life.
The Winograd Commission’s interim
report on the war, due to be released in
the second half of April, could be equally
devastating for Defence Minister Amir
Peretz.
The report’s release seems certain to
intensify a struggle for national leadership, with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
the frontrunner to take over as leader of
Olmert’s Kadima Party.
In addition, opposition Likud leader
Benjamin Netanyahu is challenging for
the premiership, and former Prime
Minister Ehud Barak and former ShinBet head Ami Ayalon are threatening to
oust Peretz as Labour leader.
If Olmert fails to hold on to power - and
the smart money says he will have to go Livni or Netanyahu could emerge as
prime minister, with Barak or Ayalon as
the new defence minister.
The Winograd Commission was set up
last September in the wake of the Israeli
army’s poor showing in the war and questions that were raised about the nation’s
military and political leadership.
At the time, Olmert withstood intense
public pressure to set up a state commission of inquiry whose members would
have been appointed by the Supreme
Court, which also would have drafted its
terms of reference. Instead, Olmert insisted on a government commission of
inquiry whose members he appointed and
whose wide terms of reference he drafted.
Now it seems this ploy may not have been
enough to save his political career.
On March 13, the Winograd Commission, stung by implications that it had
no teeth, took the unprecedented step for
a statutory panel of inquiry of issuing a
statement to the media: The interim
report it planned to release in April, it
said, would contain personal findings on
LARA GREENBERG
DOMESTIC abuse was all-pervasive; it was
found “everywhere and anywhere” and
there was no class distinction, according to
Brenda Solarsh, a counsellor at Jewish
Community Services (JCS).
Giving the topic of domestic abuse a public forum was the aim of Ohr Somayach
Ma’ayan Bina women’s seminary and JCS
during a morning seminar held recently.
Solarsh, who has been dealing with
domestic abuse issues in the Jewish community of Johannesburg for a number of
years, explained what abuse entailed, with
a focus on its effects on women.
She noted that abuse was found everywhere and anywhere and that in all cases,
some harm was involved. She added that it
usually took one form, but all of these
abuses - sexual, physical, psychological,
verbal or emotional - overlapped.
She stressed that another important
thing to remember was that there was no
race, age, class or religion which was
exempt of abuse, and in South Africa one
in four women was expected to be abused
sometime in their lives.
Unfortunately there was no simple or
single explanation for abuse, but everyone
who has the ability to abuse people should
always be on guard not to slip into that
state.
When dealing with abuse it had to be
looked at on many different levels - building up the victims and teaching them how
to value themselves, while also helping the
abusers to deal with the frustration that
causes them to react in an abusive way.
“You don’t need to be the recipient of
abuse, but observers also have serious
effects,” she added.
Abuse by professionals was another seri-
ous and growing area of concern and it was
no longer good enough to merely say: “Be
careful who you go to.” People needed to go
to reputable professionals who were recommended by trusted people.
Abuse is a phenomenon which exists in
ever community and every religion and the
Jewish community of Johannesburg was
not exempt with Jewish women being
abused not more, but as much as those in
other communities.
However, she added that those abused in
the Jewish community usually took longer
to react against that abuse.
“People who abuse are often those who
would prefer not to,” said Solarsh, adding
that where before a very militant attitude
was taken towards abusers, they had
realised that abusers needed to be able to
come forward without shame so that they
could work on their issues.
In 1994 the Shalom Bayit organisation
was formed as a Jewish response to domestic abuse. At the time, they could not find a
rabbi who would help them and stand up
and publicly talk about these issues. Over
the years a number of courses have been
held for rabbis in order to sensitise them to
the issues.
Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein, speaking on “Women’s rights in the context of
Torah law”, stressed the importance of selfesteem and self-worth, noting that this was
a foundation principle when it came to
one’s whole approach to life.
“Every person must say that the world
was created for me,” he said. This appreciation for self would ensure that one wouldn’t
allow another to do or say anything to one
that would hurt or harm them.
He added that when the world was created, G-d created Adam and Eve as one person first and then separated them. This, he
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
OPINION AND ANALYSIS
FORUM FOR DIVERSE VIEWS
Welcoming strangers
IMMANUEL SUTTNER
IS JUDAISM only for Jews? Is the G-d of
Israel a tribal deity we keep to ourselves, or
is this G-d Melech Haolam veAdon kol
habriyot - ruler of the universe and a G-d
for all created beings?
Countless times I’ve heard Jews saying:
“Unlike Christianity or Islam, we don’t go
out and try and convert people.” And this is
said with a certain smug satisfaction - I
know, because I’ve said it myself. Indeed, it
may well be a matter for pride that Judaism
is not marketed in the manipulative ways
that evangelical Christianity and Islam
have been.
But nothing is good or bad, but thinking
makes it so, and Judaism’s absence from
the marketplace can also be seen as a weakness, a lack of confidence that the product
we have really is of universal value.
Is it true that Judaism has never welcomed converts? The short answer is no.
Like every other feature of Judaism, the
aversion to converts is a historical development, most probably an internalisation of
the prohibitions to seek converts imposed
on Jews by hostile Islamic and Christian
rulers. And, in an over-compensation akin
to an abused child who tries to please the
abusing parent, not only did we stop seeking converts, we began to actively repel
them.
We turned what began as a coerced exit
from the marketplace of religions into an
aloof standoffishness, and then called this
standoffishness a virtue.
The historian Salo Baron noted that the
number of Jews grew from 150 000 in 586
BCE to more than eight million by the first
century CE. A plausible thesis which
explains this huge growth is that Jews
actively sought large numbers of converts.
This thesis is supported not just by the
inexplicable growth in Jewish numbers,
but also by the hostile comments of contemporary Greek, Roman, and early
Christian authors about Jewish attempts to
win converts. According to Baron, by the
beginning of the Christian era, 10 per cent
of the Roman Empire was Jewish.
But, along with the collapse of Jewish
sovereignty in 70 CE, came the end of
Jewish efforts to win converts. The collective loss of Jewish self-confidence expressed itself as an unwillingness to reenter the fray and compete; Jews turned
inward and have largely remained so.
We see this particularistic paradigm in
operation in our own small community,
where multiple organisations compete to
sell their brands of Judaism to the tiny
market of other Jews - instead of proffering
these to the 43 million people who live just
beyond the borders of the ghetto.
There are many good reasons for returning to an active welcoming of converts. And
yet we persist in doing exactly the opposite.
Gary Tobin, president of the Institute for
Jewish & Community Research, recently
wrote: “Jews continue to be so afraid of
decline that we have created... institutional
responses which act as self-fulfilling
prophecies that ensure that decline.”
Tobin mentions this in an article about
intermarriage. “‘Prevention’ of intermarriage,” he says, “is the primary ideology... of
the Jewish communal infrastructure.
‘Prevention’ is expressed ideologically
through rabbinic pronouncements that
Jews should only marry Jews and through
‘identity-building’ programmes.
“The seemingly obsessional focus on
marrying within the faith (and the broader
obsessional focus on Jewish survival, as if
Jews and Jewish ideas are such fragile and
brittle creatures that, like endangered animals on the red list, they can only survive
with the aid of special breeding programmes, because they don’t stand a
chance in the rough and tumble out there)
hooks a minority of Jews, who are predisposed towards an identity based upon a
conservation paradigm. But this same fearbased focus alienates many more, who
finding nothing nurturing or life enhancing
in it.”
Most Jews living in open societies want to
have the same opportunities as non-Jews.
Most SA Jews, for example, do not want to
go back to the early years of the previous
century, when Jewish immigration into
South Africa was restricted and Jews were
seen as undesirables. The “let’s-preventintermarriage” strategy is failing because
of the inherent contradiction of simultaneously seeking to avoid being victims of prejudice, while passing blanket prohibitions
against marrying individuals who have
emerged from other faith traditions.
“Many young Jews,” writes Tobin, “see
prevention as an ideological hypocrisy in an
open and free society.”
Tobin suggests that interfaith marriages
should be seen as an opportunity rather
than a problem, and every non-Jewish
spouse as a potential Jew. “The Jewish community could... vigorously promote conversion to Judaism. Those who marry nonJews are not defectors; ...they are bridge
builders.... If we shifted (our focus) to proactive conversion, we could be a growing population instead of a stagnant one.”
Welcoming new blood also makes sense in
terms of the ongoing battle against Jew
hatred.
Jewish communal institutions spend
huge amounts of time and energy trying to
moderate the way Jews are perceived by
non-Jews. Almost every country where
Jews live has representative bodies who
seek to combat anti-Semitism. Whether this
produces conclusive results is debatable.
Because Jews are such a tiny minority,
people in most countries rarely encounter a
living breathing Jew. Their knowledge of
Jews comes from the representations of
Jews they are exposed to - in their religious
traditions, and popular culture.
In both cases, these representations are
often negative. Perhaps time and energy
might be better spent increasing the
chances that they will learn about Jews first
hand - from Jews. It’s not purely a numbers
game, but certainly the old adage - “there’s
safety in numbers” - is not entirely false
either.
China can perpetrate almost any human
rights violation and be subject to only cosmetic criticism, whereas Israel cannot even
sneeze without being censured by an endless list of international bodies. And we, to
some extent, have chosen this, by choosing
over and over again to remain a minority.
There are many people who have been left
out in the cold by the vacuous inanities of
consumer culture, and are hungry for community, for meaning, for ceremony and tradition - all of which Judaism is able to supply in great quantities.
Imagine, just for a moment, that some of
the energy used for the endless task of
responding to anti-Semitism was diverted
towards attracting unaffiliated people to
one or other Jewish denomination.
Just imagine if all the interfaith spouses
(more than a million in the US and Canada,
hundreds of thousands in the UK, France,
Argentina, South Africa, Australia and elsewhere) were warmly embraced by their
local Jewish communities.
Imagine if the children of such marriages
chose to formalise some sort of commitment to Jewish life and community. This
would bring the worldwide Jewish population to around 18 million, or to preHolocaust levels.
Imagine if there were 30 million Jews in
the world by 2030, and double that by the
turn of the next century. There could be
countries where Jews were no longer a tiny
fraction, but a substantial chunk of those
countries’ population - with exactly the kind
of impact on policies and attitudes Muslims
are currently wielding throughout Europe.
There might even be a second or third
Jewish state somewhere in the world which
could, together with Israel, (assuming Israel
hasn’t self-destructed by then), form a nascent “Jewish bloc” in international bodies,
to oppose the hijacking of these bodies by
countries and organisations with antiSemitic agendas.
Says Tobin: “Christians, Muslims, Scientologists and pretty much everyone else,
welcome newcomers... If we do not open the
gates, we will be part of history, but not an
important part of the future.”
Immanuel Suttner is a writer and filmmaker.
11
Advertorial
Top-class Pesach fare in CT
MOIRA SCHNEIDER
CAPE TOWN
Twenty years ago, Judi Dadon, together with
her former husband David, established the
Belmont kosher restaurant, the first of its kind
in Cape Town. The wheel has now turned full
circle as she plans to operate a restaurant for
Pesach at the same venue this year.
Dadon, a "frum" Jew and mother of four,
says she is "proud of my Jewishness. Being
Jewish is not a disadvantage. Being kosher is
not a 'Pardon me but I can't eat out', 'Pardon
me but I've got to eat second-rate food'," she
says. "Being Jewish is being part of a select
few chosen people; we must act accordingly
and we deserve the best."
In line with this philosophy, the Sea Point
venue will be "luxuriously" appointed, she
says, with "beautiful" chairs and tablecloths.
Another motivating factor is her desire to
add to the ever-increasing "Yiddishkeit" in
Cape Town. Trained by Ina Paarman, Dadon
describes her sixth restaurant venture as "a
special club" that will be restricted to 60 people. "You are going to be pampered and
you're going to be given the best food
because you can get the best food."
The eight meals that will be provided, include
the two sedorim, Friday night Shabbos dinner,
Shabbos lunch and lunch and dinner on the last
two days of Yomtov. Each meal will be sold
individually. Requirements for other meals will
be sold by weight as takeaways. Should there,
however, be a demand for further meals at the
venue, she will be happy to oblige.
12
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
TAPESTRY
ART, BOOKS, DANCE, FILM, THEATRE
ARTS MATTERS
COMPILED BY ROBYN
SASSEN
Call 084-319-7844 or
info@frodo.co.za at
least one week prior to
publication
Apartheid Museum, Crown
Mines: “Gauge”, by Philip
Napier. Until March 30. (011)
309-4700.
Civic Theatre, Braamfontein: “Soweto Story”, a new
musical, directed by Genna
Lewis with an all-local cast,
starts March 27 in the Nelson
Mandela. In the People’s
Theatre, “Alice in Wonderland”
until April 10. (011) 877-6800.
Goodman Gallery, Rosebank: New paintings by Robert
Hodgins. Until April 14. (011)
788-1113.
Johannesburg Art Gallery,
Joubert Park: Mid-career retrospective by Roger Ballen,
until April 29. The artist conducts a walkabout on March 25.
(011) 725-3130.
King David Victory Park,
Victory Park: “Back to the
80s” a musical starring Joseph
Gerassi, Renos Spanoudes,
Lara Wittels and over 50 learners. Until March 29. (011) 4467860.
