30-january-2015 - SA Jewish Report

January 30 2015 / 10 Shevet 5775
Volume 19 – Number 3
Rabbi Goldstein,
other religious
leaders, try to
resolve Parliament
crisis.
Page 2
Jewish Report
south african
Photo: Ilan Ossendryver
www.sajr.co.za
ORT SA’s science and maths
support in schools lauded
Brian Joffe, President of ORT SA, Nonjabulo Kubheka and Sindiswa Mhlongo, of Ikage Primary School in Alexandra township and Jean de Gunzburg, chairman
of World ORT, are pictured with the girls from Ikage Primary, to discuss the ground-breaking work ORT SA has been doing for a number of years in Alexandra, to
facilitate the teaching of maths and science. The World ORT Board of Trustee’ annual meeting last weekend, this year took place in Johannesburg. At an Africanthemed dinner, World ORT President Dr Jean de Gunzburg said “the pride of ORT all over the world is that its graduates - children, youth and adults - are taught
skills for the job market”. The two Alexandra girls, Nonjabulo and Sindiswa, discussed how ORT had been constructive for them and improved their marks. The
15-strong World ORT committee from Switzerland, the US, Argentina, Israel and France, also visited two schools in Alexandra to see first-hand what ORT SA has
been doing. See page 4.
CT’s Jewish golf club fights
for its life
Bibi’s planned speech roils
US Jewish lawmakers
Keeping the memory of
Auschwitz alive
David Kramer brings new
musical to Cape Town
Board sets up fund for
looted foreigners
Cash-strapped CT’s Jewish King
David Golf Club is in discussion to
merge with Royal Cape Golf Club.
Controversy over Benjamin
Netanyahu’s proposed speech to
Congress on US-Iran policy.
Tuesday, January 27, marks
70 years since Russian troops
liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau
death camp.
Orpheus in Africa is a new musical
David Kramer is bringing to the
Cape Town stage.
The SAJBD is spearheading
a campaign to raise funds for
foreigners who lost everything.
3
6
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Community
2 SA JEWISH REPORT
30 January – 6 February 2015
SUZANNE BELLING
In an unprecedented move on the
South African political scene, Chief
Rabbi Warren Goldstein is in Cape
Town with the National Religious
Leaders Council to mediate, facilitate
and ultimately try to find a resolution
to ongoing problems Parliament faces
as Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom
Fighters threaten to disrupt proceedings in the Assembly during President
Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation
address on February 12.
The EFF has given the president an
ultimatum: Answer questions on the
security upgrade at the president’s
R246 million Nkandla’s homestead before the February 12 address, or they
will interrupt it. The president has
indicated that he would be available
on March 11 to answer questions in
the Assembly.
The EFF disrupted Zuma’s question time in Parliament in August last
year and mayhem broke out when the
EFF would not heed Speaker Baleka
Mbete’s demand that leave the Assembly. Police were called in and forcibly
removed the rowdy parliamentarians. The EFF’s “Pay back the money”
mantra has been echoing around the
country since then.
The EFF parliamentarians found
guilty by Parliament’s ethics committee, were suspended from Parliament for a month, with their salaries
docked, but a successful court application rescinded this. Since then a new
Photo by Lerato Maduna
Rabbi Goldstein with NRLC, aims to resolve Parly crisis
At a meeting in Parliament on Tuesday of the National Religious Leaders Council, with ministers and members of Parliament, including President Jacob Zuma
and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa are clockwise Giet Khoza of Rhema Ministries; Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein; Pastor Ray McCauley of Rhema
Ministries; Ashwin Trikamjee of the Hindu community; Mmusi Maimane, parliamentary leader of the DA; Lulama Ntshayisa, of the African Independent
Congress; Sibongile Nkomo, of the Inkatha Freedom Party; Kenneth Meshoe of the African Christian Democratic Party; and Mkhuleko Hlengwa of the African
Independent Congress.
code of conduct has been drafted for
MPs, also talking about “proper attire”
and decorum.
But the EFF will have nothing of it,
threatening to parade naked in the Assembly, should the ANC majority try
to force them out of their trademark
red overalls and berets.
Fast forward to Chief Rabbi Goldstein’s mediating role:
“Religious leaders were approached
by our politicians because of a sacred
duty to act as the moral custodians of
our country,” Rabbi Goldstein told the
Jewish Report.
