5-december-2014 - SA Jewish Report

December 5 2014 / 13 Kislev 5775
Volume 18 – Number 42
Sixteen years
of Jewish
debate. An
editor’s
view.
(page 8,9)
Jewish Report
south african
Photo: Chabad.org / Adam Ben Cohen
www.sajr.co.za
Off to the polls
(again) they go...
Israel -again - appears to be headed toward general elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a media conference on Tuesday that he would
support a bill to dissolve the Knesset, leading to elections next spring. Ahead of the announcement, he fired two of his coalition partner ministers, Yair Lapid and
Tzipi Livni, after they publicly criticised his performance as prime minister. “This government, from the day it was born, was adversarial. That’s because my party,
the Likud, didn’t get enough votes. So from the first moment, there was friction.” The collapse heralds an acrimonious end to a coalition of rivals ranging from the
nationalist-right to the centre-left - an unlikely coalition. And on Tuesday evening the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved an Arab-backed resolution
calling on Israel to renounce possession of nuclear weapons and put its nuclear facilities under international oversight. The resolution was adopted in a 161 - 5 vote,
with 18 abstentions. See pages 2 and 7.
Meeting with Abbas at
request of Pres Zuma
Mensch Network launches
in Cape Town
Palestinians want SA Jewry
to reject settlements
Sprightly lady of 90 still
going strong
Billy Jean helps Women’s
Benevolent
“The meeting came about as a
result of an invitation extended by
Pres Zuma.”
“We needed to bring the ‘haves’
and ‘have nots’ together to break
through deep-seated stereotypes.”
“The Jewish community was
welcomed by the SA govt and
we also rely on them to support
stability and peace in ME.”
The Muizenberg and Kalk Bay
Congregation turned 90 this year.
It still attracts visitors from all over
the world.
Billy Jean King has donated tennis
memorabilia to raise funds for the
organisation.
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Community
2 SA JEWISH REPORT
5 – 12 December 2014
Palestinians want South African
Jewry to reject the settlements
ANT KATZ
He says they spoke frankly
body in the world to boycott the
settlements which will help to end about their full support of solidarity groups’ activities “regarding ilthe settlements in the Palestinian
legal settlements”
territories that
but at the same
were occupied in
time, he added,
1967, or there is
The Jewish
they did not have
no way to achieve
community ‘was
a mandate or
a two-state soluwelcomed by the
access to offition.
SA Government
cially direct BDS
“Regarding
and we also rely
or several other
Israel,” said Al
on them to support
organisations to
Massri, “we canstop doing anynot say to the
peace and stability
thing. “What we
people to do this
in the ME’.
said to the Board
or not to do that.
and BDS is that
Officially we can’t
we ask everyone
tell them to boyto reject settlements as they are
cott Israel, and we also can’t say
illegal.”
to the civil activists don’t boycott
He said Abbas had expressed
Israel,” he explained.
Photo courtesyY www.theguardian.com
Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas speaks with one
tongue and does not say one thing
to one group and another thing to
another, Tamer Al Massri (pictured), media and cultural officer
for the Palestinian Embassy in SA,
told Jewish Report on Tuesday, in
the aftermath of Abbas’ state visit
to South Africa.
In a frank interview, Al Massri
said: “President Abbas met with
the South African Jewish community representatives as we feel
they can play a role” in attaining a
two-state peace settlement.
Al Massri said Abbas “also held
a meeting with representatives of
the Palestinian Solidarity community in South Africa, including
BDS”.
While he could not say what was
discussed behind closed doors,
first by the two presidents (Abbas
and Zuma) and later with their
respective foreign ministers present, he has no doubt that those
discussions were cordial.
He says that Abbas’ message
to everyone had been the same:
“We want everybody, especially
the South African Government,
to boycott illegal settlements.
For now,” said Al Massri, “we are
concentrating on asking every-
World News in Brief
Israel must give up
nuclear arms
hope that the SA Jewish community would apply their influence on the Israeli Government
as peace in the Middle East would
create more stability of the whole
world.
“The Israeli government speaks
of a two-state solution,” said Al
Massri, but “they are destroying
the chances to build a peace” by
establishing ever-more settlements.
He said he was not aware of any
awards that President Abbas had
bestowed, but that everyone he
had met, had been given a small
gift. “We thanked the community
in general,” he told Jewish Report.
“We believe in the NGOs and
their role in achieving justice and
freedom.”
The Jewish community, he said,
“was welcomed by the (SA) government, and we also rely on them
to support stability and peace in
the Middle East.” Al Massri said
the Palestinian community “wants
good relations with the Jewish
community in South Africa, and
we want their help to achieve selfdetermination”.
He says the Palestinian position with regard to SA Jewry is
clear: they want to engage and be
friends. “We are not here to open
a conflict between the different
communities.”
The UN General Assembly on Tuesday
overwhelmingly approved an Arabbacked resolution calling on Israel
to renounce possession of nuclear
weapons and put its nuclear facilities
under international oversight. The
resolution, adopted in a 161- 5 vote,
noted that Israel is the only ME country
not party to the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
It called on Israel to “accede to that
treaty without further delay, not to
develop, produce, test or otherwise
acquire nuclear weapons, to renounce
possession of nuclear weapons” and put
its nuclear facilities under the safeguard
of the UN’s International Atomic Energy
Agency. The US Canada, Palau and
Micronesia joined Israel in opposing the
measure, while 18 countries abstained.
Israel is widely considered to possess
nuclear arms, but has consistently
declined to confirm it.
The resolution, introduced by Egypt,
echoes a similar Arab-backed effort that
failed to gain approval in September
at the Vienna-based IAEA. At the time,
Israel criticised Arab countries for
undermining dialogue by repeatedly
singling out the Jewish State in
international arenas.
The UN resolution titled: “The risk
of nuclear proliferation in the Middle
East” pushed for the establishment of
a nuclear weapons-free zone in the
Middle East and lamented that USbacked efforts to convene talks were
abandoned in 2012.
When Eisav comes as ‘a well-meaning brother’
Rabbi Dani Brett
Ohr Somayach
Cape Town
The dreaded reunion of Yaakov and Eisav after
more than two decades of separation is not just
the story of two estranged brothers attempting to reconcile a divide; it’s not just Yaakov’s
anxiety about his personal safety and the safety
of his own family. Rather, the dramatic build-up
towards this cataclysmic moment is immensely
compelling even today. It is the clash of two
world views, and the lessons are as relevant now
as ever.
What is it about Eisav that we fear?
“Save me from the hand of my brother, from
the hand of Eisav!”
In this prayer to G-d, we are able to uncover
two potential lines of attack. The latter - the
“hand of Eisav” is the more obvious one. This is
the unmasked, unmistakable Eisav. Confronta-
tional and aggressive, this Eisav endangers our
very existence, through physical threat. He is
immediately recognisable for who and what he
is.
But there is another approach that Eisav
sometimes employs - an unsuspecting one.
When Yaakov is praying to Hashem to spare
him from the hand of Eisav, why does he first
ask to be saved from the “hand of my brother”?
Eisav is his only brother, so those first words
seem unnecessary?
It turns out that Yaakov is asking to be saved
from “his brother” on the one hand, and “Eisav”
on the other. The latter is clear, as explained
above. The former is something quite different.
This is Eisav not manifesting in opposition, but
in embrace - like nothing less than a brother.
And what could be wrong with that?
This is when Eisav is warm and welcoming into his institutions of learning, establishments
of eating, and places of recreation. This is when
Eisav lays down his weapons and speaks not of
war and hatred, but of melting pots, converging cultures and assimilating identities. This is
when Eisav “attacks” us through embrace. This
time it’s harder to spot as an affront, but it can
be one nonetheless.
The danger of “Eisav” is one of hatred. The
danger of “my brother” is one of acceptance, but
it can be no less hazardous an encounter, if not
even more so.
I am aware of the likely reactions to this idea.
Would you prefer the world acting like “Eisav”,
rather than like a “brother”? Is a welcoming
world such a categorically terrible thing? Does
this mean that we should have nothing to do
with all that is around us?
The answers are no, no and no.
There is much good around us, and much
for which to be thankful. We all interface with
aspects of it regularly, and can be enriched
through it.
But, we’d be naive and foolish to close our
eyes to the dangers inherent within this all.
We’d be unwise to fail to see that it is precisely
because of these same benefits that the pressures of assimilation and intermarriage are very
real.
And even when one does not succumb to
those extremes, when one remains committed
to and regularly involved in Torah and mitzvoth,
there are still powerful dangers - in the way we
think, talk, what we see and hear, and in our
values and priorities.
So, let’s keep our wits about us and be aware
that at times, friendly, useful and potentially
valuable aspects of our world today, may contain within them very real dangers on multiple
levels.
That’s the Eisav coming at us – unsuspectingly and disguised – as a “well-meaning” brother.
Shabbat Times
December 5/ 13Kislev
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Parshat Vayishlach
18:15 19:24Johannesburg
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5 – 12 December 2014
News
SA JEWISH REPORT 3
Meeting with Abbas at
the request of Pres Zuma
MARY KLUK
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, SAJBD
AVROM KRENGEL
CHAIRMAN, SAZF
The SAJBD and SAZF have come under fire from
some members of our community, both for
meeting with (PA President) Mahmoud Abbas
(on his state visit to South Africa last week) and
for the statement it issued afterwards welcoming his stated commitment to a negotiated, twostate solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Naïve” and “ill thought-out” have been
among the milder criticisms received; those
less inclined to be kind
have used words like
“disloyal”, “treacherous”
and “despicable”.
Clearly, there is a
need to explain more
fully how the meeting
with the Palestinian
delegation came about
and why it took the
standpoint it did in
its subsequent press
release.
The meeting itself came about as a result of an
invitation extended to the Board by President
Jacob Zuma. This followed on the meeting we
had had with him and members of his Cabinet
in September. On that occasion the President, in
addition to categorically restating his zero-tolerance for any form of anti-Semitism, reiterated
his support for a two-state solution, and pledged
his government’s support in helping to take the
peace process forward.
This undertaking, it must be stressed, came
about despite the extensive pressure under
which Mr Zuma has come from both within and
outside the ruling party to break off ties with
Israel altogether.
It also needs to be stressed that prior to our
accepting the invitation, the matter was thoroughly discussed with and approved by senior
ministers in the Israeli government. The latter
were also thoroughly briefed about what took
place afterwards.
In light of this background, we felt comfortable in accepting the invitation to meet with
the Abbas delegation. Our position has consistently been to engage in dialogue, and hence we
welcomed the opportunity to hear at first-hand
what Abbas had to say regarding how the IsraelPalestine question should be resolved. We also
believed that the mere fact he once again went
on record as supporting the “two-state” formula
was something positive in and of itself.
It needs to be remembered that for those who
believe that Israel should not be allowed to exist
at all, a final status two-state solution that by
definition recognises its legitimacy is anathema.
Such lobbies exist in South Africa as well, and it
is these who are most vociferous in pushing for a
comprehensive boycott against Israel.
A failure to make progress on the negotiations
front is exactly what such hard-line anti-Israel
groupings desire, since it gives impetus to their
calls for boycotts and sanctions against Israel as
a way of forcing it to accede to the Palestinians’
demands.
Refusing on principle to deal with Abbas is
thus counter-productive, playing as it does right
into the hands of those who seek to turn Israel
into a pariah state as per the old South African
regime.
That our government is nevertheless continuing to engage with both parties in the conflict
and support the broader “two-state” vision is
thus a setback for these lobbies. It is therefore
in the interests of our community to encourage
such engagement. Obviously, that means that
we need to be consistent. We cannot call for
dialogue and peaceful negotiations towards a
two-state solution if we ourselves decline to get
involved when called upon to do so.
Had the main factions contesting South Africa’s future not embarked on a process of faceto-face negotiations, then it is unlikely, to say
the least, that South Africans would ever have
been able to resolve the conflict between them
and embark on a peaceful new future together.