Liberty Theatre on the
Square, Sandton:
Dawn
Lindberg directs Esmeralda
Bihl, Lizz Meiring and Anne
Powers in “The Good Body”,
until March 31. (011) 883-8606.
Market, Newtown: In the
Main Theatre, “Shirley, Goodness and Mercy” by Chris van
Wyk, directed by Janice
Honeyman, starring Zane Meas
until May 13. In the Laager
“Flipping the Script”, directed
by Bobby Rodwell, April 1- May
6. (011) 832-1641.
Montecasino, Fourways: In
the Studio, “Stressed to Kill”
with Alan Committie, until
March 31. The hippie musical
“Hair” in the Main Theatre
until May 20. (011) 511-1988.
National Children’s Theatre,
Parktown: “Charlotte’s Web”,
directed by Joyce Levinsohn,
until April 21. (011) 484-1584.
Rabbi Cyril Harris Community Centre, Oaklands: A
tribute to artist Sidney Goldblatt (1919-1979), until March
28. On March 25, Michael Coulson talks on the Renaissance of
Photography in South African
art. (011) 728-8088.
State Theatre, Pretoria: In
the Drama, “Passion of Argentinean Tango”, performed by
Irina Zyrianova and 19 dancers,
to a live orchestra. Until April
1. (011) 880-3099.
University of Johannesburg
Arts complex, Auckland
Park: In the Gallery, “Impulse”, art from the Sanlam
Collection,
reflecting
on
Expressionist tendencies in SA
art-from Irma Stern to William
Kentridge, until April 21. (011)
489-2556.
Vivid colours and deep empathy that’s Sidney Goldblatt
Exhibition: Tribute to Sidney
Goldblatt (CRHCC, Oaklands.
(011) 728-8088)
Until: March 28
REVIEWED BY ROBYN SASSEN
IT IS the colour that gets to you.
Vivid in its intensity, vermilion
dominates many of the bold landscapes and semi-abstract paintings on canvas by Sidney
Goldblatt (1919-1979). Here a
work offers a stunning counterpoising of striking vermilion
with turquoise.
Here we see an urban landscape evoked through strong
geometry, but unrecognisable in
its specifics. Yet, the works are
not only about colour and shape,
but manifest a deep empathy, a
sense of curiosity about their
subject matter and a powerful
command of linework.
Goldblatt is recognised by critics as having had the potential to
echo the success of Irma Stern.
Unashamed in his love of colour,
he takes his place among South
African painters working within
an Expressionist rubric. He died
suddenly at 60 and vanished from
the local art horizon, because
South Africa was at that point
deeply moored under a cultural
embargo.
In opening the exhibition, his
widow Wendy commented that in
Sidney’s opinion an artist is still
a youngster at 60. Up to 75, he
could maybe be considered middle aged. And after 80, he was in
his maturity.
This rings poignant given the
brevity of Sidney’s life. He held
more than 20 solo exhibitions
and travelled the world with his
art. He was tutored in Paris by
Ferdinand Legér and Andre
Lhôte; quirky influence of Swiss
artist Paul Klee is echoed in his
line work.
His CV reads like that of any of
the European modernists active
in the early 20th century. He was
influenced by African aesthetics,
and was drawn to cubism. He was
engaged by the idea of abstraction, but was not without social
conscience, making works dealing with the horror of destruction in his reflections on District
Six in 1968 and the Yom Kippur
War in 1973.
Sidney was a well-loved
teacher, offering clear insight
into the value of abstraction, to
his students. This exhibition
represents Wendy’s decision to
share the works with the public,
and to have framed the many
works which were adorning but
also malingering in her home.
The show fills the Community
Centre beautifully. There are
over 30 oils on canvas, several
whimsical and fresh works in oil
on paper, as well as interestingly
developed linocuts on black
paper where the image is
reversed out and experiments
with the ink’s viscosity and
colour give them life.
These works on paper are
unfortunately not shown to their
best facility, in a standing folder,
open to visitors paging through
them, and handling the uncovered prints.
The exhibition is complemented with ceramics by Wendy.
While in some respects this
detracts from the focus of the
exhibition, in others, it offers a
sense of the collaborative spirit
between Wendy and Sidney
Goldblatt. Wendy’s work is clean
and crisp in its realisation.
Sidney’s is bodacious in its presence. Together, they offer a
sense of balance, bringing
together different emotionally
powerful voices and yielding a
rewarding art experience.
“Sunset with Horses and Man”, oil on canvas. (PHOTOGRAPH: SIMON GOLDBLATT)
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney,
Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald,
Laurence Barry, Damian Kearney
Director: Ken Loach
The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a gritty,
emotion-laden and powerfully authentic
film about the English-Irish conflict.
This is a thorny subject, but celebrated
director Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul
Laverty, combine their considerable skills
to produce a film that manages to find the
beating heart of a story that could easily
have degenerated into an impersonal study
of social institutions.
The many characters who parade before
us are not merely mouthpieces advancing a
social agenda; they are flesh and blood entities who add strength to the often bloody
proceedings.
This passionate film follows the shocking
journey of Damien (Cillian Murphy), a
young doctor in small-town 1920 Ireland,
who together with his activist brother,
Teddy (Pádraic Delaney), begins a movement to resist the indignities and violence
inflicted by the British military.
As their movement gains momentum, the
British retaliate in vicious ways, eventually
blackmailing the entire populace into voting in favour of a treaty. And as the opposing Irish Republican Army grows, the situation becomes increasingly ugly.
Cillian Murphy’s idealistic character is a
strong one who fervently believes that justice will prevail, even in the face of
unspeakable atrocities.
Loach and Laverty don’t really establish
the context; they just toss us right into the
middle of hell as they tell the story from the
perspective of one sensitive man. It’s compelling cinema.
Because I Said So
Cast: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Gabriel
Macht, Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham,
Piper Perabo, Stephen Collins
Director: Michael Lehmann
Good roles for mature women are hard to
come by in Hollywood, so when screen veteran Diane Keaton is given something to get
her teeth into she really makes a meal of it.
At times she becomes so driven and frenetic that the character begins to jar, but at
least for most of this romantic comedy
Diane Keaton is ditzy and quite funny.
FELDMAN ON
FILM
Peter Feldman
She portrays a single mother, Daphne
Wilder, who only wants the best for her
three daughters. They have grown up well,
but this irritating mother remains singleminded in her intent to find a suitable man
for her youngest, Milly (Mandy Moore) even if it means placing an online advert.
Because I Said So adopts such a formulaic approach to matters of the heart that we
know how things will eventually turn out
in the end.
The two men vying for Milly are a successful architect Jason (Tom Everett
Scott), who pleases mother, and Johnny
(Gabriel Macht), a handsome musician
with an uncontrollable child, who pleases
Milly.
Steven Collins plays Johnny’s father who
falls for Daphne’s charms.
Because I Said So has its moments and
will certainly connect in some quarters.
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
TAPESTRY
ART, BOOKS, DANCE, FILM, THEATRE
Hebrew Hamlet strikes
a chord for Israelis
“SOMETHING is rotten in the state
of Denmark,” an officer declares in a
Hebrew version of Hamlet, and the
Israeli audience shifts uncomfortably in its seats.
In this modern version of the
Shakespeare classic, the audience
and the actors are acutely aware of
how relevant the centuries-old tale
of corruption and tragedy feels at a
time of deep national malaise in
Israel because of several high-level
government scandals and questions
about how last summer’s war in
Lebanon was handled.
Director Omri Nitzan compares
Hamlet’s indecision to the very questions the nation has faced since it
came into existence - for example,
whether or not to strike forcefully
and immediately at those who might
threaten the country or consider a
more cautious range of responses
while weighing the moral consequences of any action.
“Whether it’s good to be left or
right, it’s the Israeli question,”
Nitzan said. “The answer is not
clear, but the question is there.
That’s what makes Shakespeare so
realistic - he’s a modern writer concerned with the human drama. It
crosses the barriers of time and of
language, in our case from English
to Hebrew.”
Nitzan said the production was
very Israeli in its nature with its
frenzied tempo, emotional pull and
political sensitivity.
The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv is
bringing its production of Hamlet,
now in its second year of sold-out
performances, to the American
stage for the first time in early
March. It will be performed at the
Shakespeare in Washington Festival
following several performances at
Shakespeare festivals in Europe.
The British Plays International
Magazine described the production
as “undoubtedly the best thing the
Israeli theatre has seen in years”.
Performed in modern dress
against the backdrop of rock and
other contemporary music, the production fully involves its audience,
which takes in the play from long
rows alongside a stage set up like a
catwalk. Spectators sit in swivel
chairs to see the action, which surrounds them from the main stage as
well as all sides of the theatre.
In Washington, an English translation will appear on the walls.
The Cameri decided to stage a contemporary Israeli version of Hamlet
more than two years ago, as the
country was preparing for the withdrawal of Jewish settlements and
army troops from the Gaza Strip. At
the time there were fears the pullout
might lead to massive violence
between settlers and their supporters against security forces - fighting
that might even lurch into a civil
war.
The conflict within one political
family that led to bloodshed and a
type of civil war on stage in
“Hamlet” inspired the theatre to
stage the production.
Today the political landscape has
shifted and a wave of corruption
scandals is preoccupying the country.
The theme of corruption in the
play - moral and political - strikes a
salient, if different, chord for recent
audiences.
Hamlet deals with “the daily life of
CREDIT: CAMERI THEATRE OF TEL AVIV
DINA KRAFT
TEL AVIV
Itay Tiran as Hamlet in a Cameri
Theatre of Tel Aviv production.
a kingdom and the relationship of
the people towards the ruler, his
family and corruption”, said Noam
Semel, the director general of the
Cameri, Israel’s largest theatre with
nearly a million audience members
a year.
“All of this is relevant to the issues
of our day. Corruption exists everywhere in political life,” he said. “It’s
not only typical in Israel, but Israel
should be proud that it is judging
and examining it.”
The resignation of the Israeli
police chief last week after he was
implicated in an investigative report
about the suspicious police handling
of a case involving a notorious crime
family, came on the heels of the resignation of the head of the tax
authority, who is being probed for
influence peddling.
Among others being looked at in
various corruption scandals is the
prime minister’s bureau manager
and the finance minister. Israelis
have been especially agog at possible
rape charges against President Moshe
Katsav.
Meanwhile, the former justice minister, Haim Ramon, was found guilty
recently of kissing a young female soldier against her will.
The charismatic Itay Tiran, 27,
plays Hamlet and is described in a
review by Yediot Achronot as a “very
Israeli Hamlet”, a “kind of post-modern culture hero who seeks to eradicate the mendacity of the sated and
corrupt kingdom, which mirrors our
own aggressive and self-righteous
society”.
“The theatre is a vehicle of social
relevancy and for understanding,”
Semel said, describing the decision of
the Cameri to stage productions with
contemporary political and social
themes, such as Israeli-Palestinian
relations, as well as plays that grapple
with the memory of the Holocaust
and Israeli wars.
The play begins with the audience
and the actors on stage rising for the
new king. A large framed photo of the
king is hung on the wall next to the
throne, looking very much like a campaign poster or the type of official portrait that might hang in the Israeli
government offices of the prime minister and president.
Claudius, the king, is wearing a
white suit and is accompanied by his
new bride, the past and present
queen, Gertrude, in a white satin
dress and sunglasses. They are on
their way into a dance hall pounding
with disco music to celebrate their
wedding.
Hamlet enters, tears staining his
cheeks. He refuses to enter the wedding celebrations.
“‘Tis an unweeded garden that
grows to seed,” Hamlet remarks.
By the end of the play, the poisoned
king gags on the same microphone
from which he had offered rousing
patriotic speeches at the beginning of
the play, and the stage is littered with
dead bodies.
“A war of brothers is disastrous.
You lose everything,” said Nitzan,
looking as depressed as Hamlet. (JTA)
13
14
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
LETTERS
Disclaimer
The letters page is intended to provide opportunity for a range of views on any given topic to
be expressed. Opinions articulated in the letters are those of the writers and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the editor, staff or directors of the Jewish Report
The Editor, Suite 175, Postnet X10039, Randburg, 2125 email: carro@global.co.za
Guidelines for letters
Letters up to 400 words will get preference. Please provide your full first name and surname,
place of residence, and a daytime contact number. We do not publish letters under noms de
plume. Letters should preferably be e-mailed. Letters may be edited or shortened.
Dennis Davis must practise what he preaches
I REFER to Dennis Davis’ column about his
stay in New York.
One can only be pleased that Mr Justice
Davis’ stay in the US has been so spiritually
and intellectually satisfying. Apparently he
is enjoying the company of those in New York
who share his approach to Judaism and
Israel.
May he return home mentally refreshed so
that he can continue to stimulate the local
Jewish community through his often
provocative and always informative column
in the SA Jewish Report.
However, as one of his “two favourite readers” (the other being Ivor Davis) I would like
to suggest that he should try a little harder to
practise what he preaches: “We should do
what we demand of others - to recognise the
dignity of all and the inherent value of all
life,” (his SAJR column titled “To be able to
say ‘I’m sorry’”).