“We have acted in order to protect
and preserve the Constitution of
South Africa. The institutions created
by our Constitution form the bedrock
and guarantee of a free and democratic society. These institutions, such as
Parliament, the judiciary and others,
must be defended.”
The Chief Rabbi and Pastor Ray
McCauley, of the Rhema Ministries,
held meetings with President Zuma,
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa,
Speaker Baleka Mbete, members
of the ANC, and opposition parties
including the EFF with “Commander-
in-Chief” Julius Malema.
The Democratic Alliance and
other opposition parties, which have
distanced themselves from the EFF
threat to disrupt the State of the
Nation address, were also part of the
meetings. Besides the DA, they included the Inkatha Freedom Party, the
African Christian Democratic Party
and the National Freedom Party.
Rabbi Goldstein and Pastor McCauley were joined at some of the meetings by other members of the NRLC,
including Moulana Ebrahim Bham, of
the Council of Muslim Theologians,
and advocate Ashwin Trikamjee, of
the Hindu Shuddha Community.
“The integrity of the Constitution
has been at stake during the past few
months,” explained Rabbi Goldstein.
“The integrity of Parliament is dependent on the president answering
questions put to him in a dignified
manner by members of Parliament.
The dignity of the proceedings of
Parliament must be preserved at all
costs.
“We are making progress,” he said.
“But it is a process we need to resolve
in the next few days.”
As one man, with one heart
Parshat Beshalach
Rabbi Pesach Fishman,
Northcliff Shul
Tragically, another terrorist knife attack recently
occurred in Tel Aviv, injuring some dozen innocent civilians - may they all have a speedy
recovery.
Coming so closely on the heels of the attacks
in Paris one would naturally expect that the reaction of the world would be somewhat similar: an
outpouring of global solidarity with the victims,
universal condemnation of the acts of violence
and international expressions of resolve to
uproot terrorism.
A unique feature in the days following the
Paris attacks were the ubiquitous signs on a black
background of “Je Suis Charlie - I am Charlie”,
and to a lesser degree “Je Suis Juif - I am a Jew”.
These slogans also trended on social media as
#JeSuisCharlie and #JeSuisJuif.
While the world has (as usual) been silent
in condemning the attacks in Tel Aviv, one
Jewish Report
South African
particularly disturbing reaction has been the
widespread appearance on social media of
“#JeSuisCouteau - I am a Knife”.
The motto “I am...” has been hijacked and
rather than expressing solidarity with the victims, it is an expression of support for terrorists;
rather than aspiring to peace, it is a glorification
of violence.
The Torah’s description of two pivotal events
sheds light on these different reactions:
In describing the Egyptian pursuit of the
Jews immediately following their flight from
slavery, the Torah says that the Egyptians were
“nosay’ah”, meaning “he pursued”. Rabbi Shlomo
Yitzchaki, a primary commentator on the Torah
explains that the Torah does not say “they
pursued“ (which would be more correct referring
to the multitude of Egyptians) because their
pursuit was “with one heart and as one man”.
The Egyptians were unified at that moment
and acted with a singular purpose and the
cohesiveness of a single person in recapturing
the Jews, therefore the Torah describes them in
the singular.
Sometime afterwards the Jews arrive at Mt
Sinai and the Torah says that “he encamped”.
Again Rashi comments on the use of the singular
“he” to describe an act of millions of people.
Rashi says that the Jews acted “as one man,
with one heart” in preparation for receiving the
Torah, and therefore the Torah views them as
one person.
At first glance the Egyptians’ pursuit “with one
heart, and as one man” and the Jews’ encampment “as one man with one heart”, are both acts
that deeply unite a diversity of people. On closer
examination, however, they are worlds apart.
The Egyptians were motivated by the powerful
swirling emotion of hatred of the Jews. Overcoming their usual divisiveness they acted as
one in a final, desperate attempt at destruction.
Recklessly they pursued the Jews into the raging
waters of the sea, which eventually swirled about
their heads and engulfed them.
The Jews at Mt Sinai were motivated by something deeper: a calm sense of true peoplehood
that would withstand unparalleled challenges in
the future. As a result of this they had a deeprooted love for each other, a love of G-d, and
were ready to lovingly accept His Torah.