The situations in pre-democracy South Africa
and the one facing Israel are obviously very
different, but the “Jaw-Jaw is better than WarWar” principle remains true in both cases.
Sometimes, negotiations fail to prevent war
or halt an already existing conflict, but the effort
always needs to be made. Israel has always understood this, which is
why it has always kept
the door open to negotiations no matter how
bleak the prospects for
success might look.
It did so during the
recent war in Gaza,
despite the continual
bad faith shown by
Hamas, and continues
Mahmoud Abbas to do with Abbas and
his government. What
is certain, as Israelis know, is that abandoning
negotiations amounts to giving up all hope for
achieving peace and condemning themselves
and their children to perpetual conflict with
their neighbours. And it is not the Jewish way to
give up on hope.
Speaking to your enemies is not a sign of
weakness, but its opposite. Damning and shutting out the other side is easy; it requires boldness and firm resolve to talk to them and try, no
matter how difficult or even risky it might be, to
find common ground.
There is another point to consider. Whatever
concerns one might have about Abbas and his
government, the alternatives - Hamas, the
Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS and other such movements - are self-evidently a great deal worse. For
that reason alone, Israel cannot afford not to
maintain lines of communication, and what is
true for Israel is as true for the Jewish world at
large.
The South African Jewish leadership, when
presented with an opportunity to engage with
the Abbas delegation chose to do so rather than
turning down the opportunity. Our counterparts in other Diaspora countries have likewise
chosen this path.
A negotiated, two-state solution necessarily
precludes either party acting unilaterally, leaving
such crucial final status issues as borders and
security arrangements still unresolved. Recent
moves by the Palestinian Authority to seek
recognition from the international community
clearly fall into this category, and if he is serious
about reaching the kind of sustainable settlement with Israel that he spoke about, Abbas will
need to abandon this strategy and recommit
himself to the negotiations process.
That he has at least gone once more on record
reaffirming his commitment to a negotiated
settlement is, in our view, a positive thing in
itself, not least because it undermines those
around the world who seek to delegitimise Israel
altogether.
To achieve a peaceful final status agreement
will require courage and a willingness to take
risks on both sides. Thus far, the Fatah movement has been unwilling to take such risks,
and so it may prove in the future. If any such
breakthrough is to occur, however, negotiations
have to continue, whenever and wherever the
opportunity arises.
In seeking a lasting peace agreement, the
obstacles are formidable and the future deeply
uncertain. Nevertheless, we have an obligation,
to ourselves and to future generations, to at
least try.
The South African Board of Jewish Education invites applications for the role of
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• Must be a very focused person
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• Good inter-personal skills
• Good communication skills as
may need to train others
• Be flexible in work undertaken
• Pastel Accounting a definite
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Job Description
• Complete and full understanding
of accounting systems
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financial statements on a timeous
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• Completion of all reconciliations
• Produce ad hoc reports where
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• Prepare Annual Financial
Statements and liaise with the
auditors in this regard
• Preparation of the monthly
management accounts and
variance reports
• May be required to do financial
modelling
• Assist Financial Manager of the
SABJE with regular monthly tasks
and take directions from this
person
• Develop, maintain and analyse
budgets and report against those
budgets
• Ad hoc requests to be carried out
for the Financial Director
• Must have the ability and allround knowledge to fill in for the
Financial Manager as and when
required.
A Curriculum Vitae and contact information of two referees
should be emailed to lingenfelders@sabje.co.za
Closing date for applications: 10 December 2014
The SABJE reserves the right not to make an appointment
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5 – 12 December 2014
East London UJW gives succour to abuse victims
Lisa Schewitz
Photo: Michelle Rosenthal
4 SA JEWISH REPORT
The East London Union of Jewish Women
is part of a project where it puts together
rape packs for victims of all ages who have
been abused.
These packs which consist of items, such
as underwear, toothbrushes, toothpaste,
deodorant, soap, creams, face clothes, biscuits, toys for the children etc, are distributed via the Masimyane Support Centre.
The UJW was able to donate 100 packs to
them.
Pictured in their UJW shirts are Susan
Isenberg; Roxanne Schekter; Lisa Schewitz;
Ethne Schewitz; and leading and running
Masimayne are Christopher Harper and
Lesley-Ann Foster.
Sprightly lady of 90 still going strong
JEAN TOCKAR
The Muizenberg and Kalk Bay Hebrew
Congregation turned 90 this year – and
is still going strong.
It was founded in 1918, and soon
thereafter the first president, Nathan Emdin was elected and the Reverend Sam
Michelson was appointed as minister.
After a few years of planning, the
construction of the synagogue was
completed and the foundation stone of
the Muizenberg Shul was laid by the
Rev A P Bender on February 14, 1924.
Throughout the decades, visitors
to Muizenberg from all over Africa
attended services in the shul, where
well-known chazonim and rabbonim
officiated.
The Ladies Guild, a close-knit band
of women, were famous for their lavish
brochas all year round, as well as dur-
ing the summer, when as many as 400
visitors and campers from Camp Kesher in Lakeside, attended the Shabbat
services and enjoyed brochas at the
Herzl Hall. Although the numbers have
diminished over the years, the summer
still attracts hundreds of visitors to our
shores, and we are proud to be their
hosts in our beautiful shul and superior
new banqueting facility next door.
Vandalism at Windhoek Synagogue
NAHUM GORELICK
PRESIDENT, WINDHOEK HEBREW CONGREGATION
Two weeks ago there was a break in at the Windhoek Shul, causing much damage to and desecration of the Siddurim.
Much of the crockery and cutlery, as well as the stand-alone chairs were stolen.
The wine becher and silver mementoes were stolen as well. The culprits drank the Kiddush wine and some other alcohol and started a party of sorts. The burnt books we assume were used to have light as the lights could not be switched
on due to the timer system at the shul.
Fortunately the Sefer Torah in the Ark was spared, despite the ark being gouged open with a pick.
Mirth and music at Beit Emanuel
The Jewish comedian Deep Fried Man (Daniel Friedman,
pictured) entertained a packed hall at
the 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner of
Beit Emanuel Synagogue in Parktown,
Johannesburg, on Saturday night,
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2014/11/19 9:37 AM
5 – 12 December 2014
Community
SA JEWISH REPORT 5
Power of social network gives Zac a new face
MATTHEW CIGLER
This is the story of the power of social media
for good and giving someone with a badly
deformed face a new lease on life.
On October 14, Angie Hesselberg Segal
posted an appeal on her Facebook page,
calling for funds from her online network in
support of Zac, who could be frequently seen
begging in the Sandton area for money to assist with his clearly needed facial surgery.
Although Angie had already secured a maxillofacial surgeon and anaesthetist to operate
free of charge, as well as donated surgery
plates, there was still a need for assistance to
Facebook friends took Zac’s
plight to heart
pay the hospital expenses.
This form of “electronic word of mouth”
had already been effective and run its course
as early as the next day.
A message to the platform was posted on
October 15, stating that the efforts of the
public and, in particular, a generous donation
of R40 000 by the Dis-Chem Foundation, had
allowed for Zac to also have his dental recon-
struction done, over and above the operation.
Zac’s operation took place on the morning
of October 24 and was successful.
Having exceeded the initial call for
R30 000 (just being for hospital bills), it is
most definitely clear how we as Jewish South
Africans are fully capable of capitalising on
the positive benefits of certain Internet components in line with the rest of the world.
The possibilities are endless and I hope that
the amazing example set here by Angie has
given people faith in the potential for their
own charitable efforts going forward; let’s
hope we will see more inspirational undertakings by our fellow Jewish South Africans!
World News in Brief
Hamas says Palestinian
unity government is over
JERUSALEM - The national unity government signed
by Hamas and Fatah last spring has ended, according
to a Hamas spokesman.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that the
six-month unity government had expired and that
negotiations between the two Palestinian factions
should resume, Ma’an News reported.
However, Faisal Abu Shala, a senior Fatah official,
disputed Hamas’ claim that the interim government
would expire after six months, saying: “If the Hamas
movement has retracted the reconciliation agreement
and the termination of rivalry that is a different case.”
Over the summer it was revealed that Hamas had
plotted to assassinate PA President Mahmoud Abbas
and overthrow the PA government in the West Bank.
More recently, Fatah accused Hamas of launching a
series of bomb attacks on Fatah member in Gaza in
early November. Meanwhile, Hamas also slammed
PA security forces for continuing to arrest Hamas
supporters in the West Bank. “Hamas denounces
the escalating violations and criminal acts by the PA
security services against supporters of Hamas and the
Palestinian resistance,” Abu Zuhri said. (JNS.org)
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‘Pay Arabs to move to
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JERUSALEM - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman has suggested that Israeli Arabs who
consider themselves part of the Palestinian people,
should be offered financial incentives to move to a
future Palestinian state.
“Those [Israeli Arabs] who decide that their identity
is Palestinian, will be able to forfeit their Israeli
citizenship and move and become citizens of the
future Palestinian state,” Lieberman wrote last week
Friday on his Facebook page, adding: “Israel should
even encourage them to do so with a system of
economic incentives.” Arabs make up about 20 per
cent of Israel’s population. (JNS.org)
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6 SA JEWISH REPORT
Jewish Report
south african
Can there be
something new
under the sun?
The close of another year. As we end 2014, what is different in the headlines from what was going on at the end
of previous years? Like the year 1998 when the Jewish
Report was established. In the 16 years since the paper
started we have produced some 750 issues, and if one
scrolls through them, many of the headlines ring the same
as those of today.
For example: There is still no answer on the horizon for
solving the Israeli Palestinian conflict; terrorism and religious conflict are the order of the day. Corruption and
crime in South Africa are still on the rise. Jews are still
arguing over what it means to live a truly Jewish life. AntiSemitism is still on the rise. And South Africa still struggles to find its post-apartheid identity and the place of
minorities like the Jews within it.
However, there is one watershed historical moment
which defines South Africa - and the world - and which
changed the headlines on February 11, 1990. That is the
day Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster
prison. Millions of people are familiar with that iconic
photograph of Madiba walking straight-backed into the
sunshine as a free man, holding hands with his wife Winnie, smiling at the world and immediately taking charge of
the national mood and injecting positivity and optimism
into it.
For most whites it was their first glimpse of what he
actually looked like - for decades during apartheid it had
been illegal even to possess a photograph of him; no newspaper could ever publish a picture of this “terrorist”, this
“arch-enemy of the people”.
And here was this tall, stately, elderly gentleman with
greying hair who had been locked up for 27 years, who
emerged into the sunlight with a broad smile engaging
with people of all creeds and races.
In the consciousness of our nation, there is a definite
“before Mandela” and “after Mandela” ethos.
This week, the first anniversary of his death, we have a
little more distance to do justice to him as an extraordinary man, not just a symbol. His funeral was such a largerthan-life event, that many dignitaries were there, seemingly more to promote their own image than pay homage
to one of the greatest statesmen and human beings of the
century. The hype surrounding him, where every secondrate artist, writer and politician scrambled to claim a little
bit of his glory as if it would rub off on them, has thankfully receded to some extent.
Leadership quality is not something one can buy. Nor
integrity. Mandela had great leadership inherent to his
being - a unifying presence that kept a fractious country
together. If you had only two words to use, which would
you choose to describe him? Integrity and reconciliation
would fit the bill.
The quality of our leaders since then has unfortunately
declined dramatically. Mediocrity and self-serving motives have become the benchmark.
What would it take to produce another person of his
stature? We have hoped in vain for a “Mandela” to emerge
in the Middle East. Is it possible? What distinguishes the
people of that region from South Africans? One aspect is
that even through the difficult years of apartheid, there
was intrinsic goodwill between South Africans. They wanted to succeed.