I hope that Mr Justice Davis extends those
sentiments to readers of his column who may
disagree with some of his opinions in the
future.
I, for one, agree with many of the ideas he
promotes - such as, for example, the two-state
solution, women’s positions in synagogues
and the “value of all life”. But I disagree with
his often insulting style of debate when he
seems to forget that he does not have a
monopoly on wisdom - especially when dealing with Israel and the Middle East.
(On the other hand, I suppose life probably
would be a lot duller without his controversial comments).
Regarding comparisons between Jewish
life in New York and South Africa, perhaps
he should rejoice in the fact that South
African Jewry is so unified in its support for
Israel - being recognised worldwide as the
strongest Zionist community in the Diaspora - rather than as a community which
predominantly indulges in endless intellectual self-flagellation.
Also, the fact that the welfare and honour
of the local Jewish community is in good
hands (most recently evident in the SAJBD
National Chairman Michael Bagraim’s letter to SA Foreign Minister Nkosazana Zuma
regarding the South African government’s
behaviour towards Israel at the United
Nations) should be an additional source of
satisfaction for Dennis Davis.
Finally, I am quite flattered to learn from
the judge that my “voice” is one of those who
enjoys hegemony (leadership) within the
local Jewish community. He surely must be
misinformed because on many occasions I
also express controversial views which do
not necessarily enjoy the support of “the
authorities” in religious and political circles.
The South African Jewish national debate
is not quite as conformist as he would have
us believe.
David Abel
George
Reform slighted - even in death
I WRITE this letter with not only a very sad
heart, but with a heart that is surrounded
by a great deal of emotional anger.
Following on one of my frequent visits to
West Park Cemetery to pay my respects to
my departed mother, I decided to visit the
memorial wall dedicated to Reform Jews
who had passed away.
Imagine my horror when confronted with
a wire fence, a concentration wire fence,
surrounding that area of the graveyard that
had been allocated to the burial of Reform
Jews.
This was compounded by the totally neglected pathway leading to the burial site and
memorial. A delicate elderly woman would
surely damage her ankles while transgressing this rubble in endeavouring to pay her
respects to her deceased relatives.
How disgusting, how humiliating, how
awfully frightening that Orthodox Jewry’s
hatred toward, and loathing of Jews who
dare to pray in a manner unacceptable to
them, can descend to such levels of retribution which result in acts of discrimination
and vilification against, what is after all, a
Jewish soul, a very precious Jewish soul.
The dead can no longer pray either in the
Orthodox or Reform tradition.
So why, dare I say, in heaven’s name,
must there be this denigration of the dead
by unwarranted discrimination of burial
sites?
If the Orthodox rabbis can condone this
practice, they must bow their heads in
shame. How dare they preach about kindness,
charity, intellectual honesty, and humanitarianism when the Jewish dead are classified into
separate groups and then treated differently?
Is there no greater way to fuel the flames of
anti-Semitism and to justify their scorn and
mockery when they are made aware of this
travesty of the Jewish spirit of tolerance? It is
indeed woefully, and sorrowfully an unmitigated shame.
Perhaps if Orthodox and Reform cannot find
peace and unity within the realm of Judaism,
the schism should be further widened by taking Reform Jewish money away from the common Jewish charity pool and instead develop a
Reform Chevrah Kadisha, Reform charities,
Reform cemeteries, and any other Reform contributions to acts of Jewish kindness.
If Reform’s method of worship is unacceptable to Orthodoxy, then so too should Reform
money find another home in its own endeavours to improve the lives of Jews. This would
be intellectual honesty. This would be justified.
Until this matter is resolved to the satisfaction of both myself, and Reform Jewry, all
present, and future donations to the Chevrah
Kadisha will be withheld, and all legacies likewise cancelled.
Orthodox Jewry’s hypocrisy was one of the
factors that drove me away from their traditions. I have now found a happy home in
Reform Judaism.
Dr Arnold Levin
Johannesburg
Keep the real issues in mind
WHILE WELCOMING the response of
Ashley Cohen, chairman of the IUA-UCF,
Gauteng to calls for transparency (in charitable organisations), made by myself and
Jonathan Labe over the past few weeks, I
sincerely hope that more attention is paid
to the allegations made in our letters, with
specific reference as to how the local hierarchy is using the monies collected.
The letter from Nissim Maimon can
only be treated with the contempt it so
readily deserves. His claim that I failed to
raise any of the issues mentioned in my
letter, while employed by the organisation, is incorrect. Indeed, accompanied by
two colleagues, I brought all relevant
issues to the attention of the national
chairman of the organisation some time ago.
Furthermore, my “retirement package”
referred to by him, has nothing whatever to do
with current correspondence.
To all intents and purposes it was “supposedly confidential” and from the manner in
which he writes, it is blatantly apparent that it
appears to be common knowledge to members
of staff.
It is about time that the community woke up
to “smell the coffee and “put its mouth where
its money is”.
Gerald Zimbler
Johannesburg
This letter has been shortened - Editor
CSO’s telephone number
In the issue of Jewish Report March 16, in the article “Protecting Jewish life the halachic
way”, the CSO telephone number is incorrect. The correct number is 086 18 000 18.
Show solidarity with Pollard
REGARDLESS of whether we agree with
(Jonathan) Pollard’s actions or not (he is
jailed in the US for spying for Israel), he is
still a Jew and I think it is important that
South African Jews join other Jews, whether
congregations, individual rabbis and organisations who have signed the petitions on the
website and taken other actions for Pollard,
especially if South Africa claims to be such a
special and unique community.
It is shocking to learn that nobody from
South Africa has contributed so maybe
somebody who reads this can give those of
us who would like to do something suggestions as to what to do from here.
Saying tehillim is good but what about more
of a group effort? I personally have difficulty
with hunger strikes and sometimes with fasting. It is too far to call the White House as the
website suggests.
The Pollard family does not endorse any civil
disobedience either, although one can understand such action being taken. No money is
involved because a statement on the website
says they are not looking for money and do not
endorse any of the fundraisers and in fact warn
that some could possibly be fraudulent.
Ricky Lomey
Johannesburg
Shame on SAJR editor
I AM dismayed and shocked at the three paragraphs towards the end of your editorial about
human rights in which you equate Israel’s
defence of its citizens against the terrorism of
the suicide bombers with the actions of the
terrorists who attack Israeli citizens.
You call the actions of both “human-rights
violations”. In doing so, you side with antiSemites who always talk about the cycle of
violence, giving equal blame to Israel and to
the terrorists who seek to destroy Israel. This
is like blaming a person whose home is broken
into for defending himself against the robber!
There is no cycle of violence. It is obvious to
all non-anti-Semites that if the terrorists
would cease (I mean really cease, as, given the
past history, Israel would, of course have to
still exercise great care until it could be cer-
tain that the attacks had really ceased) their
heinous acts of terror, Israel would stop countermeasures such as “checkpoints and discriminatory controls” which it imposes at
present.
It is equally obvious that if Israel would
stop these controls now, the terrorists would
not only continue their activities, but would
increase them, seeing Israel’s action as a sign
of weakness. They have already proved that
many times in the past, the most recent example being when Israel left the Gaza strip.
Shame on you, Mr Editor, for your stance
on this matter. The Zionist Federation’s
Media Watch should take you to task for this.
Maurice Blumsohn
Illovo, Johannesburg
Vouching for Labe’s integrity
WHY GERALD Zimbler or Jonathan Labe
did not air their concerns (on transparency
in expenditure of money in charitable organisations) while still employed, I cannot say.
However, as a human resources consultant, I know that many employees don’t speak
out in case of reprisals. This is common
when employees find their manager/s egotistical, autocratic or having questionable
ethics to a degree.
Having been friends with the Labes for
over a decade, I have only ever known
Jonathan to be decent, honest and honourable.
Just like Nissim Maimon, I agree we need
to stick together. However, this simply can’t
be done by comparing apples to pears.
Jonathan was questioning certain possibly
unnecessary and extravagant expenses.
Maimon on the other hand is simply attempting to discredit his fellow Jews.
Gillian Mannie
Sydenham, Johannesburg
Where’s your donor money going to?
SOME FUNDS from mainstream Jewish
donors designated through Jewish federations who in turn channel funds to the
Jewish Agency for Israel, are, I believe,
being used to undermine Israel’s existence
as a Jewish state.
One such fund is called the The New Israel
Fund which gave the largest grant of donor
money to an organisation it co-founded
called The Mossawa Centre, which is an
Arab-Israeli organisation that charters and
promotes the erasure of any special status
for Jews in Israel, eg their stance on the
changing of the Israeli flag and national
anthem Hatikva and they declare that the
Jewish State is a nakba meaning tragedy.
Federations, the Jewish Agency and the
Joint Distribution Committee and the IUAUCF, base their existence on Jewish support
for Jews in the Jewish State. Why would
these
organisations
undermine
the
birthright of Jews and negate Israel as the
homeland of the Jewish people by funding
the enemy within?
In the fund business when advisers do not
follow an investment policy that is in accordance with their clients’ intentions, they can
be sued.
Examination of a recent “New Israel
Fund” annual report reveals large donations
from the Jewish Agency for Israel and from
the Joint Distribution Committee to this particular centre.
How many Jewish donors would want
their money to fund the above organisations
with that kind of thinking? Indeed transparency and absolute proof that Jewish
donor money is given to the rightful Jewish
recipients, needs to be scrutinised and investigated. Make sure where your federation or
IUA-IUF money is going and take up the offer
of Ashley Cohen who is chairman of the
IUA-UCF, in his welcoming invite. Other
Jewish organisations should follow the
example of his invite.
Marcelle Morris
Johannesburg
Lowveld Jewry gears up for Pesach
DAVID SAKS
THE YOUTHFUL Jewish community of the
Lowveld, along with Jewish holidaymakers
that may be in the area, will be coming
together to celebrate Pesach in style this
year.
The services will be held at Casa Du Lua
Lodge, situated between Nelspruit and
White River, and will be co-ordinated by the
Country Communities Department of the
SAJBD under Country Communities
Spiritual Leader Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft.
There will be a communal seder on the first
night.
Among the out-of-town visitors who will
be participating are Bnei Akiva shaliach,
Shay Kremer, who joined the community
for Yom Kippur last year and this time will
be accompanied by his family and aliyah
shaliach and Israel Centre director Ofer
Dahan and his family.
• For further information, or to arrange
accommodation for the relevant nights, contact Ziva on 082-610-9077; ziva@lantic.net, or
Sakki at 082-455-4002.
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO THE CHEVRAH KADISHA – JOHANNESBURG JEWISH HELPING HAND & BURIAL SOCIETY THIS
PESACH AND MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE ASSISTED IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
• THE SURVIVAL OF CLOSE TO 2000 PEOPLE DEPENDS ON THE MONTHLY
PROVISION OF
• BURIAL SERVICES
All Jewish people in the city – including those who
are destitute and without family – are afforded the
• MONEY FOR FOOD
same dignified burial as everyone else.
• MONEY FOR RENT
• MEDICINE
• FREE AND SUBSIDISED ACCOMMODATION
• Hachnoseth Kalah helps Jewish
Gardens, Selwyn Segal, Hatikvah House,
brides set up home
• Beit Chesed Drop-in Centre in
memory of Rabbi I Aloy
In every facility - Our Parents Home, Sandringham
is a
Sandringham Lodge, Arcadia, The Capri and
Sandringham Square, residents are provided with
sanctuary for the lonely and
comfort and care, regardless of whether or not they
destitute who are unable to
can afford accommodation fees.
engage in structured social
services, where they can find
friendship, food and a place to rest and refresh
• Regular distribution of food parcels and toiletries packs to those in need
• FREE HEALTHCARE
At our Community Medical Centre the
Outpatients Department provides free
treatment to anyone unable to afford
medical attention. On hand are doctors
and consultants; radiography, trauma,
optometry and dental units; an
integrated therapeutic unit, pharmacy
• EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
The Jewish Student’s Education Fund provides
tertiary and remedial assistance to needy students
• PROTECTION AND SUPPORT TO THOSE AT RISK OF
ABUSE
Our professional counselors deal with life-threatening
situations involving pre-statutory and statutory
intervention in the Children’s Courts and providing
a place of safety. Domestic violence, abuse,
depression, addiction, trauma, and a host of other
conditions, fall within their realm of responsibilities.
and hospital. Emergency life-saving
surgical and medical assistance is available. Our Parents Home offers a
specialized Alzheimer’s ward.
• EMPLOYMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY
At Staff Wise we help people find employment and
offer free skills training. Those who are unable to
• CARE OF THE MENTALLY AND
PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
Care is provided at Selwyn Segal,
work in the open labour market are provided with
protected employment through the World of Work
program.
Hatikvah House, Kibbutz Lubner aa well
as at Sandringham Lodge Mental Health
• 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY
facility (registered in terms of the Mental
1. Funeral services
Health Act) where those suffering from
2. Trauma Response Unit
bi-polar, schizophrenia and severe depression are housed and treated.