The Egyptians were a divided people who,
motivated by hatred, momentarily acted as one
nation. The Jews were one nation that expressed
their love in many ways.
We live in an era of protests, marches, boycotts, #hashtags, online petitions and viral campaigns. A simple litmus test of their legitimacy
is their motivation: Is it the momentary facade
of solidarity by people who have nothing in
common except for their common hatred (often
of Israel and the Jews), a modern version of the
ancient Egyptians, or is it a harmony driven by
true unity and love?
Obviously, people of values and morality
would be motivated by love and unity.
I wish you and yours a Shabbat Shalom!
Shabbat Times
January 30 / 10 Shevat
January 31 / 11 Shevat
Parshat Beshalach
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News
30 January – 6 February 2015
SA JEWISH REPORT 3
Cape Town’s Jewish golf club fights for its life
VANESSA VALKIN
A long and hard fought struggle to
keep open the King David Golf Club,
a precious jewel of Cape Town Jewish
communal and sporting life, is finally
coming to an end.
For the past 60 years the Jews
of Cape Town have enjoyed the
fairlawns of “KD” (as they fondly refer
to it). Located not too far from Cape
Town International Airport, King
David, established in 1956 to cater to
the large Jewish community living in
the Parow/Bellville area who were not
really welcome anywhere else, became
a hub, hosting social events, theatre
productions and other sports like
bowls and tennis.
But as the Cape Jewish community
dwindled and other clubs opened
up, KD started losing members and
revenues. Golfers were also concerned
about the location as it was not a safe
area. It became evident that the club
needed to find some solutions.
A proposal was put forward last
year to sell King David’s land and
merge KD with the more waspy,
Wynberg-based Royal Cape Golf Club.
Club members estimate that the land
could sell for somewhere between
R200 million and R300 million. King
David’s members would move over to
Royal Cape and King David would be
required to pay Royal Cape a “dowry”
of R56 million to merge.
While Royal Cape was amenable
to the terms, there was a lot of dissension and heated debate among
KD members and the proposal was
voted down. According to members
involved in the discussions, there was
some dissatisfaction by a group about
the way the merger talks had been
conducted. Those not in favour also
felt that R56 million was a hefty price
tag and a decision was taken to look
at alternative options.
Those in favour of the merger said
they would explore the possibility of
joining Royal Cape at a reduced price
of R40m, but with the stipulation
that Royal Cape would take on all
the King David staff for a minimum
two year period or make generous
redundancy payments to those who
elected not to come across. In addition, all KD members who transferred
to Royal Cape would have two years
free membership.
This group felt the sale of the land
would bring vast amounts of money
into the Jewish community once the
dowry had been paid. This money
could be allocated to other needy
areas instead of trying to maintain a
money losing entity like KD.
The “stay at home group” who
did not want to wind up the club,
undertook to try to raise the money
elsewhere. They looked at the option
of asking for significant sums from
the members and they also talked
to a well-known philanthropist
who was considering the option of
giving the club a R35 million loan.
With these funds, the club could pay
back Bidvest Bank the R11 million
they had borrowed, they could use
another third to fix up the club and
fairlawns and the final third would
be kept as capital, and to help beef
up security.
Members agreed that the “stay-athomers” had till January 21 to try
and raise the money. The date came
and went and despite the stay-athomers’ best efforts to get the funds,
the committee has now called time.
Members are expecting to hear
in the next week or two about the
chances of still putting an agreeable
deal together with Royal Cape. The
proposed new name would be the
Royal Cape and King David Golf Club.
In late February there will be a special
general meeting to vote in favour or
not.
The last option and probably the
least popular, particularly for golfers
who have played so happily together
for all these years, is to just wind up
the club and let the members scatter.
How Germany is confronting
its Nazi past
As the world prepared to mark 70 years since the
liberation of Auschwitz, an international exhibition looking at how Germany has confronted the
Holocaust, was unveiled in Cape Town this month.
South Africa is playing a prominent role in this
project under the auspices of the University of Leeds
in the UK.