Sadly, the will to find a lasting solution seems to be lacking in the Middle East, as if the peoples of that region have
given up on peace. The optimistic phrase “solving the conflict”, has increasingly evolved into another, more cynical
expression – “managing the conflict”. As if it will always
be there.
Hopefully, there will emerge one day in the Middle East
too a leader whose life will define a “before” and “after”,
where cynicism becomes replaced by hope and goodwill.
Mandela taught that miracles do happen, that the impossible is sometimes achievable. Is it too much to hope
that the headlines in the Middle East will not always be
predominantly about war, violence and hatred?
Letters
Opinion and Analysis
– Geoff Sifrin, Editor
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.
5 – 12 December 2014
Guidelines for letters Letters up to 400 words get preference. Provide your
full name, place of residence, and daytime contact phone number. We do not
publish letters under noms de plume. Letters should be e-mailed. Letters may
be edited or shortened.
The Editor, PO Box 84650, Greenside, 2034 email: sharon@sajewishreport.co.za
To sing or not to sing Hatikva, not the question
I have no idea who Jessy Cusker is, other than he/she is a visitor
from Israel who attended the memorial service for the victims
of the Har Nof attack. However, the sentiments are clear: “The
cantors and the rabbis wailed out the psalms and the prayers…
as the religious hurried to evacuate the synagogue as if it was on
fire.” “Without Hatikva we have no hope.”
How does he/she know what effect prayers and psalms have on
the well-being of Israel and its citizens?
I am unashamedly and unequivocally a very strong supporter
of the State of Israel. And yet, I am somewhat ambivalent about
singing Hatikva.
My personal reason is the exclusion of Hashem. A proud
declaration that the greatness of Hatikvah is that Hashem is not
mentioned and therefore, even the secular can appreciate it negates those who believe that the State and the miracles we have
witnessed are direct Divine intervention?
Raising the Israeli flag has never been a problem. To equate
not singing Hatikva with not recognising the State of Israel is
ludicrous. To accuse the frum community of not recognising the
State is shameful and mischievous. To doubt the commitment of
the Chief Rabbi to the State of Israel is beyond the absurd.
I have no idea whether the Chief Rabbi, or for that matter the
rest of the “frum” community sing or don’t sing Hatikva. It’s
not my business. My guess is that it is mixed. I don’t know the
reasons for those who sing or don’t sing it.
I hold that our only hope is a belief in Hashem and in the
unity of the Jewish people. If our only hope is an anthem which
excludes the role of Hashem, perhaps we are lost. I, and many
others, pray every day for the State of Israel and its citizens.
I believe that that is more important than singing Hatikva at
special functions.
If we ignore Hashem’s hand and if we try to damage that unity,
we are asking for trouble. I have no problem in you singing Hatikva. Please let those who also support the State, choose their
path with your understanding and without your vilification.
Remember, those who hate any part of the Jewish people, hate
Jews.
Michael Rootshtain
Highlands North, Johannesburg
BDS is but a small blip on the radar screen
While David Saks is perfectly correct about BDS and its effect on
Jews in this country (Barbaric Yawp, Jewish Report, November 21),
one needs to expand a little more on the contrary perspectives.
Apart from a few (self-hating) Jews, some Christians, and
most Muslims, BDS cannot be said to be successful by any
stretch of the imagination.
Apartheid is history and current events in South Africa, (power outages and the economic downturn) far eclipse the problems
people face here as opposed to the woes in Palestine.
Moreover, most cognisant people understand the complexities of the Middle East and that Israel is the only country in
that region which is stable and truly democratic - and that it is a
bastion of the West.
It is generally known that Islam has bred (and continues to
breed) radicals, who have thrown the world into turmoil.
Virtually every country is fighting Islamic radicalism and the
Arab and Muslim countries also are no exception.
In South Africa, the Iraqi ambassador has reported that more
than 140 Muslims (from South Africa) have conscripted and
joined to fight alongside ISIS.
Already three South African Muslims have been killed and it
is likely that more will be killed as a result of global efforts and
successes to destroy ISIS.
Surely, these facts in itself, obscure the importance of BDS
and its objectives?
Our national intelligence agencies have no record of people
leaving this country to fight abroad for ISIS, so what hope does
any one of the citizens of this country have of being secure from
terror attacks by those returning?
There is no doubt that the media will soon latch on to this and
the Muslim community here will have a case to answer. Do they
condemn radicalism and people from their communities joining
to fight alongside ISIS?
These are the actual problems facing the people of South
Africa, not BDS, nor Palestine. Compared to radicalism, BDS is a
triviality.
What are the true intentions (and commitments) of the Muslim community here?
The belief that the security of our country and people is more
important than boycotts to bring down Israel, is quite apparent
when the contrary and alternative maleficence is so prevalent in
our country at this time.
In fact, BDS’ objectives pale into insignificance given the
current and existing situation that the whole of South Africa is
faced with.
Nathan Cheiman
Northcliff, Johannesburg
Meeting with Abbas: Leadership has let us
down
Boycotting Woolworths: Come on Desai, why stop
there?
I read with horror about the meeting between the Jewish Board
of Deputies, the SA Zionist Federation and Abbas/Zuma.
This reminds me of the time British Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain met with Hitler prior to the Second World War.
The picture of Chamberlain stepping off the plane after that
meeting waving a piece of paper saying: “Peace in our time”, is
etched on my brain. Well, we all know what happened soon after
that meeting.
And so it is with the meeting held the other day. How dare the
“leaders” of this wonderful community insult us! How dare the
SAJBD and the SAZF meet with the arch-enemy of the Jewish
State? With his hands covered in blood.
How dare the “leaders” of this Jewish community meet with
a man who praises Palestinian terrorists who kill our people in
Israel?
How dare you? How dare you, on my behalf, meet with the
man who has honoured all previous terrorist atrocities against
our people?
You are a disgrace not only to the Jewish people here, but all
Israelis in particular.
I have said it before and I say it again: Neither the SAJBD
nor the SAZF led by Krengel Inc, represents me. I reject with
contempt your meeting with (Mahmoud) Abbas and I believe it
is about time that South African Jewry reassesses the so-called
leaders of this community. You have let us down badly.
Now maybe you can go and have a cup of tea with Abbas. Just
mind the blood on his hands.
Herewith, free, gratis and for nothing, some great help to the gullible
and abysmally ignorant supporters of that bigot and hypocrite Muhammed Desai and his BDS Israel campaign.
In addition to harassing and intimidating Woolworths directors,
staff and customers (and taking aim at other companies in future)
why not have a go at Vodacom, MTN and Cell C for selling cell phones
because the cell phone operating system for computers were developed
for Microsoft in Israel.
So, please destroy your cell phones and computers and boycott and
intimidate Vodacom, MTN and Cell C, since the Pentium chip technology was also designed in Israel at Intel. Voice technology and the AOL
instant messenger ICQ were also developed in Israel, so don’t forget
to boycott any product involving these technologies. Should, Heaven
forbid, any of you or your loved ones require cardiac surgery, please
stipulate that you refuse the insertion of a stent invented by Israelis.
For some invigorating fresh air, go out into the countryside and destroy the drip irrigation schemes used very successfully by many South
African farmers, also developed by Israelis.
Do I need to mention more examples, Mr Desai?
There are approximately 14 million Jews worldwide and 1,2 billion
Muslims/Arabs. Despite the anti-Semitic attitude of the Scandinavian
countries (notably Norway and Sweden) in excess of 20 per cent of Nobel Prizes in medicine, economics, physics, technology etc, have been
awarded to Jews. Whilst the Arabs/Muslims have acquired about .01
per cent - an extremely minimal number of Nobel Prizes, that includes
the Peace Prize (to acknowledge the terrorist Yasser Arafat) as opposed
to the hundreds awarded to Jews. Need I extrapolate any further, Mr
Desai and cohorts?
Chaim Hillel Myerson
Cape Town
Jack Miller, Gresswold, Johannesburg
More news on our website www.sajr.co.za
International News
5 – 12 December 2014
SA JEWISH REPORT 7
Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister
Tzipi Livni at a news conference at Tel Aviv
Municipality’s Youth House, on November 20.
BEN SALES
TEL AVIV
For the second time in about two years, Israel
appears to be headed toward elections.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said at a news conference on Tuesday that he
would support a bill to dissolve the Knesset,
leading to elections next spring. Ahead of
the announcement, Netanyahu fired two key
Cabinet ministers, Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni,
after they publicly criticised his performance
as prime minister.
“In this government it’s much harder to
do everything for the security and welfare of
Israel’s citizens,” Netanyahu said at the news
conference. “This government, from the day it
was born, was adversarial. That’s because my
party, the Likud, didn’t get enough votes. So
from the first moment, there was friction.”
The collapse heralds an acrimonious end to a
coalition of rivals ranging from the nationalistright to the centre-left. The unlikely coalition
agreed early on about the need to integrate
the haredi Orthodox into Israel’s economy and
society but disagreed on almost everything
else - from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to
the relationship between religion and state.
Should Netanyahu win another term, he has
indicated that he will revert to a more stable
coalition of right-wing parties - including the
haredi Orthodox factions - that partnered with
him before 2013 but were left out of the current fractious coalition.
“The previous government, I believe, was
one of the best, most stable governments in
the history of Israel, a true unity government,”
Netanyahu said. “We need to elect a new
government, a stronger government, a more
stable government.”
As the coalition spats morphed into a
full-blown crisis, Lapid, the finance minister
and head of Yesh Atid, the largest party in
Netanyahu’s coalition, castigated Netanyahu
for playing politics instead of passing sensible
legislation, including next year’s state budget.
“These elections are not about a particular issue - not about security and not about
society - but an election between those who
came to work and those who came to block
everything,” Lapid said in a speech Tuesday.
“We came to work. That’s all we wanted, that’s
all we still want.”
The Knesset is likely to approve new elections in the coming days, leading to a national
vote in March or April. Opposition parties
already have proposed bills to dissolve the
Knesset. The last national elections were held
in January 2013. Elections are scheduled now
Photo: FLASH90
Coalition break-up moves Israel closer to an early poll
for November 2017.
A poll conducted last week by the Dialog
Institute suggested that early elections would
hurt Yesh Atid and benefit Netanyahu’s Likud
party. Yesh Atid would drop from 19 Knesset
seats to 11, while Likud would rise from 18 to
24.
The nationalist Jewish Home led by Naftali
Bennett would grow from 12 to 16 seats, while
two centre-left parties - Labour and Hatnua
- would drop, according to the poll. Labour,
guided by Isaac Herzog, would fall from 15
seats to 13, and Hatnua, led by Livni, would
slip from six seats to four.
The survey also suggested general disaffection with Israel’s current leader: Only 35 per
cent of respondents said Netanyahu was fit to
be prime minister.
Israeli coalition crises sometimes have been
averted at the last minute. In May 2012, a vote
to dissolve the Knesset was rendered irrelevant
after Likud joined with the centrist Kadima
party in a short-lived unity government.
Given the divisions in this coalition,
however, such a deal is less likely. Since this
government formed, coalition partners have
fought over everything from peace talks to the
economy to religious issues.
Rifts began to widen after this summer’s war
in Gaza, with Bennett blaming Netanyahu for
not hitting Hamas harder and Lapid accusing Netanyahu of bringing relations with the
United States to crisis.
Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he wanted
to avoid a repeat of such battles and would
partner with Jewish Home and the haredi Orthodox parties, which helped provide him with
a stable government between 2009 and 2012.
Such a coalition would oppose making
concessions to the Palestinians and likely
would seek to roll back laws passed last year
that included haredi men in Israel’s mandatory conscription and cut subsidies to haredi
families.
Yesh Atid, which was elected last year to
pass those laws, likely will fade along with
the promise it made to represent the Israeli
political centre. The history of the Knesset
is littered with consensus-minded centrist
parties that rose in one election only to fall in
the next.
Some of Yesh Atid’s losses would probably
translate into gains for a new economically
progressive centrist party led by former Likud
minister Moshe Kahlon that is predicted to
win 13 seats.