3. Jewish Help-line with access to professional counselors
15
16
SA JEWISH REPORT
COMMUNITY BUZZ
LIONEL SLIER
082-444-9832, fax: 011-786-5036,
lionel.slier@absamail.co.za
PORT ELIZABETH
On June 27, 1976, an Air France Airbus
from Israel to Paris with 247 passengers
was hijacked by the pro-Palestinian
German Red Army Brigade, shortly after
takeoff from Athens, where the terrorists
boarded.
The plane was flown to Entebbe after
Libya refused it landing rights. Here
President Idi Amin announced that he
supported the terrorists and their demand
for the release of all Palestinians held in
Israeli jails.
On July 2 the French government intervened and all non-Jewish passengers were
released in an operation horribly reminiscent of the Nazi-era “selections”. To their
everlasting credit, the French flight deck
crew and some of the cabin crew opted to
stay with the hostages.
Meanwhile in Israel steps were taken to
free the hostages.
Telfed, the magazine for South Africans
living in Israel, has the following story:
There were two South Africans on the
Israeli commando rescue mission. One
was Dr Jossy Faktor and the other Ricky
Davis from Port Elizabeth.
A member of Betar, Ricky (then aged 19)
came on aliyah from Port Elizabeth at the
end of 1974. Within three months he joined
the Israeli Defence Forces.
During the days immediately preceding
the Entebbe raid, “my parachute unit was
at Wingate. A call came through and we
immediately packed up and assembled at
a base near Petach Tikva. Although we
knew about the hijack drama being played
out at Entebbe, we had no idea that we
were connected.
“Once assembled at the base, everything
became top secret. We began training and
only at the last stage were we brought into
the picture. My unit was to secure the
escape by destroying in advance anything
that could jeopardise our escape. As there
were MiG fighter planes on the tarmac
that could give us chase, we blew them up
with anti-tank missiles.”
Ricky casually adds: “Yes, we stopped
for coffee in Nairobi on the return flight
home.”
• There is one lesson to be learnt from
the Entebbe raid and it is this: Jews in the
Diaspora will never again be alone and
abandoned and at the mercy of enemies.
There is one state that will stand up and
fight for them and that is the State of
Israel.
Diaspora Jews and Israel have a symbiotic relationship. Israel watches over the
Jews everywhere and Diaspora Jews care
for and are concerned about their beloved
Israel. Let the anti-Jewish Jews, the “Not
in Our Name” crowd and the Independent
Jewish Voice in Britain and those of a similar ilk, note this.
JOHANNESBURG
From Bob Hofman (soon to be 84):
“May I please be permitted to continue
my story of my dear late parents, Joseph
and Bertha Hofman. As I mentioned in my
last letter, he came to Johannesburg in
1888 and lived in a tent and washed himself in soda water, as drinking water was
very scarce at the time.
“If he drank water he dropped a few pellets of permanganate of potash (in it) to
make certain that there were no bacteria
lurking in the water.
“As he had no calendar or luach to find
out when Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur
fell, he asked a couple of fellow Jews when
these Yomtavim occurred and kept these
holidays as best he could.
“In August 1905 he married my mother
Bertha in London. She was the second of
five sisters, born in Pskov, Russia. Her
parents at the turn of the century had
decided to emigrate to America. My paternal grandfather was a timber merchant.
He took his family and settled in St Paul,
Minnesota, but not my mother.
“Now my mother had an aunt and uncle
who lived in Berlin. They had no children
so they asked my grandparents if one or
two sisters would come and live with
them. They were hoteliers and they
23 - 30 March 2007
offered to treat my mother as their own
child - clothe and educate her. My mother
volunteered to go and live with this couple
at the tender age of 12. That is where my
father and my mother met, in Berlin.
“She was 19 when they married. After
their marriage my father brought my
mother to Johannesburg and they lived in
a house in Eleanor Street, Fairview, near
Kensington.
“My mother spoke Russian and German
and very little English and was determined to speak a perfect English so she
hired a teacher, a Mrs Ogilvy, from King
Edward School to teach her the language,
which she did.”
PORT ELIZABETH
From David Abel:
“Rollo Berman of Port Elizabeth had a
delightful sense of humour. He and Brian
Shear, also from PE, were an absolute
hoot.
“I too remember the gentleman who ran
a very lucrative wholesale business and
who had a very heavy Yiddish accent and I
am reminded of two incidents in particular: legend has it that he was responding at
some simcha or other when he said: ‘I tenk
you from the bottom of my heart and my
wife’s bottom also.’
“He became a city councillor and in his
maiden speech he made some reference to
the traffic lights at the corner of Russell
Road and Main Street. Unfortunately I
cannot remember the exact details but suffice to say that the City Council and the
general public laughed for years. (Note to
Rollo: Perhaps you can remember?).
“Now Rollo, about 10 of you being sent to
the rector’s office at Gray High School (for
cuts), but for sure Michael Bernstein,
Hilton Carr and myself must have had an
unbeatable record in terms of the number
of times that we paid Rector Gordon a
visit. We called him Flash Gordon.”
CONNECTING PEOPLE
A letter from Houston, Texas:
“I need assistance to trace someone. In
the Jewish Report dated January 26 (page
6) is an article on Gemilut Chesed. The
photos show lifelong friends of mine. I
have lost track of them and would so like
to be in touch with them again.
“The names are Morris Behr and his
brother David. Their photos appear prominently in this article honouring their late
parents who were ‘landsleit’ of my late
father and family.
“Is it possible at all for you to find and email Morris’s telephone number and -mail
address and I will take it from there?
Perhaps his Rabbi Vigler of Orange Grove
Shul can help. I would contact him myself
but have no telephone numbers. So I have
put you in the middle of this ‘trace’. Can
you please help?
“I am a former South African now living
in Houston and just a few weeks ago met
with Willy Miller to buy the Arc book. My
mother was one on the Ochberg children,
so we have a lot in common. They are busy
doing a lot of research in Cape Town into
the Ochberg children now as well and,
hopefully one day they will bring out a
book like the Arc did.
“Incidentally my husband and I were
connected with Arcadia for many years as
my husband, Chaim Segall, ran the
Bikkur Cholim camp for many years and
we used to take the children to camp every
year with us, so the names are all so familiar to us and we sat on the committee of
Arcadia as well. If you saw my husband
and myself, you might remember us.
Anyway I just gave you a little of my history.
“Sadly I lost track of my dear friends,
Morris and David Behr and would be
happy if you could put us in touch with
each other. Thank you for your trouble in
this matter. I just do not know whom to
turn to. With kind regards and thank you
for a grand newspaper and the Buzz.
Friends send me the paper each week.”
Jenny Segall (nee Fink), telephone: 713
777-573, e-mail mmeyer8@houston.it.com
Note: Isaac Ochberg rescued 187 war
and pogrom Jewish orphans from Eastern
Europe in 1921. Hundred of them were
placed in Orangia in Cape Town and the
others taken to Arcadia in Johannesburg.
David Sandler in Australia has brought
out a book “100 Years of Arc Memories”.
This wonderful book is available from the
Arcadia Children’s Home office at
Sandringham Gardens.
Celebrating the life of a
great, yet humble man
ROBYN SASSEN
PHOTOGRAPHS: MANDELLE BURNSTEIN
THE PATRONS filling Wits’s Great Hall on the
evening of March 14 attested movingly to
three significant draw-cards. The community
of Gauteng Jewry came en masse to celebrate
the life of the late Dr Malcolm Zaidel, former
choirmaster and chorister at the SydenhamHighlands North Shul, who died last year.
They also came to support Hatzolah and the
excellent work it does to provide emergency
medical response to the community in the
northern and north-eastern suburbs of
Johannesburg. And they came to listen to the
music, under the sensitive hands of Professor
Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph, Malcolm’s sister.
Zaidel was a founding member of the
Sydenham-Highlands North choir in 1976. He
had initially been a member of the Berea choir
- like his sister, he was profoundly talented in
music; his voice was his primary instrument.
Known colloquially as the singing dentist,
Zaidel made aliyah with his wife and children
10 years ago. On February 10 2006, he passed
away after a prolonged illness.
Under the capable facilitating hand of Linda
Starkowitz in collaboration with Oshy
Tugendhaft and Zaidel-Rudolph, “Voices”,
subtitled as a tapestry of song from Africa,
Israel, Broadway and Beyond, was a concert
handled with beautiful sound and lighting
design and magnificent vocal range.
The Company leading the songs comprised
six able soloists: Tugendhaft himself, Len Kay,
Nachie Levin, Lionel Mkhwanazi, Avron
Alter, and his son Josh.
Each man demonstrated supreme compe-
Pam Zaidel, late Malcolm’s
widow, with her sister-in-law
Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph.
tence in the handling of their songs, which
spanned across many genres and eras, from
Bring Him Home, the moving Les Mis song, to
Love Changes Everything by Andrew Lloyd
Webber, If We Only Have Love by Jacques Brel
to Nyoka Musango, a rhythmic composition
on traditional African percussion instruments.
A beautiful counterpoised arrangement of
Lefkowitch’s Yerushalayim with Shemer’s
Yerushalayim shel Zahav, set by Ephraim
Katz, was a piece de resistance, offering rich
texture and nuance. Core’Ngrato (Catari)
performed with grace and finesse by awardwinning tenor Mkhwanazi, who is no stranger
in collaborating in Jewish concerts, was
another.
The voices were accompanied by an eightpiece band as well as a marimba ensemble. In
several of the songs, the whole repertoire of
the instruments and voices were brought into
simultaneous play, and this yielded an aural
texture rich in its depth, moving in its
rhythms.
The programme of 18 songs was chosen by
Zaidel-Rudolph because they were songs she
knew her brother loved, and songs which
evoked for her his generous spirit.
“Nothing was ever too much for him when it
came to helping others,” she wrote in her tribute to him. “Whatever he did, he did with
commitment and passion. He taught me that
one cannot be ‘parev’ about life.”
Indeed, this concert was far from being
“parev”. It robustly celebrated the life of a
humble yet great man with excellence and
dignity. In doing so, it also yielded healthy
input for Hatzolah.
Pam Zaidel with her mother-in-law, Evelyn Zaidel and her
brother-in-law, Michael Rudolph.
ORT’s ‘Smart Cookie’ quiz evening
ON SUNDAY March 11, Johannesburg Women’s
ORT (JWO) challenged contestants of the ORT
SA “Smart Cookie” quiz on their knowledge of
wining, dining, sports, entertainment, Yiddishkeit and Africa, in the Glenhazel Shul hall.
Tables of teams pitted their wits against one
another over a glass of wine or two and refreshments, in a very friendly and social evening.
In a media release. ORT SA said had there
been spectators, they would have looked on with
fascination as teams of enthusiasts enjoyed the
challenge at the quiz. The tables in the hall were
filled by teams who were keenly fighting for the
glory of the ORT SA floating trophy and the
fame that goes with it, as well as the numerous
other prizes up for grabs...
Contestants were delving into their collective
memories of obscure trivial information,
attempting to answer questions devised and
given over by quizmaster Andrew Levy who
entertained with clever quirks.
Michael Sieff, national director of ORT SA,
who took part in this entertaining evening congratulated Sandra Guggenheim, JWO chairman
and Ann Levy, JWO member and quiz convener
who organised a terrific evening’s entertainment.
Every table had at least one expert who could
pull something out of the proverbial thinking
cap. Meanwhile, as the tension mounted, seated
on the side, assigned judges were frantically
checking the answers and totalling up the
scores.
The winning table walked away with the
floating trophy and medals for the individual
participants and the two runner-up tables
were awarded their silver and bronze ORT
Quiz medals. In the end there was a winner,
but for those of us who did not shine, it was
great fun.
• Don’t miss the next one! For more information, contact ORT SA on (011) 728-7154.
From left: Sandra Guggenheim and Ann
Levy, chairman and immediate past chairman respectively of Johannesburg Women’s
ORT. At the table is quiz master supreme,
Andrew Levy.
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
Kids ‘sold’ on music of
their parents in ’80s
Above: Josh
Benjamin,
Arye Kellman
and Joshua
Brook.
(PHOTOGRAPHS:
PAUL BALLEN)
Left: Arye
Kellman and
Natasha
Millar.
REVIEWED BY ROBYN SASSEN
BILLED AS an “awesome musical”, Neil
Gooding’s Back to the ’80s penned in 2001, is
taking the international world by storm, and
Johannesburg audiences are privileged to
see it performed under the aegis of what has
earned a solid reputation as Johannesburg
Jewry’s “Fame School”, King David Victory
Park.
The production features performances by
not only more than 50 learners, but teachers
on the staff as well.
Principal of the school Joseph Gerassi,
purchased the rights for Back to the ’80s
through Dalro last year. His choice in this
musical was motivated by his passion for
teaching children self-confidence. He wanted
a high school story that learners could benefit from and relate to.
An internet search found him Back to the
’80s, but the blogs from kids in the United
States who had performed in this musical
had him sold. The youngsters responded to
engaging with the music from their parents’
era with delight.
The script is fun - more or less within the
same storytelling idea as Grease - with a
focus on the trials and tribulations of
teenagers.
“It has been amazing to give these kids the
opportunity to experience being in a musical
of this scale. Being on stage is an incredible
form of education,” Gerassi added.