Led by Leeds academics, “Germany’s Confrontation with the Holocaust in a Global Context” is
part of a series of activities examining post-war
responses of Germans to the crimes committed in
their name: responses of silence, outrage, reconciliation and memorialisation. It is on at the Cape Town
Holocaust Centre until March 27, Sunday - Thursday, 10:00 - 17:00 and Friday 10:00 - 14:00.
To coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day on
January 27 - 70 years since the Red Army liberated
the camp, where more than a million people were
killed - the exhibition opened simultaneously at
Cape Town Holocaust Centre, England’s National
Holocaust Centre and at the University of Leeds. The
South African exhibition will move to the Holocaust
centres in Durban and Johannesburg later in the
year.
Professor Stuart Taberner, professor of Contemporary German Literature, Culture and Society at
Leeds, is leading the international project, which is
the culmination of a year-long public engagement
programme funded by the Arts and Humanities
Research Council.
In a media release he said: “The exhibition looks
at the way Germans have tried, often with admirable
honesty but sometimes less openly, to face up to
the Holocaust and the way other countries deal with
their own difficult pasts - and difficult presents.
“For North Americans and Europeans, these include slavery and colonialism, such as Britain’s less
than glorious legacy of decolonialisation in Kenya
or rule in Ireland. In South Africa, there is apartheid,
and before that the long history of inter-communal
conflict and oppression.”
Richard Freedman, director of the SA Holocaust
and Genocide Foundation, said: “For South Africa,
the relevance of this exhibition lies in the ongoing
challenges faced by our own society in dealing with
the legacy of the iniquities of a racial state.
“The work of the South African Holocaust &
Genocide Foundation uses the platform of Holocaust
history to engage South African society in the pressing issues of today. The process which Germany has
followed since the end of the war may encourage
us to continue with the processes of reconciliation
which manifested so tangibly in the SA Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, established in the first
post-apartheid years.
“But this public process was not intended as
an end in itself. As is evidenced... the coming to
terms with the past needs constant vigilance and
commitment. It is hoped that as this exhibition
travels around South Africa, it will help stimulate the
reflection, conversation and action so essential for
the healing of a deeply wounded society.”
Professor Taberner added: “However loudly we
recite the lesson of the Holocaust - ‘never again!’
- we seem unable to prevent new mass killings
in Kosovo, Rwanda, Darfur, or, right now, Iraq and
Syria. Intolerance of others underlies these atrocities, just as it drives radical Islamists to gun down
cartoonists in Paris.
In addition to the exhibition and a theatrical
performance, a leading member of the SA Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, was among panelists for a public lecture and
discussion at the University of Leeds as part of an
international conference on Holocaust memory.
She was joined by fellow author Eva Hoffman and
academics Marianne Hirsch and Leo Spitzer at the
event, on January 26.
• For more information, contact Richard Freedman,
director, SA Holocaust & Genocide Foundation, on
(021) 462-5553 or rfreedman@holocaust.org.za
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News
4 SA JEWISH REPORT
30 January – 6 February 2015
Malema’s decorum-busting MPs - good or bad?
The warning by Julius Malema that his EFF
MPs in the National Assembly will take off
their trademark red overalls and go naked in
the Chamber if Parliament forbids the wearing
of such apparel, evokes a smile at the mental image of such a spectacle. But the saga has a more
serious side to it.
Malema reacted to a parliamentary committee on protocols, including a dress code for the
National Assembly. He rejected anything which
might require the EFF to don more formallooking garb.
“We are not going to dress like colonial
masters... I am wearing an overall, it’s clean and
I am not smelly,” he told a newspaper. EFF MP
Godrich Gardee said: “Where will it end? Next
thing they will be telling us which colour underwear to wear and how to speak.”
Who is right, Malema or the sticklers for
protocol? It’s a sensitive balance. It is crucial
that MPs respect the principles of democratic
Johannesburg Genealogical Society re-launched
Through the concerted efforts of a hard core of members of the faltering Johannesburg Jewish Genealogical Society, its flame has been kept alive, albeit dimly. Now the Society is being re-launched as the
Jewish Genealogical Society South Africa (JGSSA).
A meeting at which plans for the future will be presented, will take place at the HOD Centre, 58 Oaklands Road, Orchards on March 10, at 19:30. At the meeting Lionel Slier will give a talk on ‘The Rescue
of Jewish Orphans from the Horrors of War-torn Eastern Europe in 1921 and taken to South Africa”.