Before any national election campaign gets
under way, Netanyahu and Bennett face primary contests in their own parties. (JTA)
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Tribute to Geoff Sifrin
8 SA JEWISH REPORT
5 – 12 December 2014
Geoff’s editorship is acknowledged far and wide
Tova Herzl
Former Israeli Ambassador to South Africa
During my term as Israel’s ambassador to South
Africa, Geoff Sifrin was
among my interlocutors
on issues at the intersection of Israel, South
Africa and the country’s
multi-faceted Jewish community. He was always
knowledgeable and would often provide an
unexpected insight, an unusual angle.
Since retiring, my interest is no longer professional but personal. It is regularly satisfied on
Wednesdays, when SAJR under Geoff’s able
leadership has provided an informative picture
of developments. I am grateful for his long-term
contribution to my understanding, and wish
him all the best.
Prof Milton Shain
Director, Kaplan Centre for Jewish
Studies, University of
Cape Town
With great sensitivity
and allowing for all opinions, Geoff has done a
magnificent job as editor
of the SA Jewish Report.
Navigating a path during years of great duress
for South African Jews was never going to be
easy. Geoff has done this with great sensitivity.
He has opened a window into the debates, the
divisions and the issues exercising our community. Kol hakavod, Geoff.
David Saks
Senior Researcher,
SAJBD
True liberals are thin
on the ground. All too
often, one finds unfashionable opinions being
suppressed and those
who express them sidelined and silenced in the
name of upholding liberal values. Geoff Sifrin,
however, is the real thing.
He has his own viewpoint, but is always open
to engaging with those who differ from him.
Just as importantly, he actually listens to what
they say, and takes this into thoughtful consideration when formulating his own opinions.
These are admirable traits in anybody, but
how much more vital they are in the editor of a
newspaper, particular one that must cater for
a wide and diverse readership. In this regard,
Geoff set a standard of balance and objectivity
that other media professionals would do well to
live up to. Beyond that, in going about his duties
he has displayed a sensitivity and innate sense
of decency that everyone should learn from and
seek to emulate.
Rabbi Yossy Goldman,
President of the
SA Rabbinical
Association
In all the years I have
been dealing with Geoff
I have always found him
to be impeccably honest
and straightforward.
You always knew where
he stood and where you stood with him. He is
not a “politician”, which is definitely one of the
highest praises I can bestow upon anyone these
days.
What was refreshing about our relationship
is that we didn’t necessarily have to agree with
one another on every Jewish issue or matters to
do with Israel. We still respected each other and
were able to have a very amicable relationship.
I salute his long-standing dedication to the
cause of Jewish journalism even under trying
and challenging circumstances. I pay tribute to
his professionalism, objectivity, consistency,
fairness, and his belief in the importance of giving everyone a voice.
I wish Geoff all Hashem’s blessings for the
future.
Mary Kluk
National Chairman,
SAJBD
I am so delighted to have
this opportunity to wish
Geoff all the very best on
his retirement as editor
of the SA Jewish Report.
Geoff has steered this
important Jewish publication with integrity and
wisdom and his editorial column was a part of
the newspaper that I always read with interest.
Over the years Geoff offered his experience
as a journalist very generously whenever we
asked for any help and his participation in our
National Executive Meetings will be missed. In
addition to wishing Geoff much happiness and
success in the next chapter of his life, I would
like to publicly thank him for his genuine interest in and support of the SAJBD.
Wendy Kahn
National Director, SAJBD
Being the editor of a Jewish publication is a
challenging job. Instead of the “two Jews three
opinions” paradigm, there are 75 000 stake-
holders of The Jewish
Report, all who believe
that they should be on
the front page and have
priority in terms of the
coverage.
Geoff was a skilled
tightrope walker in this
regard; he provided
everyone with some exposure and no one with
it all. He balanced the hard news with the tea
parties. He provided room for the communal
angst with the celebrations. He allowed all the
voices to be heard from across the spectrum in
a fair and responsible way. Geoff, you have left a
legacy of responsible journalism and a newspaper that has reflected our community’s travels
warts and all. We thank you for your commitment and wish you well for your future.
Howard Feldman
Chairman, SA Jewish
Report
Geoff Sifrin has been a
remarkable editor. He
has navigated the South
African Jewish Report
with wisdom and integrity while balancing the
many complex issues for
Zionistic South African Jews.
He is a true intellectual and a friend to many
on the newspaper’s board. He will be greatly
missed at the paper.
The Board of the South African Jewish Report
joins me in thanking him for his commitment
to the paper and to the community and wishes
him success in the future.
Reeva Forman
Vice Chairman, SAZF
It’s with great sadness
that I hear of your retirement.
You have always encouraged me in the work
I do for Israel and to a
lay leader and volunteer,
support from a person of
your calibre means a great deal.
But above all, I want to commend you on
the way you have as editor always shown an
impartial and in my opinion, objective stance to
reporting all that is happing in our community.
South African Jews, I presume like similar
communities worldwide, are extremely difficult
to deal with. We are a community of division on
many issues. Each person / group / organisation
believes he/she/they are right and the other
wrong! You have navigated your way through
this sea of disparate voices, with fairness, giving
each voice a space to be heard. And of course
rarely thanked by anyone.
Your editorial columns bore evidence of your
deep concern for and understanding of, the
many issues that affect our community and our
beloved “Eretz Yisrael”.
I trust that the Jewish Report will continue your
tradition as the voice of all Jews in South Africa,
no matter their views, encouraging lively debate
that is the hallmark and strength of our people.
Charisse Zeifert
Head: Communications, SAJBD
What always impressed
me about Geoff Sifrin
(apart from his professionalism) is his great
love for the Jewish community. He understands
that the community is a diverse one, with a
broad range of viewpoints, and that this was
one of its strengths.
As editor of the SA Jewish Report, he scrupulously ensured that these different views were
represented within the paper. Geoff is hugely
knowledgeable about Jewish matters and Israel.
In his editorials, he was bold and forthright in
addressing the issues of the day, irrespective of
popular opinion, and consistently provided a
measured, considered perspective that gets to
the heart of the matter.
From a personal point of view, he has been
an invaluable source of advice and assistance
in the work that I do at the Board. Thank you,
Geoff, congratulations on a job well done and
everything of the best in your future endeavours.
Karen Knowles, GM,
SAJR
There is always a healthy
conflict between editorial and commercial especially steering a tight
ship like Jewish Report,
where cost control is at
it tightest. The relationship I have built with Geoff as editor, has been
one of mutual respect and co-operation. I have
enjoyed having Geoff as a partner in the business of news making, making hard decisions
which have helped to keep our boat on an even
keel.
In a small outfit like ours, we obviously have
to work very closely together, with the same
end-goal in sight. This I managed to achieve
with Geoff’s help and goodwill. I wish him a
happy and healthy future.
Levi Shalit’s Yiddish typewriter
Geoff Sifrin
In January 2008, Bernard Levinson, a
psychiatrist and author in Johannesburg,
contacted me to ask if I would like to
receive the old Yiddish typewriter of Levi
Shalit (1916-1994), one of the most
important Yiddish editors in South Africa.
Levinson had been a close friend of Shalit
for many years. When Shalit went to live
in Israel, where he died in 1994, he had
left the typewriter with Levinson.
The typewriter is shown in the photograph. It is an old, solidly built Remington.
The Yiddish keys are well worn from the
many years of typing. The enamel on the
bottom part on the right is rusted away
from the long time in which Shalit rested
his palm on it as he worked.
After the Second World War, Shalit established and edited the first newspaper
of the survivors of concentration camps,
Undzer Veg, in Munich. He included
an English supplement. It appeared in
80,000 copies. Shalit had been incarcerated in the ghetto of Shavel from 19421944. In 1946 he came to South Africa.
In Johannesburg, Shalit was the editor
for thirty years (1953-1983) of the Yiddish
newspaper, the Afrikaner Yiddishe Tsaytung (the African Jewish Newspaper).
“The paper was first established
in Johannesburg in 1911 by Solomon
(Shloyme) Fogelson. There were at least
three flourishing Yiddish periodicals being
published at the same time. Fogelson’s
newspaper survived for over 20 years,
developing the Yiddish sketch and
short story beyond anything previously
achieved in South Africa.
“In 1932, Der Afrikaner was taken
over by and incorporated into a new
weekly, the Afrikaner Yiddishe Tsaytung,
under the direction of Boris Gershman.
When Gershman died in 1953, the
newspaper was bought by Levi Shalit
in partnership with Shmarya Levin
(d1965), steadily building up its own
press and maintaining a permanent
qualified staff. At its peak, the paper had
a weekly readership of 3000, attracted
extensive advertising, and carried
regular contributions from distinguished
overseas writers. Although declining
readership eventually forced its closure
in 1983, during the thirty years in which
Shalit was its editor, the Afrikaner
Yiddishe Tsaytung stimulated Yiddish
writing throughout the country.”
(Joseph Sherman – the Mendele
Review: Yiddish language and literature,
July 1999)
Shalit: “We endeavoured to have more
locally flavoured contributions, but we
did not neglect overseas writers either.
The poets H Levick, Jacob Glatshteyn and
Chaim Grade, the writers Isaac Bashevis
Singer and Mordkhe Shtrigler, to mention
but a few, were regular contributors.
Many prominent Hebrew writers and
poets appeared on our pages in transla-
tion. The Afrikaner Yiddishe Tsaytung
became not just a journalistic publication,
but a literary one as well. In all, there
were twenty years of work which gave
me real, and true writer’s pleasure and
satisfaction.”
(Interview with Shalit by Joseph Sherman, Jewish Affairs, Spring 1993)
Tribute to Geoff Sifrin
5 – 12 December 2014
SA JEWISH REPORT 9
Photo: Shereen Miller
Sixteen years of Jewish debate
GEOFF SIFRIN
EDITOR, SA JEWISH REPORT
south african
Natalie
Liknaitzky
honoured
(page 12)
ool/Flash 90
www.sajr.co.za
Jewish Repo
rt
www.sajewish
report.co.za
A nation
favourite scherishes its
on on his 9
3rd
south africa
n
Friday, 15 July
2011 / 13
Tammuz,
Photo: Ido Erez/P
Heading
for jail
SAKS: Common hatred,
Israel has good friends in
differences
Friday ideological
17 January 2014
/ 16 Shvat 5774
Africa
ort
2 Jewish Rep
south african
8,9
6
3
!
EXCEPTIONAL RENTALS - EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
TOET
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Volume 18 – Number 1
They said they received a
mandate from G-d to get the
church in Africa to understand
the importance of the Nation
of Israel in His plan and for the
church to stand and bless Israel.
www.sajr.co.za
Former Prim
e Minister Ehu
Most Jews remain proud of
d Olmert, seen
Jerusalem’s
Israel, but it is now an angry,
mayor.
in the courtroo
m of the Dist
as sopposed
pride
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to
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ch 31, 2014
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as itour
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How SA Jewr
read
where he was
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grandparents’
our loy generation.
conv
Jewish Report
south african
week
and
readers Revie
12 Shain
ers.wer Milton
says
Simo
stakehold
4
n Schama’s
Story of
the Jews is a
vibran
immensely reada t history,
excitingly innov ble and
ative.
It is evident
that a not
insignificant
mino
the African Chris rity voted for
tian Democratic
Party, presumabl
y
that party’s suppo as a result of
rt for Israel.
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The UJW harnesses
community’s
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women to make a
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continuing the long
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be living in a
We are fortunate to
are no longer
time where Jews
first time in
powerless. For the
people are
millennia, we as a
we should
conflicted as to how
wield our power.