The school’s two drama teachers star in
the production - Renos Spanoudes and Lara
Wittels - playing the maths and English
teachers respectively. Spanoudes and Wittels
really teach these subjects, as well as drama.
Gerassi is the adult Corey Palmer, the kid
in the graduating class who is the focus of
the musical’s story. Corey Palmer Junior is
played by Arye Kellman. The musical director is Dudley Trollope, the school’s music
teacher.
Gerassi’s ideology is to employ people with
passions and professional accomplishment;
he makes a point of enabling them to use all
their skills all in a day’s work. He believes
that the adult performers offer the production credibility, contradicting the derogatory
adage: “Those who can, do; those who can’t,
teach.”
These teachers can both “do” and teach in
a manner which takes the children out of the
classroom and into their own dreams.
“It is an opportunity for the kids really to
learn from their teachers. It’s the best kind of
teaching by example.”
But there’s a converse: Wittels admits to
having learnt a lot from being in the show.
“The kids are so brave!”
She graduated from Pretoria Tech in
musical theatre and studied teaching
through Unisa. Being on stage is old hat to
her, but not to the youngsters who are doing
it for the first time.
Last year, this talented teacher juggled
between performing in My Fair Lady by
night and teaching English and drama by
day. Starring in the school’s musical is one
thing, but she’s also worked on the production’s choreography, assisted by Mandy
Kezurer.
Spanoudes needs no introduction to theatre aficionados or frequenters of the
Actors’ Centre. He’s in this year’s production of Hairspray at the Lyric Theatre at
Gold Reef City and put Tsafendas on the
map with his extraordinary one-man play.
• Back to the ’80s performs until March 29.
See Artsmatters for details.
17
18
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
YOUTH TALK
Lara Greenberg jewishreport@yahoo.com
Joburg mazkirut of New KDL Primary
Habonim strategise teachers welcomed
ETAI MILLER
ROSH BONIM/AMELIM JOHANNESBURG
IT ONLY took one day for the long-awaited
Habonim Dror mazkirut seminar to really
make sure that we were all ready for 2007.
As with all launches, the countdown
held all the possibilities of an exciting and
action-packed schedule. I arrived and once
inside, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the
Habo “dream team”. One by one they
arrived, each player a star.
Now was the time to bond these individuals into a polished, well-oiled, aerodynamic unit.
The mazkirut launch erupted with fun
and games as the ice-breakers flew by
thick and fast. Jousting took centre stage
with paper lances in excess of 1,5m toppling even the bravest and the strongest.
What made us most weary was the very
zealous Lisa Cohen. This was followed by
an intimate one-on-one session of getting
to know oneself and our fellow mazkirut.
The discussion allowed us to delve deep
into the psyche and reveal our true selves
and where we envision ourselves in the
movement in 2007. This was elaborated on
further in the day by small group sessions
involving related shichavot, programmes
and discussing each mazkirut member’s
role among each other.
With the day not so young, the group
decided to hit the town in search of much
needed fuel, even though we were only
about half-way through the journey. We
found it in the form of sushi and after
depleting the country’s fish stocks, it was
back to the bayit for a night of marshmallow roasting around the fire.
In the morning we were challenged
about how we should see the movement,
it’s place in the community, and how we
should see ourselves as leaders of
Habonim Dror.
Towards noon we all felt the seminar
coming to a close and felt as though we had
travelled a long inspiring journey. The end
was in sight and we rounded off by each
mazkirut interpreting the Habo chultzah
as a personal symbol.
For me, it represented the power of the
Jewish youth in South Africa. With the
mazkirut launch seminar summed up, I
know that this year at Habonim Dror will
be out of this world!
King David
Primary Linksfield
has welcomed
some very vibrant,
young new teachers on board.
Back row from
left: Tasha-Ann
Tselentis, Brad
Sewitz, Thalia
Rogalsky, Venilla
Kohler, Adina Raff,
Karla Green and
Danit Bukris.
Jews ride together in the
KDVP Mini Councillors Argus Cycle Challenge
spend night at zoo
ISHAI ALONI
NETZER CAPE TOWN SHALIACH
YVONNE HEITNER
JONATHAN Sive and Sarah
Katzew are the Victory Park
Primary Mini Councillors for
2007.
Apart from raising funds for
various charities around Gauteng,
they also share exciting events
with councillors from other
schools in the area.
On February 17 they spent the
night at the Johannesburg Zoo on
a “Behind the Scenes tour”. They
got to see the zoo from a different
angle. They visited the animal
hospital, the cages and the zoo
kitchen.
They also went on a tour of the
nocturnal animals and reptiles.
Finally the tired councillors spent
the night on the hard floor in
sleeping bags. Surrounded by animals and animal noises, it was
almost impossible to sleep.
They were sponsored for each
hour that they stayed awake.
Presumably they were able to
raise a significant amount of
money! In March the councillors’
mandate is to collect marshmallow eggs from the learners at their
schools, for children in hospitals
and disadvantaged communities.
KDVPP Mini
Councillors
Sarah Katzew
and Jonathan
Sive.
Eden Preparatory’s councillors
WHAT STARTED as a dream four
months ago when I just arrived in Cape
Town, became a reality this last Sunday,
as 20 cyclists, all Progressive Jews, wore
the same cycling shirt and went riding
together in the 2007 Argus Cycling
Challenge.
It all started as an idea of Vered
Margalit, the shlicha in Gauteng, and
myself, the Cape Town shaliach, to ride,
just the both of us, in the biggest timed
cycling race in the world. We then
realised there is a big potential in bringing people together through the love of
the sport.
Vered and I, together with Navot
Naor our Durban shaliach, went to our
congregants looking for cyclists and
donors, after we decided to make the
event a fundraiser for our youth. I
turned to a designer and together
we managed to create a shirt that
represents some of our youth
movement’s main ideas: Zionism
(blue and white shirt with a
Magen
David),
Progressive
Judaism (Temple Israel’s logo)
and a strong connection to the
greater Jewish community (the
Jewish Agency and MASA logos).
The reaction was very good and
so on the last Friday before the
race we got together in Temple
Israel Green Point Shul in Cape
Town for a special service and a
carbo-loading Shabbat dinner.
The service, beautifully planned
and performed by the young leaders of
Netzer, was, as always, full of songs and
happiness while welcoming the Shabbat
in our special way.
Rabbi Greg Alexander helped leading
the service and also gave the cyclists a
very welcome blessing (a cyclist before a
race can never get too many good luck
wishes...)
After the service we all turned to the
big hall of the shul for a lovely dinner
made for us by Liza and Tzuriel from
Green Point Shul. The cyclists were then
provided with their new, specially
designed top and the spirits were high.
What a great thing it is to combine the
love of sport, the feeling of togetherness
and the mitzvah of helping underprivileged youth!
Thanks to all the cyclists and to everyone who helped us making this dream a
reality.
Bikkur Cholim - a supportive family
Reason and judgement are the
qualities of a leader.
— Tacitus
PHOTOGRAPH: ADELE COGILL
Eden College’s Preparatory Councillors for this year are, back, from left: Danielle
Friedman, Chadd Kaufmann, Craig Goldblatt (deputy head councillors).
Front: Carley Cogill and Nkuleleko Tselane (head councillors).
BIKKUR CHOLIM is very careful in
choosing its madrichim each year, and
2007 was no exception. It is not only necessary to have rational leaders but also
compassionate caregivers, especially as
these campers are young children who
deserve the best holiday they could possibly have.
The maddie/kid ratio is normally
1:5 which allows for individual attention
and close bonds to be formed. Bikkur
maddies keep in touch with their
channies regularly throughout the year,
monitoring their progress and ensuring
that there is a constant support system
available.
On behalf of the campers, their families
and the greater Jewish community we
salute and thank the 2007 madrichim.
• For more information regarding camp
and The Bikkur Cholim, contact Joy at
(011) 447-6689.
23 - 30 March 2007
ABOVE
BOARD
Michael Bagraim,
National Chairman
A column of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies
IN THE weeks leading up to Human Rights
Day, observed earlier this week, there was
considerable agitation on Cape Town’s
Muslim radio stations over alleged Zionist
plots to undermine the foundations of
Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque under the
guise of carrying out an archaeological dig
in an area adjoining the Temple Mount
compound.
Spokesmen for the Muslim Judicial
Council were again at the forefront of this
evident campaign to whip up emotions, and
it was concerning to note the virulent tone
of their rhetoric on this highly sensitive
matter.
The accusations that Israel is seeking to
destroy the Temple Mount mosques with a
view to rebuilding the Temple there, are by
no means new. What is most worrying is
when attempts are made to make the local
Jewish community answerable for alleged
threats to Muslims and Islamic holy sites.
In May 2005, the Cape Town office of the
Board received a letter from the Muslim
Judicial Council claiming that the Israelis
were plotting to destroy the Al-Aqsa
Mosque and demanding that the Board
accept on behalf of the Jewish community
a memorandum protesting against this.
We refused to accept the memorandum,
both on the grounds that the Israeli Embassy was the correct address for such a
document and that the allegations being
made in it were palpable falsehoods.
Israel has repeatedly denied charges that
it is threatening the Temple Mount mosques, and provided copious evidence to
prove it. The reality, unfortunately, is that
SA JEWISH REPORT
Any stick to
beat Israel with
no matter how much evidence is provided,
nothing that Israel says on any particular
issue will be given any credence so far as its
more extreme enemies are concerned.
However, two independent investigations, one by a Turkish delegation and the
other by UNESCO, have since decisively
confirmed the Israeli position. Both concluded that the dig is not doing any damage
to the holy site and that the dig itself is
being carried out with full transparency.
Conjuring up imaginary threats to their
holy sites and using these to stir up their
followers’ emotions, have become a regular
strategy of hard-line Islamist groups, who
are overtly seeking to import the political
and religious wars of the Middle East to
South Africa.
Notwithstanding token protestations
that only “Zionists” are the targets of these
campaigns, the reality is that both Jews as
a people and the Jewish faith are under
attack.
Jewish students are all too often on the
frontlines of the battle to defend Israel’s
integrity and good name on university
campuses worldwide. At the time of writing, SAUJS is preparing to counter an
expected anti-Israel propaganda onslaught
planned for Human Rights Day.
Last week, along with several experts in
the marketing field and a representative of
the SAZF, the Board met with SAUJS to
advise and assist them with this. It is essential that the senior Jewish leadership keep
closely in touch with the youth over such
issues and ensure that at all times they
have the tools needed to answer the countless spurious accusations that are being
made.
WIZO leads in
skills development
WIZO South Africa
Jane Levitas
A column of WIZO South Africa
AFTER A year of lengthy negotiations, a
partnership contract has been signed
between WIZO Israel, the employment service in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade
and Labour, and Microsoft.
This has led to unemployed women receiving computer training in a successful format
as each party in the contract brings its own
selling point to the joint venture.
The first course began in January and
1 500 unemployed women and others with
limited skills will attend the project courses.
In addition, the course will include 12
hours of “empowerment”, which will
upgrade the women’s level of performance
and so improve the quality of employment
available to them. The result is an increase
in income and the opportunity to make a
positive change in their lives. This project
will expose WIZO and its services to new
audiences who hopefully will become
involved in other WIZO activities.
Education and empowerment are the tools
with which to break the cycle of poverty, and
participation in the above project makes
WIZO an important agent of social change.
A heart-warming example of social
change is Ido, a graduate of WIZO’s Achuzat
Yeladim School for children at risk. He says:
“I came to Achuzal Yeladim at age 10. At
home, there was a lot of slapping around.
My father used to beat up my mother and us.
“Instead of talking, I would lash out and
hurt myself. I was a total wreck. After eight
years at Achuzat Yeladim, I have completed
12 years of school, a DJ course and even got
my driver’s licence. In two months, I’ll be
going into the army. When I look back, I
can’t believe what a long road I’ve travelled!”
The “Warm Home”, is an innovative
model, pioneered by WIZO, for girls 13 - 17
years of age, who come from troubled
homes, suffer from low self-esteem, and
other personal problems.
During their three to four years in WIZO
Homes, they receive emotional support;
acquire communication skills; learn about
health-related matters, good nutrition and
drug avoidance; undergo group therapy; and
come to have greater control over their life
choices, including how to identify potential
violence in the partners they choose.
They also learn the importance of education, of completing at least 10 years of studies, without which they cannot hope to
secure gainful employment.
The first steps experienced by new olim in
Israel are full of challenges.
The WIZO Beer Sheba branch is attempting to ease the acclimatisation of new immigrants in their city, and is operating a special
project aimed at seeing to the needs of the
children in these families. WIZO Beer Sheba
has established an afternoon club where the
children immediately feel a warm and supportive atmosphere, with play corners that
are inviting and informative.
The children’s various forms of dress tell a
story of distant places and cultures, ranging
from Russia to Argentina and India. Most
speak to each other in their own languages,
occasionally uttering a word or phrase in
accented Hebrew.
WIZO branch members assist them with
their homework, Hebrew and other creative
activities, speeding up the process of integration into Israeli society.
Neve WIZO, in Herzlia, our very own four
cottages, are very proud of one of their children, a little boy, who has shown such proficiency in swimming that he is now being
trained by Maccabi - B’Hatzlacha!