The JGSSA is affiliated to the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS), the
umbrella body of over 80 societies around the world.
One of the most notorious protocol-breaking
incidents in global forums occurred during the
Cold War at the usually-sombre UN general
assembly, where decorum reflects strongly on a
country’s image. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev vociferously demanded the resignation of
Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, accusing
him of acting for colonial powers and being
unfit for his job.
Khrushchev later shocked international delegates by banging his shoe on the desk after the
Philippines accused the USSR of imperialism
in Eastern Europe. Compared to parliamentary
punch-ups, this is mild stuff, but everything in
its context.
In South Africa’s National Assembly,
animated displays can be a healthy contrast
to the boring speeches often characterising
it. Malema’s antics can make citizens pay attention to debates which should be of major
concern to them. But the danger is that as
a society we are sitting on a tinder box, and
unruliness in Parliament by mavericks, can
help set the tone for behavior in the street.
Witness the violent xenophobic attacks
against immigrant shopkeepers which suddenly erupted in Soweto last week, reflecting
perilous tensions just below the surface.
For Jews, there is a further dimension
which echoes from a different, distant
historical context. The red beret-wearing,
bullying EFF MPs conjure up nasty memories of the uniformed Nazi thugs in Germany
who defied decent political norms in the
1930s, ultimately destroying that country’s
veneer of “tolerance” and paving the way
for its Jew-hatred to run amok, with fatal
consequences.
We’re a long way from such a scenario
here. The problem is that it’s easy to turn a
blind eye in the beginning, but more difficult
to stop things later spiraling out of control.
Charismatic populists like Malema can
influence people for good and bad. He should
beware that his tactics - he has even threatened to disrupt President Jacob Zuma’s
upcoming state of the nation address - don’t
inspire further lawlessness in the country. If
Parliament becomes a free-for-all, our democracy will quickly go down the tubes.
Geoff Sifrin is former editor of the SA Jewish
Report. He writes this column in his personal
capacity.
ORT skills training keeps
up with the times
Photo: Ilan Ossendryver
TAKING ISSUE
Geoff Sifrin
procedure - appropriate dress is one way of
showing this. But effusive and demonstrative
debate is also a democratic necessity.
How far can the notion of vigorous debate be
stretched without damaging the institution of
Parliament itself? In 1998, during a fierce argument between ANC and National Party MPs,
Manie Schoeman of the National Party punched
the ANC’s Johnny de Lange who then retaliated. Emotions have at other times got equally
heated, but within acceptable limits.
Because of the intense political minefield of
Israeli politics, Israel’s Knesset has had various
unruly incidents. In 2010, Arab MK Haneen
Zoabi was cursed and shoved after relating her
experience as a passenger on the Mavi Marmara
ship which attempted to break Israel’s naval
blockade of Gaza.
Other MKs shouted her down: “Go back to
Gaza, you traitor!” yelled one in Arabic. Anastasia Michaeli alighted the podium and tried to
block her from speaking by standing between
her and the microphone. Jamal Zahalka ran
forward to defend Zoabi. Arab and Jewish MKs
scuffled in the aisles, requiring ushers to separate them. The Speaker expelled Michaeli and
Zahalka from the hall.
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If you’re a parent, you’ll know what it takes to get your child ready
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Costs for extra
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Darryl Weisz, Chairman ORT SA; Brian Joffe, President ORT SA; Terry de Gunzburg; Ariellah
Rosenberg, CEO ORT SA; Jean de Gunzburg, Chairman, World ORT Board of Trustees.
MARCELLE RAVID
World ORT Board of Trustees members held its
annual meeting in Johannesburg last weekend,
flying in from all over the world. The meeting also
showcased the work of ORT South Africa.
At an African-themed dinner, Dr Jean de Gunsburg, president of World ORT, said: “I am extremely
grateful to have visited South Africa. The pride
of ORT all over the world is that its graduates children, youth and adults - are taught skills for
the job market.
“Just as agriculture and trades were taught by
ORT 100 years ago, so today robotics and other
new innovative skills are taught, so that skills are
matched with the job market.”
ORT is active in countries around the world and
more recently in Russia. “In Russia today, ORT
is establishing learning centres for Jewish youth
and those who have never practised have starting
lighting candles and asking what a seder is,” said
De Gunsburg, who hails from Switzerland.