5
the future
“In the Czech Republic, in our
remains
Holocaust history
Cechová’s
blood and bones.”
ted of subtle
work is “construc
, expressed
intimate emotions
authenticity.”
with honesty and
be a
By 2025, there will
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cure - but look at
it was
projections: In 2009
2013, 36
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Stanley Fischer is to be deputy
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newly appointed as its head.
allah Bake
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s for livelihood,
’s richest blessing
and
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Volume 11 Number 39
Volume 11 Number 41
A nation united
in triumph
Hellig: Remembrance
through German
eyes / 10
Social Scene: Garden
tribute to a dedicated
woman / 6
High stakes at the
Annapolis parley
LESLIE SUSSER, JERUSALEM
IN THE FINAL run-up to the Annapolis
peace parley, leaders on all sides are
emphasising the burning need for success
and the potentially huge price of failure.
Although the focus is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, all the main players see it
as only a small part of a much bigger
regional drama: the ongoing battle for
regional sway between the moderate
Middle Eastern camp, led by America, and
the radicals, led by Iran.
The stakes are high: the price of oil, the
future of Iran's nuclear programme and
America's exit strategy from Iraq, are all
part of the wider equation.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are well
aware of the stakes, but for domestic reasons, both are too weak to deliver a peace
agreement that would spell unqualified
April 25 2014
/ 25 Nissan
success at Annapolis.
Volume 18
5774
– Number
14
Instead, both are looking for a formula
that papers over their political difficulties
and keeps the momentum going. They
President Thabo Mbeki, dressed in a Springbok windbreaker with the Webb Ellis Trophy in his hand, triumphantly held aloft in the Stade de France by members of the victorious
have therefore agreed to redefine
South African rugby team. SEE PAGES 8, 10, 11, 16 (Credit: images24.co.za / Rapport / Christiaan Kotze)
Annapolis as a launching pad for intensive
Pale Nativ
es
and white
negotiations rather than a forum for the
trash: a
end game.
brilliant play.
For lack of choice, the United States is
(page 10)
going along with the low-key approach.
(JTA)
Focus on the
Free State / 6
ort
17 Jewish Rep
/ 12 Av 5774
August 8 2014
SEEwww
PAGES
8, 10
.sajr.
18 – Number 28
Volume
Friday, 26 October 2007 / 14 Cheshvan 5768
www.sajewishreport.co.za
Friday, 9 November 2007 / 28 Cheshvan 5768
Jewish Repo
rt
south africa
co.za
EL AL - ARE PRICES AFFORDABLE? / 4
LETTERS / 14
days to go,
until Jewish
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SA and Isra
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IT’S HOME
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ampagne t
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TIME
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Achievers 2014
Joburg Unity Ch
SEE INSIDE:
SUPPLEMENT
ON NORWOOD
MALL / 19-25
BEV BRYER’S
CHOIR’S ACCOLADES / 12
n
africaSOWETO
south
BEAUTIFUL BRIDES / 16
Jewish Repo
r
Saks column: Jews in
great sports teams / 11
FEELING AT HOME IN TURKEY / 5
south africa
LETTERS / 14
n
Holocaust memorials
- ‘Absence
and Loss’ at Goethe-Institut / 2
KAYLEA SHER VICTORIOUS IN ITALY / 28
So many beautiful
brides / 15
CROSSWORD-BRIDGE / 18
www.sajr.co.
www.sajr.co.za
s
R ally affirmra
passion for Is el On a fugitive missio
Themba Rubu
she (left), chief
Ambassador
to South Afric director Middle East in
the Departme
a Arth
at the Israeli
urg.
nt of
embassy in Preto ur Lenk, caused quite
at Huddle Park in Johannesb
array of polit
a stir this week International Relations
rally for Israel on Sunday
protests Members
ical parties atten ria. The 66th birthday
and
in Gaza and anti-Israel
stripes attended a solidarity
of the Shav
when he was
party, with
10 000 people of many
between Israel and Hamas
u Banim sect
the two coun
a guest - repre Co-operation, seen here
ding, was a
in Glenhaze
as a huge success, some
hund
the backdrop of the conflict
of Hassidim
tries should
clinking a glass
senting the
l, Johannes
In what organisers celebrated
Africa, it took place against
, part of the
maintain healt joyous occasion. Although reds of friends of Israe
South African
burg
with Israel’s
for questioni
r pro-Israel gathering in
entourage of
l, mem
hy relations,
Rubushe did
government
ng. However, last Thursday. Berland
See pages 3 and 6.
Reputedly the largest-eve
the Bresl
Israeli mobsters foundMoro
he laid the blam
wish Israel well bers of the diplomatic
- at Israel’s birth
Ariel Sharon had the nickname “Bulldozer”. Far from a negative connotation, it depicts the Israeli statesman’s strong personality “to get things done”.
places in South Africa.
was
he fled Israe
various
in
in
cco, before
held
urg
been
corps
have
Johannesb
in
l with his follow accused of committin ov Hassidic leader Rabb
e for the Midd
and paid homa
dead
day bash which
, the media and
JPO concerts featuring
No iSSue
making sense
ts
He had a passionate love for his country. Starting off as a hawk, pragmatism mellowed his political thinking. In 2005 he carried out one of the most
g indec
i Eliezer Berla
SA Jewish commmoving to Zimbabwe,
le East impa
ge to Jewish
ers before he
oF ouR
representatives
European governmen
of Pope
mystery case
Zukerman
then to Sout
sse
11
nd,
PRiNTeD
Pinchas
Stru
could be arres ent acts against sever
squa
unity, and have
tide
Franc
ggle
of
rising
rely
an Name of first fallen IDF
is’ mideast
PAPeR
stalw
astonishing moves of his career by evacuating thousands of settlers from Gaza to Israel proper. The Sabra and Shatila massacre by Christian Phalangists
h Africa. The
at the door of
must stem the
al young fema seen outside the Gene
attended the
trip
have been saved by the
week , owiN NexT
group has been ted, to the US, Italy,
Israel. See page arts and stressed that
sis Centre
le followers;
Sephardi Shul
of anti-Semitism
Huge confid
and Switzerla
in Beirut nearly ended his political career - but he bounced back. Fittingly he was laid to rest on his farm in the Negev. The photograph shows Sharon on
g To
urg music
SAZF: Antisoldier to be on MDA-SA’s
in Johannes
he was want
3.
Johannesb
ence in
in Elder Stree
His itinerary
Jewis
YomTov
ed in Israel
redev4elopm
is significant.
crimes in europ h hate
ambulance in Israel
t, among other burg since before Pesa nd. He eventually settl
50 years on,
his farm in 1993. See pages 4, 5, 6 and 16.
fraternity
11
SA delegation
ent of
What
he goes to visit
reme
ed brief ly in
ch
e
s. See pages
conce
Johan
mber
holds
rn
SA Jewish
ing
first
nesburg CBD
the rally that
we wiSH
fruitful discu
2 and 3. For and has been hosted by
6
authorities
well thought-out. was very
generatio
ouR ReAD
ssion with
mem
more on this
n Sinai expan
2
Soviet Jewry launched the
Zimbabwean-born Jewish
Growing the next
She’s Out of Her Mind!
Mazaltov to all our
Jewish, Zionist Rhodes
The order of
eRS
israe
CHAg SAme
story, see www bers of the
the
li
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ds
by
move
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people he sees,
leaps and
Under Jonath
Davis grows
ment
rs
ACH FoR
influence in the American
generation’s heritage
brilliant matrics!
University staffer wins
Casting Zionis
bounds
an Liebmann
.sajr.co.za.
and shakes
Muizenberg
hands with,
m as a cance
SHAvuoT
of
Propertuity and
Yom Hash
“We had
and the
Federal Reserve
London-based comedian Ruby
monetary settlement
exhib
r
which
oah
!
We have arrived
4
ISRAEL INVITES
FOREIGN MINISTER
DLAMINI-ZUMA
TO VISIT / 10
2
ry
Commercial Seconda
High School and Pace
cycle ride from
s” from Moletsane
“traditional partner
annual Cycalive relay South Africa, and
a contingent of their
bicycles for the 17th
acy in
”.
send-off, on their
Academy boys, plus
20 years of democr
of Memory, to mark
“with hopes and dreams
set forth after a rousing
g, a group of 35 Torah
On Sunday mornin
l of cyclists from Israel, started at the Nelson Mandela Centre was celebrating the new South Africa
as well as a handfu
Cycalive 2014
This year they
said
away.
y,
School in Soweto,
res
Academ
kilomet
of Torah
Durban - 750
Dovid Hazdan, dean
Johannesburg to
y as usual. MC Rabbi
dances
Miřenka Čechová
not from Torah Academ
plague of
diary
Dementia: the
with Anne Frank’s
holiness
The
See page 2.
Lutrin:
Dean
nt
of the BDS moveme
NATHAN
ENGLANDER’S
BRILLIANT NEW
BOOK / 13
4
al | SPacio
uS | tow
nho
Artist impressi
on
role of
Warm tribute to
ity
women in the commun
icted of takin
g bribes whe
n he was
ExcEPtion
Artist impression
Kosher meat crisis
esburg
looms for Johann
consumers
PAGE 2
HELEN SUZMAN, daughter of
Lithuanian immigrants Samuel
and Frieda Gavronsky, this week
celebrated her 90th birthday. Her
story is a Jewish and intensely
South African one. She spent her
political career in anti-apartheid
opposition politics.
“There is no appreciation today
of the role of the opposition. I never
experienced the wall of hatred
Tony Leon experienced when he
rose to speak. Yes, there were
sexist and anti-Semitic remarks
Naada Fai
directed at me, but nothing like
5 / 12- thatre
hatred. And the Speaker
14
always
gave me tremendous help.
WHAT’S ON
/ 18
"Also, when I was in Parliament,
I had enormous press support from
editors of very influential papers. In
the same way today, the DA needs
press support. The assault on press
freedom is an assault on the
effectiveness of the opposition."
At 90, she is as unafraid to call a
spade a spade as she ever was.
Differing viewVOICES:
Political reali
s on Breslov
ties carry
day at ‘Pale
the
stine semi
“Apologies shoul
nar’
d be made by
all the sland
“What we want
erers
from SA
should be made ; restitution
is solidarity,
to compensat
without the
the Breslevers
e
complicatio
, for all the bigot
prejudice and
ry, Palestinian ns of politics,” said
slander.”
Foreig
Riyad Al-Malki. n Minister
8
011 731 0300 Sunday 1-5
www.firzt.co.za
rban
Heading for Du
PAGE 21
8
www.sajewishreport.co.za COMMUNITY
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Habonim:
‘Israel’s futu
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As a historically
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to object to unjusd be the first
t
and
unequal
treatment of
fellow huma
n
beings.
Ariel Sharon:
soldier anchored
in Israeli soil
6
to
Walk n Shul
to
Sand
to ul
Walk
us Sh
Vario
BOBBA’S FREE
ISRAEL TICKET
TO SEE FAMILY
Golden icon Helen
Suzman turns 90
SEE PAGE
COMMUNITY
Shwekey’s
here again
!
(page 9)
ryver
“I warned our community
that revolutionaries have long
memories, so we must do
things that are publicly Jewish
to encourage change and to do
something real for upliftment.”
Old stalwar
ts reminisc
e - Mad
receives a
fond embrace iba
from
Esther Bars
el, a comrade
www.sajewishreport.co.za
from
the early Stru
ggle days,
at a
book laun
ch in 2003.
Rotary aw
ard for UJ,
BGU sign
Issie Kirsh
/7
DAVIS: Be
new contra
ing ‘apart’
ct / 3 not
YOUTH / 17
SA’s new inf
same as ‘alo
SPORT / 20
o bill
ne’ / 9 ser
LETTERS
iously flawe
May 30 2014 / 15
CROSSWORD
/ 1 Sivan 5774
& SUDOKU
Volume 18
d/
– Number
/ 18
19
Photo: Ilan Ossend
A tribute to Rabbi Norman
(Nachman) Meir Bernhard
But now, along comes Azerbaijan
- the world’s first Muslimmajority democracy - which is
fast taking the place of Turkey in
becoming a crucial ally of Israel
in the Muslim world.