More good news
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations
Dan Gillerman recently received a cheque
for $25 000 from the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation given in honour of his
“extraordinary representation of Israel at
the UN”, with the request that it be given to
women and children in the north of the
country who suffered during the war.
Ambassador Dan and Janice Gillerman
chose to give the money to WIZO to help
finance the movement’s work with women
and children in the north.
We thank the Gillermans for their confidence in World WIZO. This generous act will
certainly enable WIZO to help many more
needy Israelis.
19
Lest we forget
FED FOCUS
Avrom Krengel
Chairman
A column of the South African Zionist Federation
THIS WEEK - appropriately, as Pesach,
the Festival of Freedom, is almost with us
- the SAZF is launching a new project, one
that has an impact on every Jew in South
Africa, the Diaspora communities and of
course everyone in Israel.
Eight Israeli soldiers languish in captivity in the Arab world, some having been
there for decades, others for less than a
year, but all of them possibly incarcerated
in inhospitable and crude circumstances,
forbidden any contact with family members, denied visits from members of the
International Red Cross - denied, in fact,
the most basic of human rights as
enshrined in the Geneva Convention.
The uncertainty that has plagued their
parents, wives, children and friends, is too
dreadful to contemplate. All of them have
tried to keep their focus on the positive
and on assuring each another that their
loved ones will return, yet the questions
are always in the back of their minds.
Are these men - some very young, others
in the prime of their lives - being tortured?
Are they sleep-deprived? Do they sleep on
beds or on concrete floors? Do they get sufficient and healthy food? Are they allowed
to exercise? Do they receive medical attention when they need it? Are they allowed
to read books or listen to the radio?
And finally, are they alive or are they
dead? And will their families ever learn
the truth?
Today we have a full-page advert in this
paper entitled “Lest we forget”, which
includes the photographs of all eight missing soldiers. Below each picture and
accompanying the names, is the number
of days he has been missing.
In two weeks’ time, and every fortnight
after that, another advert will appear in
the paper with the soldiers’ photos and the
updated number of days since their disappearance.
The reality of the time they have been
away from their homes since their abduction is shattering. It defies comprehension.
That families should have to endure
such pain, such anguish and such uncertainty is heartbreaking. So too is the possibility that after waiting and hoping and
praying for years and years, there is a
phone-call or a visit from a delegation
with the news of the captured soldier’s
death. To suffer such torment is almost
beyond the limits of human endurance.
These young men put their lives on the
line for Israel, the Israeli people and Jews
everywhere. Don’t forget them, don’t
ignore their plight, and above all don’t let
them die in your minds.
We ask you - our community - to remember them at every function held, at every
simcha and at every chag. We ask you to
remind your guests, your friends and your
families to think of them and offer a
prayer for their safe return whenever
there are gatherings held.
Just as at every wedding there is a
moment of sadness when we remember
the destruction of the Temple, so let us
have a moment of introspection to remember these young men and to pray for them
and their safe return.
Today the count of days they have been
missing is as follows:
Yehuda Katz - 9050; Tzvi Feldman - 9050;
Zachary Baumel - 9050; Ron Arad -7462;
Guy Hever -3504; Gilad Shalit - 270; Eldad
Regev -253; Ehud Goldwasser -253.
Every day increases their vulnerability
and the time they remain prisoners among
their sworn enemies. G-d willing, they will
return home.
20
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
WHAT’S ON
NOTE: Deadline for all entries is 12:00 on the Friday
prior to publication.
Key to organisations, venues, contact details and cost:
• The Jewish National Fund (JNF) Choir, Beyachad, 2
Elray St, Raedene. Contact Crystal Kaplan. 083376-5999.
• The Jewish Women’s Benevolent Society (JWBS) Sandringham Gardens, 85 George Avenue
Sandringham 2192. Contact Carolyn Sabbagh.
(011) 485-5232.
• The Jewish Outlook Team. Contact Ryan Cane,
Support line: 27 76 215 8600; e-mail info@jewishoutlook.org.za; website http://www.jewishoutlook.org.za
• Nechama Bereavement Counselling Centre - Room
A304, 3rd Floor, hospital wing, Sandringham
Gardens, 85 George Avenue, Sandringham, 2192.
Contact (011) 640-1322.
• ORT South Africa - 44 Central Street, Cnr 10th Ave,
Houghton. Contact (011) 728-7154.
• Partners for Life - Discreet Jewish introductions.
Contact (011) 887-2073.
• Rabbi Cyril Harris Community Centre (RCHCC) and
Great Park Shul, Johannesburg. Contact Hazel,
(011) 728-8088 or Rene Sidley (011) 728-8378.
Cost usually R50, including refreshments.
• Second Innings, Johannesburg - Jewish
Community Services - Donald Gordon Centre, 85
George Avenue Sandringham. Contact Grecia
Gabriel, (011) 532-9616.
• The Simcha Friendship and Cultural Circle (SFCC),
Johannesburg - Sandton Shul. Contact Sylvia Shull,
(011) 783-5600.
• The United Sisterhood, 38 Oxford Road Parktown.
Contact Helen (011) 646-2409.
• South African Zionist Federation (SAZF),
Johannesburg - Beyachad, 2 Elray Street, Raedene.
Contact Froma, (011) 645-2505.
• South African Jewish Board of Deputies (Jhb) Beyachad, 2 Elray Street, Raedene. Contact (011)
645-2500.
• United Zionist Luncheon Club (UZLC),
Johannesburg - Our Parents Home. Contact Gloria,
(011) 485-4851 or 072-127-9421.
• Union of Jewish Women (UJW), Johannesburg - 1
Oak Street Houghton. Contact (011) 648-1053.
Cost R10 for the Friendship Luncheon Club.
• WIZO Johannesburg - Beyachad, 2 Elray Street
Raedene. Contact Joyce Chodos (011) 645-2548 or
Sandy Kramer (011) 645-2515.
• Bikkur Cholim - Jewish Society for Visiting the Sick,
7A Chester Road, Greenside East, Johannesburg.
Joy Gafin (011) 447-6689.
Please note that all contact and venue details can
be found in the key.
Today Friday (March 23)
• UZLC is hosting Bev Goldman, Media Centre,
Beyachad, speaking on “The current situation in the
Middle East”.
• JWBS is hosting a book sale at Click’s Rosebank
and Pick ’n Pay Hypermarket, Norwood from 09:00.
Contact (011) 485-5232.
• Cyrildene Shul is hosting Chief Rabbi Warren
Goldstein who will be attending the Friday night
service. All congregants and guests welcome.
Contact Ilana Greenblatt (011) 616-3312 or 072038-7826.
Sunday (March 25)
• Second Innings is hosting Phillip Holder on saxophone at the Gerald Horwitz Lounge, Golden Acres
at 10:00.
• RCHCC is hosting Michael Coulson on
“Renaissance of photography as an art form in
South Africa” at 19:30.
Monday (March 26)
• CAJE lectures. At 19:45 CAJE at Sydenham Shul
is hosting “The Living Torah” by Rabbi Sholem
Bacher; “Hebrew Reading for Absolute
Beginners” by Sandra Sundy; “Giants of the
Spirit: Rav Kook” by Rabbi Dr Gerald Mazabow;
and at 20:30 Panel: “Getting Help That Helps:
How to Make Counselling Work for You” by
Brenda Lasersohn; “Role of the Rabbi - Sage or
Shrink?” By Rabbi Dovid Hazdan. Chaired by
Brenda Solarsh.
Tuesday (March 27)
• WIZO Fortnightly Forum is hosting Dr Dorienne
Weil speaking on “Forget IQ - emotional intelligence is the deciding factor” at 09:30.
• RCHCC is hosting Prof Gerhard Verdoorn, wellknown conservationist and ornithologist giving an
audio-visual presentation - “The migration of birds”
at 19:30.
• IUA/UCF with Partnership 2000 is hosting six
young Israeli musicians, with the JPO in the Linder
Auditorium, Parktown, Johannesburg, at 19:30.
Contact Bev Schneider (011) 645-2554 or through
Computicket.
Wednesday (March 28)
• RCHCC, under the auspices of Aleh Negev, Israel is
showing “Journey to Justice”, a documentary
focusing on a Jewish refugee from Germany to
America who became a translator at the Nuremberg
Trials. Cost R50.
• Second Innings is going on an outing to the Lion
Park. Meet the bus in the Oxford Shul parking
ground at 08:45. R110 includes tea, safari guided
tour and the bus. Contact Annette Bergman on
(011) 485-1640 before 18:00.
• Union of Jewish Women adult education division
programme is hosting Martin Welz of ‘noseweek’ at
Stonehaven, 7 Albany Road Sea Point at 10:00.
Cost R10. Contact (021) 434-9555.
• Grief counselling training for professionals and
para-professionals who wish to increase their
skills. Venue 1 Cardigan Road Parkwood. Contact
Shalya (011) 788-4784.
Thursday (March 29)
• Grief counselling training for professionals and
para-professionals who wish to increase their
skills. Venue 1 Cardigan Road Parkwood. Contact
Shalya (011) 788-4784.
Friday (March 30)
• UZLC is hosting Daphne Kuhn, Liberty Life Theatre,
speaking on “My 30 years in theatre”.
Wednesday (April 11)
• SFCC is hosting Rabbi Michael Katz of Chabad
House speaking on a subject of topical interest at
10:00.
• UJW adult education programme is hosting
Veronica Belling speaking on “World of our grandmothers - women’s lives in Eastern Europe during
the period of the great migration”. Contact (021)
434-9555.
Tuesday (April 17)
• WIZO Fortnightly Forum is hosting a Yom Hashoah
commemoration ceremony with Haskara by Chilly
Chrysler, followed by the video “Zandman” at
09:30.
Wednesday (April 18)
• SFCC is hosting Daphne Kuhn speaking on “My
experiences in 30 years of theatre” at 10:00.
• UJW adult education programme is hosting forensic scientist Dr David Klatzow speaking on “Qui
Tacet Consentit - He who stays silent consents”.
Contact (021) 434- 9555.
Monday (April 22)
• Second Innings is hosting attorney Mike Judin
speaking on “The emotional will” at the Gerald
Horwitz Lounge Golden Acres from 10:00.
Wednesday (April 25)
• UJW adult education forum is hosting Prof Deon
Lara Greenberg jewishreport@yahoo.com
Knobel speaking on “Loss, grief and bereavement”.
Contact (021) 434-9555.
Sunday (29 April)
• Second Innings is hosting Ronnie Mink speaking on
“Muslim anti-Semitism in historical perspective” at
the Gerald Horwitz Lounge Golden Acres at 10:00.
Wednesday (May 2)
• SFCC is hosting an outing to Soweto. Transport
costs R27. Booking essential. Meet at Sandton Shul
at 10:00.
Sunday (May 6)
• Second Innings is hosting Daphne Kuhn speaking
on “My 30 years in theatre” at the Gerald Horwitz
Lounge, Golden Acres at 10:00.
Monday (May 7)
• Israel Philately Society is meeting in the boardroom of Waverley Shul from 19:30 to show competitive exhibits of Israel. Contact: Selwyn Uria (011)
786-7692.
Wednesday (May 9)
• SFCC is hosting Rabbi Michael Katz speaking on a
subject of topical interest at 10:00.
Sunday (May 13)
• Second Innings is hosting Digby Ricci speaking on
“History on film” at the Gerald Horwitz Lounge
Golden Acres at 10:00.
Wednesday (May 16)
• SFCC is hosting David Batzofin speaking on “To the
highest point in Africa - Kilimanjaro”, at 10:00.
• WIZO Fortnightly Forum is hosting a Yom
Yerushalayim ceremony combined with the SAZF,
introduced by Rabbi Laurence Perez, followed by a
variety show at the Killarney Country Club from
09:30. Cost R75 for members, R80 for non-members. Booking essential.
• Second Innings is hosting an outing to the Wonder
Caves in the Kromdraai area. Meet at the parking
area of Oxford Shul at 08:45. Cost R55 includes bus
fare and tour but excludes lunch. Contact Helen
Wolfson tel (011) 440-8236.
Sunday (May 20)
• Second Innings is hosting Digby Ricci speaking on
“A bedside selection - some worthwhile popular
novels” at the Gerald Horwitz Lounge Golden Acres
at 10:00.
Monday (May 28)
• WIZO is hosting the screening of “Obsession - radical Islam’s war against the West”. Cost R20.
Booking essential.
Sunday (May 27)
• Second Innings is hosting Natalie Knight speaking
on “Dunga manzi - stirring water” at The Floreum,
Emmarentia Botanical Gardens at 10:00.
• Johannesburg Children’s Home is appealing for
shoes and takkies for children and teenagers.
Contact Edna or Hylton Segal (011) 970-4266.
• Jaffa Pretoria has Yomtov gifts available for Pesach.
Bookings for Pesach first and second seders now
open. Contact Phyllis Glass on (012) 346-2006
between 08:00 and 13:00.
• WIZO Elise Gift Shop - Balfour Park (next to Clicks).
For your Pesach gifts, call at our gift shop for new
and innovative ideas. Contact (011) 885-3939 for
deliveries. Hours: Mon-Thurs 09:00 - 17:00, Friday
09:00 - 13:30, Sunday 10:00 - 13:00.
to16:00. Phone (011) 485 1344 or (011) 640-5171.