He cited an example where during the Second
World War, ORT started a school for displaced
Jews in Shanghai in China and when all of them
left after the war, the ORT school remained with a
proud history.
Shmuel Sisso, former mayor of Kiryat Yam in Israel and CEO of World ORT, said: “This magnificent
evening of African drums, songs and cuisine that
the Board of Trustees did not anticipate, has been
really heart-warming.”
Brian Joffe, president of ORT SA, was presented
with a gift and Darryl Weisz, chairman of ORT SA
thanked ORT SA staff for its passion and teamwork.
In a dialogue, two young girls from Alexandra
township schools where ORT SA facilitates in
classrooms with maths and science demonstrations, discussed how ORT SA had been constructive for them and improved their marks.
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein said that everything came down to power. Eskom, power of G-d,
power of people and their tenacity to survive under
all circumstances. He commended ORT SA on its
unique model.
The 15-strong World ORT committee from Switzerland, the US, Argentina, Israel and France, visited two schools in Alexandra. One was the Rabbi
MC Weiler Primary School, where ORT SA has
facilitated maths and science for nearly 10 years.
Rabbi Weiler, who started the school in 1944, was
a member of World ORT and an honorary president
of ORT in South Africa.
The United Sisterhood continues his wonderful
work to this day. It was invited to join with ORT SA
at the school.
Grade 1 learners demonstrated their mathematics skills and the teachers told of how they
appreciated everything ORT SA did.
“Besides the weekly training of teachers, if we
have a problem we just call the ORT SA team and
they come out immediately to assist. The laptops
that we received through the funder Bidvest, were
the best thing to happen to us,” said Naomi Xashimba, who has taught at the school for 35 years.
30 January – 6 February 2015
News
Board sets up fund for
looted foreigners
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies
has expressed its outrage over the spate of
xenophobic attacks on foreign-owned shops
in predominantly black townships and has
appealed to the community to contribute to
a fund the Board is setting up to assist shopkeepers who lost everything.
Wendy Kahn, national director of the
SAJBD, issued a statement on behalf of the
Board:
“Along with so many of our fellow-South
Africans, the Jewish community has been
shocked and angered by the recent attacks
against foreign nationals and their property
in Gauteng.
“Scores of innocent people who came to
our country in the hope of bettering their
lot, have been victimised and deprived of
their livelihoods simply because they were
born elsewhere. Despite certain claims that
the violence and looting was essentially
criminally motivated, the reality is that only
businesses owned by foreign nationals were
targeted. For that reason, such actions can
only be regarded as hate crimes based on
nationality.
“The South African Jewish Board of Deputies has condemned these repugnant attacks,
while also calling on the authorities to
prosecute those responsible and do all they
can to ensure the safety of those who have
suffered.
“As a result of this xenophobic persecution, many people have been robbed of their
livelihoods and now find themselves desti-
World News in Brief
Satellite images reveal
long-range Iranian missile
and launcher
JERUSALEM - The Israeli satellite imaging company
ImageSat has released images from Iran revealing a
new nuclear development site.
The images show what appears to be a new
missile launcher that stands 89 feet tall and is capable
of launching a nuclear missile to Israel or Europe,
according to a report by Israel’s Channel 2. Among
the new nuclear developments pictured was a large
long-range missile, never seen before in the West. The
missile is powerful enough to launch a satellite or a
manned spacecraft, the report said. (JNS.org)
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should please contact:
Zoe or Sharon
at (011) 532-9616
or (011) 532-9654
A screening
process will be involved.
More news on our
website www.sajr.co.za
tute. The SAJBD therefore appeals to the
Jewish community to contribute to a fund
it is setting up to help ease their plight and
assist them in getting back on their feet.
“The Jewish community responded very
generously to the SAJBD’s appeal during the
2008 xenophobia crisis. We hope very much
that its members will respond with similar
generosity this time round so that we, as a
community, can do our part in assisting the
victims of the latest outbreak of xenophobic
violence.”