Photo: Flash90
Israel’s emerging Muslimmajority ally
“The Palestinian-led and
internationally-backed BDS is a
non-violent strategic campaign
Israel
of until
to hold the
to go,
daysState
to international
Achiever law
accountable
Jewish
2014.
rights.”
and human
Awards
CAP PROVES
ITS METTLE
WITH ROBBERS
a
York
didn’t stop Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein and his New
cry from the restful oasis that is Shabbat, but that
Manhattan’s bustling neon-lit Times Square is a far
keeping Shabbat together in 64 countries and some
initiative that will see over a million Jews worldwide
partners from spreading the word there about the global
screens Shabbos Project messaging every hour, encouraging
electronic billboard on Broadway and 47th Avenue
See more on www.sajr.co.za
460 cities, according to the organisers. The massive
bbosproject.org/
http://www.thesha
Shabbat.
escape to #keepittogether this
tourists and frazzled New Yorkers yearning for an
wants Israel
Volume 15
Number 26
www.sajr.co.z
The Shabbos Project:
Now on Broadway!
CosatuAv 5774
/ 26
ugust 22 2014expelled from WMA
30
olume 18 – Number
5771
Sifrin
Goldstuck
& Bush on
raising techsavvy kids
(page 11).
Photo: Geoff
Jewish Report
May 16 2014
/ 16 Iyar 5774
Volume 18
– Number
17
Photo: Ilan Ossendryver
October 24 2014 / 30 Tishrei 5775
Volume 18 – Number 36
tion’s or person’s deferential mouthpiece. Our
first loyalty is to the truth.
Journalism is a craft, not an exact science.
Therein lies the challenge - to do it with excellence. All papers sometimes get things wrong.
The New York Times said in an editorial in
2003 apologising for an error: “The good of any
particular institution depends on its people, but
this one depends equally on the confidence that
readers place in it, a confidence based on the
belief that every day, the paper struggles mightily to get things right.
“Journalism is an imperfect business, the
work of reporting, understanding and writing
about the complexity of human affairs. Like all
human enterprises, journalism is not perfectible. But it should always be heading in that
direction.”
We are a patriotic South African paper
committed to this country’s development and
the myriad facets of Jewish involvement in it.
Covering Israel and the Palestinians, however,
is probably our most sensitive challenge. It has
at times evoked disapproval of the paper, either
for publishing material critical of Israel or not
critical enough, depending on
who you ask.
We once refused
to publish an article
intellectual, folksy, sensational, and mild. You
name it, it’s been thrown at us.
The Jewish world is pluralistic - our content has always reflected this. The editor of a
legendary American Jewish weekly put it thus:
“[A Jewish newspaper] reporting on the many
aspects of Jewish cultural, political and religious
life should be proof positive that We Are Not
One. We Jews may be united in support of the
State of Israel and the continuity of the Jewish
People, but we are passionate and outspoken
in our differing views about how best to ensure
those and other goals.
“The more views that are reported on and
reflected in the Jewish newspaper, the more
vibrant the community - and the more reason
younger people will want to identify with that
community.”
Not everyone agrees. A letter-writer once
told us to drop the word “Jewish” from our title
because we were an “affront to true Judaism” by
including non-Orthodox Jewish streams in our
content.
An early challenge after launching was to
establish ourselves as an
“independent” paper, a
platform for diverse news
and open, vigorous debate
- not to be any organisa-
(PHOTO: ILAN OSSENDRYVER)
I will be retiring as SAJR editor at the end of
this year after 16 years at the paper from its
inception in May 1998. It has been an exciting, inspiring and sometimes nerve-wracking
journey simultaneously. Ultimately, it has been
a privilege to be in the hot seat in this Jewish
community and country at this moment in
history, as we ended apartheid and moved on to
build a new South Africa.
The SAJR was launched a few years after the
1994 democratic elections, amidst the euphoria
of the time, when building a true “rainbow nation” was the abiding vision. President Nelson
Mandela sent us a goodwill message, saying:
“Whenever and wherever freedom of expression
is upheld, the advent of a newspaper adds to the
desirable diversity of voices and enriches the
market of ideas.
“I welcome the addition of The South African
Jewish Report to the beautiful tapestry of the
South African media... in playing a critical role
in shaping a new South African policy and culture. I wish your publication success and rapid
growth.”
Today the SAJR print edition reaches some
50 000 Jewish readers in South Africa and
is also read by members of other groups and
faiths. Its online version is read throughout
the country as well as in Toronto, Sydney, New
York, London, Tel Aviv and other places around
the world.
Editors of Jewish papers face a delicate balancing act in serving both their craft of fearless,
quality journalism, and the well-being of the
Jewish community. Most of the time they complement each other - good journalism and open,
transparent debate is good for the community.
We live in a complex and often dangerous
world, however, and there are times when the
balancing act requires difficult choices.
Who is a Jew and what is authentic Jewish
life to our readers? Sounds like a simple question to an outsider, but every Jew knows how
contentious it is, like many other Jewish topics.
Since the SAJR’s establishment as the sole paper
serving South African Jewry, it has at various
times been accused of everything from being
too left-wing, right-wing, secular, religious,
submitted to us by a left-wing Jewish minister
in the South African government, likening
Israelis to Nazis and were slammed for supposedly suppressing freedom of speech. On another
occasion we were accused of being “anti-Zionist”
by a women’s Zionist group for not giving a
large enough space to a report on a terrorist
attack in Israel.
“If criticism comes from both sides, we must
be doing something right” is the maxim serious
newspapers reach for when attacked. A paper
develops a thick skin. You can never please
everyone, nor should you aim to. But the goal
has always been to make SA Jews across the
spectrum feel that the SAJR is “their” paper.
There have been charming and humorous
moments. A distraught reader once called, who
believed throwing pages of the Jewish Report
away was forbidden because they contained
words of Torah. “What should I do? These
old papers are filling up my apartment,” she
pleaded. We consulted a very senior rabbi, who
told her it was halachically permitted to dispose
of them.
The SA Jewish Report is part of a global network of Jewish papers, including the centuryold London Jewish Chronicle; the New York
Jewish Week, which reaches 90 000 households; The Forward in New York, established
100 years ago in Yiddish by legendary socialist
Abe Cahan; and Israeli papers like the Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, Yediot Acharanot and a host
of others.
At a Jewish editors’ conference in Jerusalem some years ago, the late Rabbi David
Hartman, head of a think-tank on Jewish
identity, who was an adviser on religious
pluralism to several Israeli prime ministers,
expressed wryly the difficulty Jewish editors
face in being inclusive: “For Jewish papers,
there will always be the frummies who say
you are destroying Judaism, and there will always be the secularists who say you are trying
to make them religious! Jewish newspapers
are the public voice of the Jewish tradition.
They must be the media of the best voices in
the Jewish tradition.”
After these fascinating and exciting 16 years,
I wish the SAJR and its new editor continuing
success in carrying these best voices. It is a
thrilling and worthy task.
3
The Jewish National Fund
spearheads fantastic
celebrations of Tu B’Shvat, the
festival of trees, this week.
Wax takes on the demons of
depression and sanity in both
Johannesburg and Cape Town.
2
See our matric supplement with
all the top results of the country.
17
visits, is very
After a nearly two-year battle,
Rhodes University staffer Larissa
Klazinga succeeds in charging
Rhodes with anti-Zionist and
homophobic bias.
7-15
4
Mazeltov
to the class of 2013
“May your choices reflect your hopes,
not your fears”
- Nelson Mandela -
IT’S HOME TIME
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significant.
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President Peres
stressed the
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here
maintaining
their moral compa
at all times.
ss
6
3
May the wo
rds of Torah
fill your ho
with eterna
mes
l happiness
“It’s not every
day
homework from you get
the Chief
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year
9 000 SA childre an estimated
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News
10 SA JEWISH REPORT
5 – 12 December 2014
Jewish leaders remember Madiba
SUZANNE BELLING
was to be held in New York as a sign
of solidarity. Lubner was relentless in
trying to reach Nelson Mandela to be
a guest speaker, even when he himself landed up in hospital to undergo
bypass surgery.
Unbeknown to Lubner, the president had been concerned about the
businessman’s health and was in
touch with Hilary Lubner. Special arrangements were made for Mandela
to visit Lubner, even though only
relatives were allowed.
“I was delusional,” said Lubner.
“He put his hand on my shoulder and
said: ‘When you come to me, you do
the talking, when I come to you, I
am the one to speak’.” In the end the
weather in New York was too severe
for Mandela and he didn’t go.
“This man earned the love and respect of the world. The only one who
equalled him was Mahatma Gandhi.”
Ann Harris, chairman of the CK
Harris Foundation, recalled her husband, the late Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris at the time, and his “well-known
and well-chronicled” friendship with
Mandela. “They co-operated on many
public platforms, including Afrika
Tikkun, Codesa and a Gun Free South
Africa. The most memorable, however, was Rabbi Harris’ readings from
Isaiah at the inauguration of Nelson
Mandela as president.
Mandela always expected Ann to
be part of many events, which included his “secret” marriage to Graca
Machel on the Friday before their of-
“Few people in the world have had an
opportunity of having a mentor in
their lives and, accordingly, a friend,
as it was with me during the wonderful years I had with Nelson Mandela
from 1990 until two years before his
passing,” said Bertie Lubner, paying
tribute to South Africa’s first democratically-elected president on the
anniversary of Mandela’s passing.
Lubner had a close association
with Mandela through his chairmanship of outreach organisation Afrika
Tikkun, his involvement in the World
Economic Forum and having met the
icon two weeks after his release from
prison through the Creative Business
Movement. The CBM had had the directive to be in touch with the ANC
in exile.
As president of the SA Associates
of Ben-Gurion University and a vicepresident of the Board of BGU, Lubner was responsible for arranging the
awarding of an honorary doctorate to
the president at the Baxter Theatre in
Cape Town.
The well-known South African
businessman and philanthropist, recalls his interaction with Mandela on
many occasions, including when the
former president invited himself to
the 100th anniversary of Lubner’s
PG company.
After the destruction of the Twin
Towers in New York, the World Economic Forum, usually held in Davos,
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In
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ficial ceremony. “This was because the
main ceremony was on Shabbat and
we couldn’t attend.”
Herby Rosenberg, executive deputy chairman of Afrika Tikkun, remembers when Mandela came out to
view one of the organisation’s early
projects in Rietfontein. “Today I am
seeing a miracle,” Madiba exclaimed.
Rosenberg thought he could take a
cue from this remark to include the
president in Afrika Tikkun, but desisted after a signal from Lubner that
it was not the opportune time.
During his next meeting with Mandela, however, Lubner and Rosenberg
were waiting for the arrival of Chief
Rabbi Harris, co-chairman of Afrika
Tikkun, whom Madiba called “My
Rabbi”.
“When the Chief Rabbi arrived,
Mandela said: `Comrade Herbert, do
you remember when you started to
tell me something when I was so impressed with your project? Please tell
me now’.”
Not only did the president agree to
become involved, but, at Bertie Lubner’s behest, he became patron-inchief of Afrika Tikkun.
“No project could have a better
endorsement than this,” Lubner
said.
Rosenberg has in his possession a
letter, signed personally by Mandela in his capacity as patron-in-chief
of Afrika Tikkun, urging public support, in particular with funds, for
the organisation.