All proceeds go to The Selwyn Segal Foundation for
the Mentally Handicap.
• Benarc Gifts of the Jewish Women’s Benevolent
has stunning Pesach gifts. Free deliveries to all suburbs. Contact (011) 485-5232.
• Israeli Folkdance - Health and Fun, every
Wednesday at 20:00 at Jabula Recreation Centre,
corner Ann St and Athlone Ave, Sandringham.
Beginners welcome. Contact Anat 083-326-7095,
Miri 082-773-8248 or Ora 083-288-7202.
• Stellenbosch Hebrew Congregation has a Friday
evening service every week in shul, starting at
18:45. Contact (021) 886-5257.
• UJW urgently needs donations of good quality warm
clothing, blankets and basic foodstuffs for our
Kosher Mobile Meals recipients and for our outreach
projects in Soweto, Tembisa and Alexandra. Deliver
if possible to UJW offices, 1 Oak Street, Houghton
or phone (011) 648-1053.
• Come along on a Tuesday evening to the new social
and vibey scrabble club that started recently at the
Europa in Melrose Arch. Players of all standards and
ages are welcome. Every Tuesday starting from
18:00. Often some nice prizes on offer and Europa
offers all scrabble players a discount. Call Larry
Benjamin on 082-888-5355
• If you are, or have been, in an emotionally or physically abusive relationship, sharing your experiences
with other women in similar circumstances, can help
you manage your situation more effectively. Jewish
Community Services, a division of the Chevrah
Kadisha, will be running a confidential support
group. Contact Roselyn at (011) 532-9616 (on
Fridays) or Sharon/Jean (Monday-Friday) during
office hours.
• From March 18 - 28, RCHCC is hosting an exhibition
of the works of Sidney Goldblatt, at 11:00. Monday
- Thursday 09:30 to 16:00; Friday - 09:30 to 12:00;
Sunday - 10:00 to16:00. Closed Saturdays.
• The Yiddish Academy offers weekly basic, intermediate and advanced classes on Monday evenings at
19:30, Tuesday mornings at 10:30 and Thursday
evenings at 19:30 at the RCHCC, Glenhove
Road Houghton. Conversational groups are planned
for this year. Further details: e-mail yiddishacademy@gmail.com or call Hazel Cohen on (011) 7288088.
• Beis Medrash Chofetz Chaim is offering a new second Ma’ariv Minyan every weekday evening (Monday
- Friday) at 21:00, cnr Elray and Michel Streets,
Raedene. Open to broader community. Don’t fret if
you need a later minyan. Secure parking provided.
• Sunday Scrabble Club meets every Sunday at 15:00
at Jabula Recreation Centre, Sandringham. Players of
all strengths welcome. Contact Gill at 084-307-4410.
• WIZO Diepsloot Project - WIZO collects children’s
clothes, books, toys, etc for orphaned children at
Diepsloot informal settlement. If you can donate any
of these, please deliver to WIZO office, Beyachad,
Elray Street.
• Orchid Florist, a project of WIZO Johannesburg,
offers beautiful arrangements of flowers and fruit for
every occasion. No occasion too large or too small.
Contact Annette (011) 728-4513.
• JWBS Johannesburg, urgently requires secondhand
clothing, kitchenware, household goods, books and
bric-a-brac for its secondhand shop. Contact (011)
485-5232.
• Intimate Antiques Fair held on the last Sunday of
every month in the Firs in Rosebank, alongside the
Hyatt Hotel from 09:00 - 16:00. Contact Robyn 083311-4768.
• Ben Arc Shop of the JWS in the Garden, 1st floor
Sandringham Gardens, 85 George Avenue,
Sandringham, has a large selection of gifts for all
occasions. Open Monday - Thursday 10:00 - 14:30,
Friday/Sunday - 10:00 - 13:00.
• The Selwyn Segal Pesach Shop has a huge selection of exciting gifts ranging in price from R30
upwards. If you are looking for a meaningful gift,
visit them from Sunday to Friday from 09:00
• WIZO Johannesburg is asking for any clothing,
crockery or other bric-a-brac in good condition that
you would like to get rid of. Contact Sandy (011)
645-2515.
23 - 30 March 2007
SA JEWISH REPORT
THE BRIDGE LOUNGE by Jeff Sapire
HERE'S AN interesting hand
from the JBC Pairs Finals
held over the weekend. It was
a typical competitive auction,
with some top class defence.
After East's light but reasonable 3rd hand opening,
West made a negative double,
showing spades and possibly
the other minor. North's 2C
was a "cue-bid raise", showing
heart support with about 10+
points, but once East decided
to compete further with 2D,
West had a fairly clear-cut
decision to sacrifice over the
jump to 4H.
Looking at all four hands,
one can see that NS can in fact
make twelve tricks for +480,
but South chose to double, not
knowing that his partner's
values were so ideally placed.
Now the defence had to be
spot on, to justify this decision.
South lead the ace of hearts
on which North played the 6,
an attempt at a suit preference
signal for spades. Despite this
request, South switched to his
singleton diamond, which
North took with the ace. He
played back the jack of diamonds, a further (reinforcing)
suit preference signal for
spades, which was ruffed.
South now found the key
play of a low spade, won by
North with the jack, who
returned another diamond for
South to ruff. (Had South have
played the ace of spades first,
there would have been no 2nd
diamond ruff).
NORTH
KJ876
632
AJ64
3
EAST
2
K
K10982
KJ10976
SOUTH
A43
AQJ10754
7
54
East
South
1C
2D
Pass
1H
4H
Dbl
CROSSWORD No 19
LEAH SIMON
West dealer, neither vul
WEST
Q1095
98
Q53
AQ82
21
West
North
Pass
Pass
Dbl*
2C**
5C
Pass
All pass
Opening lead: HA
That was the end of the
party, but the defenders
had collected 1 spade, 1 heart, 1
top diamond and 2 diamond
ruffs, for 3 down and a score of
+500. This was just enough to
beat the +480 that many other
N/S's had made, for a near top
score.
(Every Tuesday (semi-beginners) and Wednesday (intermediate) at 10:00 I run bridge
workshops at the Great Park
Shul, off Glenhove Rd. For
more info, call me on 082-5512526
or
e-mail
me
at
jeffshirl@telkomsa.net)
ACROSS:
1. Shop around for something fancy (4)
3. Charts an upset receptacle for garbage (5, 3)
8. An odd form of lily (4)
9. Lively children’s film (8)
11. Is their speech strangely disembodied? (7, 5)
13. Breathe in, being in good health (6)
14. Is male tag a bad label? (6)
17. What armies do before April? (7, 5)
20. Labours to get saliva right (8)
21. Article in Al’s midst - woe is me! (4)
22. Turn the stick around - it’s heavy (5, 3)
23. Get some Norwegian capital (4)
1
DOWN:
1. Insect in flatland
finds green vegetable
(8)
2. Easterner leaves se8
quel and begins chewing squash (7)
4. Go back on green
egghead (6)
5. Mum gets the point, 11
mister - it’s the hot
season (10)
6. Quoted what was
seen, we hear (5)
7. Shakes head at Don’s 13
break-up (4)
10. Retirement speech
for lovers? (6, 4)
12. I am in chasm, with
nothing but male
pride (8)
15. Barges in to left and 19
swallows words (7)
16. The French girl
20
upset by window railing (6)
18. Book a piece of hidden mammal (5)
19. Brief statistic (4)
22
SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD NO 18
ACROSS:
1. Hock; 3. Glow worm; 8. Leap; 9. Bassinet; 11.
Jack in the box; 13. Carafe; 14. Cancel; 17. Punch
and Judy; 20. Hairless; 21. Asia; 22. Leap year; 23.
Elle.
DOWN:
1. Half jack; 2. Chancer; 4. Lean-to; 5.
Wastelands; 6. Own to; 7. Mite; 10. Difficulty; 12.
Playmate; 15. Counsel; 16. Cassia; 18. Unita; 19.
Ohel.
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
10
12
15
14
16
17
18
21
23
NOTICES
COMMUNITY NOTICE
PERSONAL
GENERAL
LIFTS
YOU WILL MEET
YOUR SOULMATE
Choice of 2000 stunning
upmarket singles, 166 wed, 250
matches. JHB/Durbs/Cape
(011) 640-1657
082-357-3616
ARTHUR’S
SCHLEPPING
SERVICE
We will schlep you whereever you want to go.
Supermarkets,
hairdressers etc. etc.
083-788-2509
011-440-5455
Lady in Cape Town would like to
meet Jewish gentleman - Leo or
Sagitarius - between 56 and 65.
Please call 083 614 2800
Thurs March 29 until 9:00pm
Sun April 1 all day till 10:00pm
We will close as usual on the April 2 and
re-open on the April 11
GREENSIDE SHUL
REQUIRES A CHAZAN
RISHON AND CHORISTERS.
FAX CV AND CONTACT
DETAILS TO: CHAIRMAN
H BENTEL (011) 788-5036
ZAIDA`S TAXI SERVICE
We specialise in transport,
house to destination, school
service, old age homes and
airport trips.
Phone Zaida 011 646
5265 or 083 751 4229 or
082 921 1090
HOME SERVICES
CLEANING
DREAMCLEAN
STEAMCLEANERS
Carpet and Upholstery
cleaners
15 Years Experience –
Personal Service
5 Rooms from R125
Lounge Suite R75
Free:
Pre-Spot-Stain RemovalDeodorize
Scotchguard R160
Call 083 406 1449
KING DAVID HIGH SCHOOL
LINKSFIELD
The school invites application for the
following position effective from
April 16, 2007
HEBREW TEACHER
King David High School seeks a
fulltime Hebrew teacher.
Experience in teaching is an advantage.
The applicant should be willing to be
part of our school’s extracurricular
programme.
A Curriculum Vitae and contact
information should be mailed or faxed to:
Mrs Mazal Sacks
lhadmin@sabje.co.z or
sacksm@sabje.co.za
Fax: (011) 640 1649
REPAIRS
The Fridge
Doctor
Dk000326
The Pie Works will be open as
usual before Pesach
Wed March 28 until 8:00pm
AIRPORT SHUTTLE
Johannesburg
Door to door
Reliable & reasonable rates
Contact Arnold
082-447-0185
Looking for male or female, age
25 – 35 professional, preferably
non-smoking non-kosher to
share 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom
flat in Morningside.
Rent R2200pm.
Call Kirsten on
082 215 1957
083-228-2277
MISCELLANEOUS
My reliable, hard working maid
LILLY seeks piece work 3 x 4
times per week or what
have you.
Please telephone
082-920-6237
PET SERVICES
SERVICES
BEAUTY & HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL MAKE-UP
ARTIST.
*Special occassions
*Weddings * Matric dances
*Bar/Batmitzvahs
CONTACT JODI
083 778 1518
FOR HIRE
CASTLEMANIA
(Formerly Janets’ Castles)
Gladiator, Candy, Slide,
Helicopter, Obstacle, Ball.
Candyfloss machine.
We deliver.
Elaine (011) 609-1217
LIFTS
(011) 454-6323
TUITION / EDUCATION
HEBREW LESSONS
ALL AGES
YONA 084 870 5951
QUALIFIED EXPERIENCED NURSERY
SCHOOL TEACHER
required for nursery
school in Sandton from
2nd term 2007.
Please fax or e-mail
your CV to
011 803-3116 / school@
chabadsandton.co.za
Social Worker
Social workers required by
Jewish Community Services, a
division of the Chevrah Kadisha
Opportunity to contribute to a
dynamic organisation, and to work
within a very committed and
supportive environment.
Must be registered with the SACSSP.
Knowledge of Jewish culture,
practice and religion an essential
requirement for this position.
Send CV to hr@jhbchev.co.za or Attention
HR Dept, Private Bag X1, Sandringham,
2131, or fax 0866327774
FOR SALE
P RO P E RT Y F O R S A L E
MISCELLANEOUS
WANTED TO BUY / LET
ACCOMMODATION
WANTED
Require 1 bed flat/ cottage within walking distance to Sandton
Shul to rent or to buy.
Please contact
Barry 082 450 1800
VACANCIES
GENERAL
PETS
Beautiful,female,border collie x
labrador-free to good,loving
home. Good with children.
Spayed. Name:lucky
contact Marliene @ 011-7867038(office hours only)
P RO P E RT Y T O L E T
FLATS
FLATMATE WANTED:
High Level Road, Sea Point,
CAPE TOWN. Kosher kitchen,
R2 000 pm, fully furnished,
available immediately.
Please call Ma’ayan
082 877 1346
Prestigous kosher Italian nougat
company looking for reps in
Jhb. Good commission.
Call 072 778 9339
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY
Job opportunity available for
persons with spare time and/or
flexible hours. Must be
computer literate.
For more information
contact Anthony on
0826151204 and or
email cv to
markvj@beyachad.co.za
VEHICLES
WANTED
GARDEN FLAT / COTTAGES
HAZELWOOD
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom
furnished garden flat. Parking,
secure complex, to share.