SA JEWISH REPORT 5
30 January – 6 February 2015
Photo: Embassy of Israel
Opinion and Analysis
6 SA JEWISH REPORT
Jewish Report
south african
Advocating greater
connectedness between
CT and Jo’burg
When I was asked on ChaiFM last week what in my experience were
the differences between the Cape Town and the Johannesburg Jewish
communities now that I am living in Cape Town but spending part
of the week working in Johannesburg, I touched upon a few of the
obvious ones.
The Cape Town community is much more secular and with the majority of Jews concentrated in a few areas like Fresnaye, Sea Point
and Camps Bay, our existence is quite shtetl-like. But pondering the
question further after the interview, I realised there was quite a bit
more to say on the topic, including the sometimes complex relationship between the two communities.
A healthy rivalry between Johannesburg and Cape Town Jews has
long existed, just as it has between the Jews of Toronto and those of
Montreal or those of Jerusalem and those of Tel Aviv.
The Cape Town community takes pride in the fact that the first
Jews got off the ships and settled in the Cape. In fact the first official
gathering of Jews to pray in southern Africa was on a spring evening
in September 1841 in Cape Town on erev Yom Kippur, quite a few
years before the City of Gold came into being.
The Jews of Cape Town have also reacted with a modicum of disdain
when the GP licence plates descend on the Cape coast over December.
Although the actual numbers of Jews among these holidaymakers is
insignificant, the arrival of new faces on Clifton beach, Muizenberg
and the dining spots frequented by the Jewish establishment, sends
the Capetonians scurrying away to Plettenberg Bay or quieter towns
along the Cape coast.
The Johannesburgers have their own sentiments about their Cape
Town counterparts - they are “small town”, “small time”, “uncharitable” and “insular” - to name a few!
Despite the perception of a lack of generosity, it must be said for
Cape Town that at a communal level, it is probably better organised.
A very comprehensive list of almost every Jewish person’s contact
information is maintained in a community register. No communal
institution has got into serious financial difficulty in at least 75 years.
Also, with very few exceptions, one umbrella body raises funds for
all community institutions - the schools, museums and welfare organisations - so as not to exhaust the donor base by subjecting them
to numerous, repeated requests for charitable funds.
In Johannesburg, although there is a much larger donor base and
organisations like the Chevrah Kadisha and Chabad’s Miracle Drive
are extremely successful, there are a myriad institutions competing
for the same Jewish philanthropic rands.
As for the differing levels of religiosity - the observant demographic in Johannesburg has grown considerably in the last two decades.
Visiting areas like Glenhazel, Orchards and neighbouring suburbs for
the first time in 20 years, I was pleasantly surprised by the numbers
of shuls, schools, and kosher and religious places of business.
Why its coastal counterpart is less so, I cannot really answer. People sometimes assume that a lack of personal security and fears
about the future, are encouraging people to find safety in religion.
Others say it is due to the greater number of religious school options
in Gauteng which nurtures a frum way of life.
It is difficult to get the exact figures of the South African Jewish population today. A 2005 statistical survey put the community at between
72 000 and 85 000, compared with an estimated 120 000 at its height.
Two thirds of those are in Johannesburg and a quarter in Cape Town
with pockets in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and elsewhere.
Community leaders and schools are also noticing a small trend of
Jewish families leaving Johannesburg and moving to Cape Town.
Although the movement is not significant enough to substantially
change the numbers, Herzlia estimates that about 45 families (a few
from overseas too) have enrolled their children at one of the 10 campuses around the city in just the last few months. Reasons are usually
not for work opportunities but rather for perceived quality of life.
Johannesburg offers the advantages of a large and busy metropolis
where one actually feels like one is living in Africa. Cape Town is more
“white” and coastal and could be a city anywhere in the world. But
whatever unique recipe of lifestyle each of these cities offer, they will
continue to be the two hubs of South African Jewry.
Unfortunately they seem to operate very independently of one
another. In fact Cape Town community leaders habitually complain
about their lack of coverage in the Jewish Report and say that Johannesburg is not very interested in what happens in Cape Town.
I would answer that it is not the case. Starting on these very pages that you are reading, we intend to get the balls of co-operation
rolling! I think it’s obvious that we could all benefit from more connectedness, co-ordination and from the lessons already learnt by one
other.
– Vanessa Valkin, Editor
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer defended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to
address Congress on Iran in March.