Lorenzl art deco dancing lady
on marble base
Henry Moore,
Charcoal and crayon
SOLD R110 000
SOLD R20 000
Keith Alexander,
Oil on canvas
SOLD R65 000
18ct gold chokerr
SOLD R18 000
Zanzibar carved
d table with elephant legs
SOLD R42 500
00
Joan Miró,
Aquatint with cut
out copper platess
SOLD R265 000
Wanted: Alexis Preller, Cecil Skotnes, Nita Spilhaus, Eduardo Villa, Errol Boyley, Parravano,
Otto Klar, Vladimir Tretchikoff, Irma Stern, Maggie Laubser, JH Pierneef, Gerard Sekoto,
WH Coetzer, Cecil Skotnes, Preller, Gregoire, Rose Innes, de Jongh, Battiss, Norman
Catherine, Adriaan Boshoff, Claerhout, Royal Doulton, Royal Albert, Silver, Murano glass,
Lalique, Furniture, Clocks, Figurines, Bronzes, Susie Cooper, Display cabinets, Moorcroft,
Clarice Cliff, Canteens cutlery, Wedgewood, Pianos, Jewellery, Watches, Carpets, Cut
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Corner Garden and Allan Roads, Bordeaux
Advertorial
5 – 12 December 2014
SA JEWISH REPORT 11
His is a road well-travelled...
Carry-on Baggage. The story of a man
who thought he travelled light. Printed
and bound by Paarl Media. (R170).
ISBN 978-0-620-61941-7.
REVIEWED BY KAREN KNOWLES
The inside cover says it all: “A sort of
autobiography of a guy who thought
he travelled light, until his bags got
too heavy and he had to put them
down.”
Howard Feldman, a lawyer by
profession, was a high-flying commodity trader, living a seemingly
perfect life, with a perfect wife and
perfect children, in an unbelievably
perfect world. “But then this ‘King of
Chrome’ gets attacked. And attacked
again. Then he gets sick. His business folds. And his carry-on baggage
simply gets too heavy to hold.”
His book is about how he became
involved in commodities trading,
through to starting upon his own
business which he operated and built
into an empire over 15 years around
the world.
The book deals with the rollercoaster that was Metalmin, culminating in the failure of the business in
2013.
But, most of all, Howard’s book is
about a personal journey going back
to his childhood, being the third child
and carrying the baggage that comes
with the third child syndrome.
His “addiction” was striving for
Howard Feldman
was kept busy,
signing books at
its launch.
success. Not for material gain. Simply
for recognition, which he feels was so
lacking during his childhood.
The book grippingly reflected his
working life, the people he met and
the places he visited, learning to fit in
with the different business cultures in
different countries.
Howard talks about how he dealt
with being an assent parent, how he
dealt with his family, parents and siblings when he told them he wanted to
open the family chest of secrets. He
explains how two personal near-death
experiences drove him to depression
and PTSD. This became the straw that
broke the proverbial back of Howard’s
personal and professional life - and
led him on a 12-month journey of
healing.
This is a totally unique style of autobiography that is an easy read and
hard to put down.
Howard made a speech at the formal book launch which left very few
dry eyes among the large crowd.
He said inter alia that he wrote the
book “because I needed to. For those
around me, my choice to do (this) has
been difficult, uncomfortable and
sometimes painful. It has certainly
been a selfish endeavour.
“It was almost a year ago to the day
that I was attacked in this driveway.
This was the second incident in three
months and one that would require
me to begin a journey that has me
standing in front of you this afternoon. It was in essence the departure
point for a passage that I would
undertake.
“That journey would require me to
evaluate that which is important and
that which is not. It would require me
to understand why I was fast becoming someone I didn’t respect and
having done so, identify that which I
did. The journey is a continuum.”
Howard said it was in April of this
year, that he was in Israel for Pesach.
“It was a dark hour in many respects.
Uncertain whether I was writing it
for public consumption or interest, I
wrote it from a very real place. It was
complete around 10 weeks later.”
He pointed out that it had not only
been a difficult time for him and his
family, but also for his parents, “not
only watching their son and his family going through a difficult period,
but having their parenting cards
turned upward for all to see. And it
is testimony to who they are. That
instead of reacting as many would,
they engaged and discussed and most
of all they supported the process. Our
relationship has grown through this
process and has evolved and matured
along the way.”
He said in essence this was the
central theme of the book. “My parents and my grandparents are giants.
And not because they are perfect,
but because they have achieved and
who they have become, despite their
imperfections.
“They have had and continue to
have challenges and shortcomings.
But with these, they rose and they
built and they engaged and they grew.
That to me is much more impressive
than the presentation of the perfect
world. And it’s ironic that that is
the very lesson that I had to learn
through the crafting of this book.”
Later on he said: “We all hold up
banners for the world to see. And
indeed we need to do just that, but
when the representation of perfection and that which we project becomes more than the sum of who we
are, then we place ourselves and those
we love at risk because it is simply not
sustainable.”
He said although the book was his
own very personal journey, “the book
is about redefining success, re examining that which really counts and
what it is that motivates us to behave
in a certain way.
“It is, for me, a step along a path,
and by no means a destination. It is
a snapshot in time because nothing
is stagnant and the process doesn’t
pause, even if we think it does.”
Howard Feldman is chairman of the
Jewish Report Board of Directors
Howard Feldman was a high-flying commodity trader, living a seemingly perfect life with a perfect wife and
perfect children, in an unbelievable perfect world. But then the “King of Chrome” gets attacked and attacked
again. Then he gets sick, his business folds. And his carry-on bag simply gets too heavy to hold.
Available at all major book sellers throughout South Africa. An E-book version is also available at Amazon.
Youth
12 SA JEWISH REPORT
5 – 12 December 2014
OWN CORRESPONDENT
SUZANNE BELLING
“Love your Earth” - Torah Academy Schools are very cognisant of the environment and the need to recycle.
Special bins are provided in the classrooms and the offices to separate waste materials from those that are recyclable.
The recycling truck, with its decorative and instructive
illustrations, is a common sight in the school grounds.
Pictured is Zevi Fox (grade 11) discussing the environment with truck driver Dunisani Mgobeni (left) and Bophelo Ncube.
2013/10/29 2:39 PM
Magical ‘I am Me’ concert by Yeshiva grade 1s
OWN CORRESPONDENT
The Yeshiva College grade
1s celebrated the culmination of an academic
year filled with an incredible amount of growth and
learning, with a magical
concert entitled “I am me”.
The concert conceptualised
by Morah Bender and the
grade 1 teachers, featured
musical numbers in both
English and Hebrew.
Pictured are the grade
1s in the hit number of the
show, “It’s all about the
Mensch”, which highlighted
the Yeshiva College I-Connect Campaign, which aims
to teach our learners about
interpersonal relationships.
The Sydenham PrePrimary School is
turning 70
Photo: Sue Benjamin
ey Travel 20x3 181013.indd 1
‘Love your Earth’ not merely a slogan at TA
Photo: Suzanne Belling
“Your Travel Experts for special packages to Israel
or any destination of your choice”
Contact Sandra Slater on 011 788 2050
One of Yeshiva College’s grade 8 learners, Liat Sheer, has
won a prestigious “Apple in Education Award”.
This year the grade 8s showed great enthusiasm during
their i-Pad training. After learning to use various apps in
an outcomes-based approach, the young techno-whiz kids
were given the opportunity to participate in an Apple competition titled “Shape of my World”.
It was a challenge that afforded them the freedom to explore the many factors that have shaped their respective
worlds.
Their brief was to utilise ideas such as family, culture and
values to define the various spaces they inhabit. Thereafter, they considered how their spaces looked from scientific, artistic, mathematical, poetic and geographical perspectives. The conclusions they drew were then translated
into i-Book applications.
Much to the delight of Denese Bloch, Girls’ High School
principal and Morah Katz Girls’ High School Minahelet,
Liat’s project was selected from a pool of 500 entries - a
remarkable achievement, especially when one considers
that Liat’s endeavour was the only entry from Yeshiva College. There’s a promise that next year there will be more
YC entries.
Photo supplied
YC’s Liat wins Apple in Education Award
SUE BENJAMIN
It’s 70 years since Sydenham Hebrew Pre-Primary
School opened its doors. Many of yester year’s three-to
four-year-olds are today’s bobbas, zeidas, moms and
dads.
Each morning they bring their children through the
same gates that they entered as children, evoking
happy memories of their days spent in this nurturing
environment.
Pictured are Samantha Klein; Jessie Cohen; Anaya
Stern; Saul Goldberg; Asher Silverman; Coby Katzman;
Gabriella Fainstein; and Jamie Pesskin.
Right parsha but wrong photograph
In last week’s parsha portion, Vayeitzei, Rabbi Alex Carlebach was the author, but the photograph
was that of Rabbi Ilan Raanan. We apologise for the error.
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fee of R57 p/m. Deal is for advertised specifications only, any additional accessories will be subject to separate terms and conditions. On road costs excluded. E&OE.
17700OFyt
5 – 12 December 2014
News
SA JEWISH REPORT 14
Mensch Network launches at
Jewish Museum in Cape Town
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER
Role description
Developing relationships with current and potential donors
Raising funds for the continued running of the Chev services
through these donors
Role suitability
The role is ideally suited to a person who:
Is a “Go Giver”
Has a passion for a great cause
Is professional
Is driven
Is relationship orientated
Is a team player
Has initiative
Can work independently
Has strong inter-personal skills
Kayli Levitan and Max Pazak whose project dedicated to clothing the homeless, was showcased
at the launch of The Mensch Network.
MOIRA SCHNEIDER
CAPE TOWN
What we offer
A great cause
A competitive package
A professional and dynamic management team
A creative and innovative work environment
Photos: Shereen Miller
PLEASE SUBMIT CVs TO
s.ngejane@jhbchev.co.za
Only short listed applicants will be replied too.
Closing date for submission of CV’s is 5th January 2014
In 2006, Andrea Bolnick founded iKhayalami,
which focuses on the development and implementation of affordable technical solutions for
informal settlement upgrading. It has designed a durable fire- and flood-resistant shack
upgrade that is quick to build and provides a
vast improvement to families’ living conditions
while they wait endlessly for an RDP house from
government.
Kayli Levitan and Max Pazak, with the support of M & C Saatchi Abel Cape Town, created
The Street Store, the world’s first rent-free,
premises-free, free “pop-up clothing store” for
the homeless in January this year. Their client,
The Haven Night Shelter for the homeless, had
briefed them to generate awareness and donations, off a R5 000 budget.
“We needed to bring the ‘haves’ and ‘havenots’ together to break through deep-set stereotypes, while making donating easy and receiving
dignified,” Levitan recalls. Found entirely on
the street and stocked by donations - which are
dropped off and hung up by donors - it gives
the homeless a dignified shopping experience,
allowing them to choose clothing they actually
like - many for the first time.
“We’ve clothed over 3 500 homeless in South
Africa alone,” says Levitan, “but since homelessness is universal, we went open-source. To date,
1 800+ people have downloaded our translated
posters to host a street store in their communities and 112 stores have popped up around the
world.”
The partners and staff of Grant Thornton would like to wish all their
Jewish clients a Happy Chanukah.
www.gt.co.za
2014 Grant Thornton South Africa. All rights reserved. Grant Thornton South Africa is a member firm of Grant Thornton
International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. Services are delivered by the
member firms. GTIl and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one
another’s acts or omissions. Please see www.gt.co.za for further details.
Jewish Report_Hanukkah.indd 1
2014/11/07 8:16 AM
Atlantic Hope provides safe, emergency care
for vulnerable babies. Founded in 2010 by
Marilyn May, it provides basic developmental,
physical and mental care in her home for up to
five babies at a time. Dani Jankelowitz is the
organisation’s administrator and fundraiser.
These were some of the exhibitors showcased
at the launch of The Mensch Network, an initiative of the Cape Board and vision of Gina Flash
who described it as “part of a strategy of becoming more active citizens of our country”. An
opportunity to recognise the work being done
by Jewish individuals committed to creating
social change in South Africa, the idea is also to
promote networking opportunities for them.
Describing the project as “a perfect fit” with
the Board’s social change endeavours, chairman
Eric Marx commented that these initiatives
were “of crucial importance” and increased the
credibility and reach of the Board and the community.