Please phone Nina,
082 855 1020
COTTAGE TO LET
Fairwood / Orange Grove
Lovely large 1 bedroom cottage,
garage, w & l inclusive. R3,100
pm Linda 084 485 1289
TIMESHARE
TIMESHARE IN ISRAEL
Experience Yom Yerushalaim
in the heart of Jerusalem.
One week at the Jerusalem
Gold Hotel, Jaffa Rd 13-20th
May, 3 sleeper.
Call Janice
083-306-4499
TOWNHOUSES /
SIMPLEXES / CLUSTERS /
DUPLEXES
Beautiful 2 bedroom
townhouse to rent for
6 months. Fully furnished.
Quiet building, river view,
close to Chabad Lyndhurst.
R4 800 neg.
Call Claire 083 635
4900 or Gail 082 444
8503.
HAZELWOOD/
GLENHAZEL
3 Bedroom 2nd floor unit
available from 1 April.
Big Kitchen, Newly carpeted
and painted. 2 Parking
bays
R6000 per month.
Pls call Debbi
082 324 2090
Trust us to
take care
of all
your event
requirements
“Putting
all your
organizational
needs
into action”
We specialize in:
• Bar/ Bat Mitzvah’s
• Children’s fun filled and
themed parties
• 18th 21st 30th 40th 50th
Birthday parties
• Anniversaries
• Launches
• Brit Milah
• Weddings
Contact
Lisa Colman
(083 600 1113)
or
Kerri Livingstone
(082 899 6242)
from Organizaction
for more
information.
When a CSO plan gets together...
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY
LARA GREENBERG
PROTECTING Jewish life and
the Jewish way of life, is the purpose of the Community Security
Organisation (CSO). However,
when called for, acting proactively and saving Jewish life is
just as much a focus.
This was just the case recently when the CSO was called on
to rescue Israeli tourist, 23-yearold Amir Batito who had been
involved in a horrific car accident in Mozambique.
Within minutes of hearing
about the accident, Illan Dubb of
the CSO had contacted the necessary people and had plans in
place to fly Batito from
Vilanculos to Johannesburg.
It all started when Rabbi Yossi
Hecht of Chabad Sandton
received an overseas phone call
from a hysterical Dani Batito,
Amir’s father, on motzei
Shabbat a few weeks ago.
Amir, had been backpacking
in Africa for the past seven
months and on that particular
Saturday had decided to leave
Mozambique and return to one
of his favourite places, Malawi.
Along with his friend Jacques
(a South African who Batito met
during his travels), Amir
hitched a ride with a truck driver, allowing Jacques to sit up
front while Amir took the back
section of the truck.
Around half an hour out of
Mozambique the truck driver
fell asleep at the wheel causing
an accident which flipped the
truck, causing the section in
which Amir was sleeping, to be
crushed.
Jacques emerged with a few
scratches and bruises but Amir
didn’t get off as lightly. It took
two and half hours to extricate
him from the wreckage while
Jacques frantically called his
sister in Pretoria and instructed
her to call Amir’s father in
Israel. All the while the locals
were gathering to watch the
commotion as well as to steal
whatever they could from the
truck.
On arrival at the hospital, it
was clear that they were illequipped to deal with a situation
as severe as Amir’s and without
even an X-ray machine, they
At the Sunninghill Hospital, Amir Batito with his father Dani - very relieved to be alive and on the
way to a full recovery.
encased his body in a full body
cast.
On the other side of the equator, Dani had been uneasy for
most of that day. The phone call
arrived from Jacques’ sister and
he “phoned halfway across the
world” to find a way to help his
son.
One of Dani’s first thoughts
was to get hold of the local
Chabad rabbi, as he knew of
their global network, and he, in
turn, gave Dani Rabbi Yossi
Hecht’s contact details.
Originally Rabbi Hecht had
thought of contacting the
Israeli embassy and immediately thought of Dubb, one of his
congregants, as he was sure
Dubb would have the information he needed.
At first Dubb also planned to
get hold of an Israeli representative in Mozambique but then,
along with fellow CSO leadership, realised that the CSO were
the best positioned to “get the
ball rolling.”
It was then that the rescue
became a CSO operation.
Dubb contacted Ryan Noach,
director of emergency response
from Netcare and then continued to speak to the Netcare
Flight Centre to organise the
rescue operation.
He notes that the beauty of
the operation was that everything worked out as it should
have. Everyone understood that
time was of the essence and
therefore, responded to any
requests immediately.
Amir’s injuries were extensive. On arrival at the Sunninghill Hospital he had to have
his lung drained; he was badly
bruised; he had a few broken
ribs and bad nerve damage
which has effected his left leg
and his ability to use his right
hand.
Amir also arrived in Johannesburg with no toiletries or
clothing as all his belongings
had been stolen at the accident
site and so, Jolyn Widgerow of
the CSO bought him all that was
needed.
Accommodation for Dani was
a non-issue - Rabbi Hecht and
his family opened their home to
him - this of course made coping
with the situation a whole lot
easier for him.
A week after the accident,
Amir was flown to Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv along
with his father, a doctor, a paramedic and an oxygen tank next
to him.
Rabbi Hecht stressed that
what all the parties did was
what they did every day and that
it was the circumstances that
were extraordinary - not the
actions and reactions of those
involved. Dubb added that also
he felt special to have done this
“lekker mitzvah”; he truly felt
that any CSO member in that
position could have done the
same.
Dani added that everyone had
been wonderful and that he saw
all the people here as “more
than family for us”.
Jewish Report caught up with
Amir in Israel where he has
since been transferred to the
Beit Levinstein rehabilitation
centre in Ra’anana. He plans to
work hard on his recovery over
the next few months before he
begins his studies as a chef and
then returns to Africa, but starting off in the west and working
his way down.
Leizer heading for a whopping 108
IVOR DAVIS
ONE HAPPIER story emerging from
crisis-ridden Zimbabwe - a Jewish
simcha that we can all enjoy, the
“Grand Old Man of Bulawayo”,
Leizer Abrahamson, will shortly hit
his life’s score and glorious birthday
- 108 not out!
It will happen on Pesach first
seder night.
Is Leizer the world’s oldest Jew?
That may need a little research, but
he is certainly Africa’s oldest member of the faith.
His young nephew of 84 is the
Honourable Abe Abrahamson, a former Rhodesian minister and chairman of the Jewish Report’s board of
directors who with his wife, Anita,
daughter Irene Salomon and son,
Lawrence and his wife, Karen, will
fly from Johannesburg to Bulawayo
next Wednesday for the happy occasion.
They will join Leizer and his fellow residents at Savyon Lodge,
Zimbabwe’s Jewish old age home,
for a birthday tea the following
morning.
Despite the country’s severe economic and political problems - yearon-year inflation is reckoned to be
5 000 per cent - the lodge is very well
run, under the administration of
Queenie Slade and her dedicated
staff, and provides a peaceful and
comfortable haven for its 30 residents, including Leizer.
Well done, Leizer, who was born
in 1899 and so has lived in three centuries. All of us in South Africa and
Zimbabwe wish you a hearty and
healthy Mazal Tov and, of course,
bis a hundred und tsvanzig!
“Grand Old
Man” Leizer
Abrahamson in
this file photo.
Joburg’s warm welcome to Rabbi Moskovits
THE TORAH community of
Johannesburg extended a
warm welcome to Rabbi
Binyomin Moskovits, Rosh
yeshiva of Midrash Shmuel, as
they hosted him during his
recent visit to South Africa.
Reb Moskovits was in
Johannesburg from March 14 to
17, where he officiated at the
wedding of one of his talmidim.
During his visit, Rabbi
Moskovits observed the outstanding work of Yeshivas
Maharsha, one of Johan-
nesburg’s finest yeshivas. He
expressed how impressed he
was by the high calibre of the
rebbeim and talmidim.
He also visited Yeshiva
College, another outstanding centre of Torah learning, where he was hosted by
Rabbi Yoni Isaacson.
During his guest lecture
there, Rabbi Moskovits was
again impressed by the high
level of scholarship of the
talmidim.
The rosh yeshiva’s accom-
modations in Johannesburg
were provided by Rabbi
Yehoshua Levy. On Shabbat,
the community was honoured
to have him lead the prayers
and to hear his words of Torah,
as he visited the respective
congregations of Maharsha, Ohr Somayach, Glenhazel and Sunny Road
Shuls.
The SA friends and
alumni of Midrash Shmuel
look forward to the rosh
yeshiva’s next visit to
Johannesburg and to other
communities in South
Africa.
24
SA JEWISH REPORT
23 - 30 March 2007
Shaun a worthy Maccabi
SA Sportsman of the Year
JACK MILNER
RECIPIENT of this year’s Maccabi South
Africa Sportsman Of The Year award,
canoeist Shaun Rubenstein, regards the
recognition by the Jewish community a
great honour.
“This is the fourth time I have won or
shared either the junior or senior awards
and I regard it as a privilege to win. I appreciate the recognition the community has
given to my success and it motivates me to
do even better,” said the 23-year-old World
Marathon canoeing champion.
In fact, Shaun flew back from Port
Shepstone where he is in training with the
Hungarian canoe team just for the presentation in Johannesburg and returned to his
training at the coast just a few hours after
having been presented with the award.
Shaun’s next goal is to qualify for next
year’s Beijing Olympics. Other than his
world title, Shaun is also the South African
K1 and K2 marathon champion as well as
the K1 500m, 1000m, 3000m and 200m and
the K2 500m and 3000m champ.
For the first time Maccabi SA named a
runner-up and that honour went to golfer
Stacy Bregman. Stacy, who comfortably
won the women’s title at the 2005
Maccabiah, turned professional recently
but just before then, she was a member of
the South African team that won the World
Amateur Team Championships last
October.
She too had to return to the golf course
the day after the function to participate in
the Telkom Women’s Classic at Benoni
Lakes Country Club.
Unfortunately for Stacy, like the award
ceremony, she ended the tournament as
runner-up but her second place was enough
to ensure her the Ladies African Tour
Canoeist Shaun Rubenstein is the
Maccabi SAQ Sportsman of the Year and
golfer Stacy Bregman the runner-up.
Order of Merit title.
The 20-year-old accumulated R84 338 and
has put herself in pole position for a place
in the Women’s World Cup team.
While selection for the team will be based
on Ladies European Tour (LET) results,
this achievement from Stacy will most certainly come into the equation.
Stacy, who finished runner-up for the second time on tour, was extremely satisfied
with the Order of Merit title in her rookie
professional season.
“It means a lot to me. It shows how consistent you have played. I’m sure it will give
me a little bit of a boost to play in the World
Cup - but we will wait and see.”
Bregman leaves to play on the European
Tour in a month’s time and is excited about
the prospect of teeing up with the best in
the world. “I’m very excited, but now I need
to go and practise and do some work with
my coach,” she said.
There had been some criticism that
Maccabi only nominated two sportsmen
this year but as Maccabi SA Chairman
Mervyn Tankelowitz said: “We didn’t want
to raise false hopes and decided to nominate
only those people who had a chance of winning.”
As has been the case for the last few
years, the awards were presented to Shaun
and Stacy by Jean Futeran, president of
Maccabi World Union.
Overall the night was a wonderful success. Former Springbok lock Kobus Wiese
was a larger-than-life compère while guest
speaker Rassie Erasmus was quite enlightening as he explained the foibles of South
African rugby and the problems he faces as
coach of the Super 14 franchise, the
Cheetahs.
He explained that one of the main concerns in the local game is that many in the
sport had not adjusted to the modern game
and that was holding back the progress of
the Super 14 and Springbok teams.
Erasmus was also delighted to get some
“divine inspiration” from Chief Rabbi
Warren Goldstein who was a guest at the
function and claimed that they were the
youngest people in the hall!
Former Maccabi SA Chairman Raymond
Hack presented special awards to Bernard
Kantor and Stephen Koseff for their assistance in getting the South African team to
Israel for the 2005 Maccabiah.
The Gerald Fox Humanitarian Award
was bestowed on Motty Sacks this year and
presented by Maccabi SA Treasurer Jack
Lurie.
A special guest at this year’s event was
Maccabi World Union Treasurer Amir
Peled, who is visiting from Israel.
Three selected
for World
Karate Champs
JACK MILNER
MARK WAINMAN and two of the students of his
Karate Dojo in Sandringham have been selected
to represent South Africa at the World Championships to be held in June in Bergamo, Italy.
This was as a result of the good performances
of Jose Ferreira, Mark Wainman and Tasha
Wainstein at last week’s Senior World Karate
Confederation South African Championships.
Wainman will represent South Africa in the
men’s open kata, Ferreira in the over 40s and
Wainstein in the women’s open kata. This is an
enormous feat as this particular championship is
an all-styles karate event.
“The competition is fierce as we are up against
the best karatekas, from countries such as Italy,
France, Germany and all the Eastern European
countries, where karate is almost like a religion,”
said Wainman.
Both Sensei Mark and Tasha Wainstein will
also be competing in team kata, in a separate division of this championship, each in their own team
representing the senior men’s and women’s
teams respectively.
Jose Ferreira, Tasha Wainstein and Mark
Wainman will represent South Africa at the
World Karate Championships to be held at
Bergamo, Italy, in June.