DA MP Michael Bagraim noted that a society
was judged by the way it treated its weakest
members. “As the Jewish people, we know that
it’s the cornerstone of our psyche.”
Suzanne Ackerman Berman, director of
transformation at Pick n Pay, who gave the
keynote address, pronounced herself “totally
inspired and invigorated” by what she had seen
at the exhibition. Business had a strategic role
to play in helping with access to the market
and assisting “these phenomenal projects take
flight”.
• The launch expo is on at the South African
Jewish Museum until December 7.
Moishe’s new
supermarket & deli
opens in Raedene
5 – 12 December 2014
Classifieds
Community Columns
To book your classified notice or advert contact: Tel (011) 274-1400, Fax 086-634-7935,
email: jrclassified@global.co.za
SERVICES
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189 Kelvin Drive
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Tel: 0861-266-563
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FOREIGN CITIZENSHIP
Lithuanian / Polish /
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Many South African Jews are
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info@noborders.co.za
083-346-4627
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Jewish Report
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When last were your
Mezuzahs checked?
A professional scribe with 35 years
experience (Rabbi Klein) will inspect
all Mezuzahs and Tefillin.
Supplier of new Scrolls and Tefillin
MASHGIACH NEEDED
FOR THANDEKA LODGE
Opportunity for a single, Jewish Orthodox
observant male mashgiach who has
a love and passion for nature, to be a
mashgiach at this luxurious safari lodge.
Unqualified applicants will be
trained under the Beth Din.
Please send CVs to
hbentel@worldonline.co.za
MUIZENBERG SHUL
CELEBRATES 90 YEARS
We will remove and refit your Mezuzah
Phone Ivor on
(011) 615-8738 or 082-682-3438
NB: Mezuzahs and Tefillin must be
checked twice every seven years
On Saturday December 20, 2014 the
shul is marking the occasion with a
very special brocha after the service.
We invite all our country members
who may be visiting us, as well as our
local congregants (past and present)
to join us in making this a truly
memorable Shabbat.
Our trustee and honorary attorney,
Michael Bagraim will be
the keynote speaker
SA JEWISH REPORT 15
A column of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies
Jewish leadership meets with Abbas
Last week, at the invitation of President Jacob
Zuma, the SAJBD and
SAZF met with Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas and his
delegation in Pretoria. A
number of members of
the Jewish community
sharply criticised us, not
Above Board only for attending the
meeting, but for our subMary Kluk sequent media statement
National Chairman
welcoming Mr Abbas’
stated commitment to a negotiated, two-state
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
For the reason, the SAJBD and SAZF issued a
joint follow-up statement in which we explained
more fully how and why the meeting came
about and why we took the standpoint that
we did in our media release. In summary, this
emphasised the prior consultation that took
place with the Israeli government, our commitment to dialogue over boycotts of any kind and
our belief in a negotiated two-state solution as
the best way forward in resolving the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.
The full statement can be found online
(https://www.facebook.com/SAJBD), and I
invite everyone to read and think about it. This
is one of the central issues for our Jewish community, and hence it is crucial for its members
to understand what approach its leadership is
taking, why it is taking it and, should they wish
to do so, to comment themselves on the matter.
Protecting and appreciating SA women
We are currently in the middle of the annual
“16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against
Women and Children” campaign. Last week,
National Director Wendy Kahn and I met with
Susan Shabangu, Minister of Women’s Affairs,
and she shared with us her thoughts on how to
promote the status of women in our society.
Among other insights, she emphasised
how much meaningful change is dependent
on the attitudes and behaviour not just of
women, but men as well. The importance of
providing worthy role models from the older
generation for younger women to follow and
in general the need to celebrate the contribution that women make to society, was also
discussed.
For our part, we pledged our support for
the projects planned by her department and
will hopefully be able to become involved
with them when the time comes.
Message to our school-leavers
Umhlanga is alive with school-leavers who have
descended on it for the traditional post-matric
“rage”. Our kosher café at the Durban Holocaust
Centre is seeing an increased influx of patrons,
and this will increase still further once schools
close and other holidaymakers begin arriving.
To our young visitors, I say welcome and hope
that you will have a safe and fulfilling break after all your hard work. From now on, determining the course your lives will take, depends on
choices that you yourselves make. One of those
choices is how and to what extent you remain
involved with the Jewish community, and with
your Jewish heritage in general.
Whatever path you choose to follow, I hope
very much that you will find ways to remain
connected and, in due course, take your places
as the next generation of Jewish leaders.
• Listen to Charisse Zeifert on Jewish Board Talk,
101.9 ChaiFM every Friday 12:00-13:00.
This column paid for by SA Jewish Board of Deputies
A column of WIZO South Africa
The successful WIZO year that was
The year 2014 has been a productive
and successful one for WIZO SA. The
WIZO slogan “Turn a Life Around”
has proven true to its word when
looking at what has been achieved by
members, donors and friends.
Who will forget Dr Bernd
Wollschlaeger - WIZO’s keynote
speaker at our Biennial Campaign?
His riveting story: “I am the Son
of A Nazi” describing his search for
personal identity and his choice
to convert to Judaism, drew large
crowds throughout South Africa.
This campaign is ongoing and enables us to maintain and operate all
of our WIZO projects in Israel. Over
and above, it realised our dream of
purchasing a fifth house for the Neve
WIZO foster home project, the house is being
renovated and refurbished and another eight
children at risk will find a safe and loving home.
Laurienne Baitz, WIZO South Africa’s
dynamic and energetic, International Aviv representative, plans to inspire young members with
innovative communication concepts to appeal
to a new generation of Avivs with whom she will
share our WIZO magic.
She has recently returned from the annual
International Aviv Seminar in Israel where she
interacted with and motivated 52 future leaders
from 15 countries around the world. Delegates
were taken on an exciting and fulfilling journey
through their heritage, passion and education.
They visited and volunteered in WIZO projects,
learned skills and gained tools from world-class
professionals, thus ensuring the continuity of
our wonderful organisation.
WIZO South Africa responded to Israel’s
call for help earlier this year by launching the
“Emergency Fund”. Once again,
South Africa’s generous donors did
not hesitate to support Israel in its
time of need. This enabled WIZO to
renovate two bomb shelters at our
day-care centres, evacuate families
from the south and house them at
WIZO youth villages as well as being
able to offer ongoing counselling
programmes to students and staff.
In partnership with the Shabbos Project, WIZO SA embarked
on a global campaign of #SPREADINGLIGHT. Thousands of Shabbat
candles were distributed to learners
in Jewish day schools in Cape Town,
Durban and Johannesburg. Hundreds of thousands of WIZO women
worldwide lit Shabbat candles with
one heart, for one cause, on one Shabbat and
prayed for peace in Israel.
WIZO held many fun-filled, uplifting
events all over the country. From Yomtov
markets, to “girls nights out”, from antique
fairs, to an array of prominent speakers and
book launches; the proceeds from which enable us to quite literally “Turn Lives Around”
in Israel. Visit our website: www.wizo.co.za
to get a taste of the flavour of WIZO.
As this year draws to an end, our
thoughts are with the citizens of Israel who
display such resilience, to our members and
supporters, a big thank and I implore you
to pledge your love, smiles and sisterhood
to energise and innovate the future of our
WIZO family.
“One woman can make a difference, but
together we can rock the world.”
We wish you a happy Chanukah and a safe
and peaceful holiday season.
This column paid for by WIZO SA
Sport
16 SA JEWISH REPORT
5 – 12 December 2014
Billie Jean helps Women’s Benevolent fundraiser
JACK MILNER
One of the greatest tennis players of all time,
Billie Jean King, has donated memorabilia to
the Johannesburg Jewish Women’s Benevolent
Society to help them raise funds.
Marlene Bethlehem, herself a tennis player of
note who has participated on the international
platform, used her contacts to ask Billie Jean for
a signed racquet that they could raffle.
“Billie-Jean is well known for her generosity
and not only did she send us a racquet, but also
a signed edition of her book as well as a poster,”
said Marlene. “Billie Jean was also involved in a
concert to raise funds for an Aids concert with
Elton John.
Both have signed the poster along with eight
tennis players, including Grand Slam winners
Andy Roddick, Steffi Graf, Martina Naratilova
and Andre Agassi.
“We held a raffle and the winner was Rael
Berelowitz,” said Marlene.
As the winner lives in London, the memorabilia were handed over to JJ van der Linde at
Global Capital, the firm with which Berelowitz
is associated.
Marlene, president of the organisation, and
her vice-president, Annette Angel, have donated
many years of their time to the Women’s
Benevolent. In fact, between the two of them
they have been active for 99 years. The organisation is 121 years old, having served the Jewish
people of Johannesburg continuously.
Those who know Billie Jean cannot help but
be affected by her determination and charm.
She is outspoken and does not mince her
words. In 2002 she was in South Africa for the
Nike Junior Tour International Masters which
on that occasion joined forces with World
TeamTennis, the organisation owned by Billie
Jean and Ilana Kloss, at Sun City.
Speaking to the youngsters aged between 11
and 14, Billie Jean was amazed by how many of
the players did not know the names of some of
the tennis greats from their respective countries. “If you don’t know where you come from,
how do you know where you are going” she
asked them.
Perhaps my favourite quote from her best
puts Billie Jean King into perspective. “A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of
winning.”
JJ van der Linde (centre) accepts the
Billie Jean King memorabilia from Jewish
Benevolent Society President Marlene
Bethlehem (left) and Vice-President Annette
Angel on behalf of winner Rael Berelowitz.
JR will be available throughout holidays
Jewish Report’s website, www.sajr.co.za
will be updated throughout the holidays.
The print edition will take a break for
four weeks over the holidays, but the
website will continue publishing
news throughout.
If you simply add your e-mail
address on the right hand side
of any page, you will receive
our weekly newsletter and ePaper on
Wednesday evenings. It also tells readers
what’s popular and what’s reported at
greater length. The weekly newsletters,
sans the ePaper, will continue to be sent
out throughout the holidays.
Users who are at leisure and on holiday away from their busy everyday lives - spend
more time on the website and visit more
pages during the holidays. For all of you we
will run links to the most popular stories
and events of the year, based on what our
readers enjoyed reading most.
We will also be running a regular series
of articles on how to get the best from the
website - and how to find things
fast. Of course there is a
search tab...
The most people on
the website in a single day:
12 241, 15 441 times: The
most read single story this
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minutes. It had 184 comments
representing over 15 000
words. SAJR.CO.ZA is completely
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Over 100 000 unique users from 175
countries around the world (66 per cent
from SA, followed by Israel, US, Australia,
UK and Canada) have visited over 8 000
content items on the website. Users have
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Over the past 12 months users have
spent over 1,5-millon minutes on www.sajr.
co.za pop in and see why. Sign up for the
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What’s On
Sunday (December 7)
• JFilm at Bet Emanuel’s Slome Auditorium, shows the Israeli film, “Bethlehem”. Time: 18:00. Cost: R40 (incl tea and snacks).
Enquiries: (011) 646-6170.
• Majestic Film Society and Radio Today present a matinee screening, by Selwyn Klass, of a news reel documenting “The First Royal Tour to South
Africa in 1947”, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s return to the Commonwealth. Venue: Ditsong Museum of Military History
Auditorium, Saxonwold. Time: 14:30. Cost: R100. Bookings: (011) 486-3648 or majestic@telkomsa.net
• Big Band Music Appreciation Society meets at St John’s College Auditorium, Houghton. Harry Fidler from Ballito Bay will present a tribute to Glenn
Miller featuring previously unheard material and recordings. Time: 14:15 sharp. Enquiries: Marilyn, 072-243-7436 or Jack, 082-450-7622.
• Jaffa’s morning market takes place from 08:30 - 12:00 at 42 Mackie Street, Baileys Muckleneuk Pretoria. There will be second-hand clothing,
tombola, a delicatessen, tea garden, books, personalised printing cards and much more.
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