Bibi’s planned speech roils Jewish
lawmakers, pro-Israel community
RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON
When Israel wants something from the United States, it
typically makes three stops: the pro-Israel lobby, Jewish
members of Congress and the White House.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored all three
when he accepted an invitation from House Speaker John
Boehner (Republican Ohio) to address Congress about US
Iran policy.
Neither congressional Jews nor the American Israel Public Affairs Committee were notified of the speech, much
less consulted. The White House found out three hours before Boehner announced the address on January 21.
The result: Muted yet palpable discomfiture among the
three sectors that Israel relies on to ensure continued support from Washington.
Israeli officials say the need to influence the United
States on an issue of existential importance overrides the
need for niceties in this case. But congressional staffers and
pro-Israel officials say such niceties are critical if Israel is going to be persuasive.
Ken Goldstein, an expert on congressional politics and
the pro-Israel community at the University of San Francisco, said Netanyahu and his US envoy Ron Dermer put Jewish lawmakers - most of them Democrats - in a tight spot.
“I will agree with Ambassador Dermer that this is a phenomenally important issue. Given that, is this the best
strategy?” Goldstein told JTA. “It puts everyone in a difficult position, and doing your job is not to put someone in a
difficult position.”
The White House reaction to last week’s announcement
was public and sharp, describing the speech as a breach of
protocol and saying President Barack Obama and other top
officials would not meet Netanyahu during his visit.
The day before Boehner’s announcement, Obama had
promised in his State of the Union speech to veto any new
Iran sanctions legislation, which Netanyahu is expected to
lobby in favour of during his US trip.
The reaction from the pro-Israel lobby and the Jewish
congressional caucus has been more muted, at least on the
record, but sources close to both said bypassing them undercut their effectiveness and made little long-term sense
for Israel.
Jewish lawmakers are traditionally the first address for
pro-Israel lobbying on Capitol Hill, reflecting a tradition of
deferring to lawmakers belonging to the ethnic and regional minorities most vested in a particular issue.
“The bottom line is, it would have been smarter to consult,” said a source close to AIPAC.
Other sources told JTA that Dermer, who is suspected
of helping to orchestrate the Boehner invitation, also bore
some responsibility.
“Netanyahu is not being well served by who he sent
here,” said one Democratic congressional staffer.
The Israeli Embassy did not reply to requests for comment, except to note that Boehner’s official invitation was
made in the name of both parties. Top Democratic officials
say Boehner did that without consulting them. Boehner’s
office has not responded.
In a speech to a State of Israel Bonds gala in Florida on
Sunday, Dermer said getting the Iran message across was
too critical to reject Boehner’s invitation. He also lauded
Obama’s defence and intelligence co-operation with Israel
and said bipartisan support for Israel was appreciated.
“The prime minister’s visit to Washington is intended for
one purpose and one purpose only - to speak up while there
is still time to speak up,” Dermer said. “To speak up when
there is still time to make a difference.”
Netanyahu’s speech, which is scheduled for March 3 after being bumped back quickly from its original February
11 date - coincides with AIPAC’s annual policy conference
in Washington. It also comes two weeks before Israeli
elections.
Netanyahu supports Republicans and a number of
Democrats who argue that more sanctions will increase
Western leverage on Iran. But Obama has countered that
increasing sanctions now would drive Iran from the current negotiations with world powers over its nuclear programme.
Rightwing groups - including the Zionist Organisation
of America, the Emergency Committee for Israel and the
Republican Jewish Coalition - have defended Boehner
and Netanyahu, as did the sole Jewish Republican in Congress, Representative Lee Zeldin (Democrat New York).
“Inviting the prime minister of Israel to address Congress should never be viewed as undercutting America’s
foreign policy,” Zeldin said in an e-mail to JTA. “When
that is the case then there is something wrong with America’s foreign policy.”
Most Jewish Democrats contacted by JTA confined
their criticism to Boehner.
“Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, deserves our continued bipartisan support and the prime
minister is always welcome,” said Representative Nita
Lowey (Democrat New York), the top Democrat on the
House Appropriations Committee. “Moving forward,
the speaker must improve his co-ordination with the
president and minority leader.”
Representative Ted Deutch (Democrat Florida), the
top Democrat on the House of Representatives Middle East subcommittee, accused the speaker of “political gamesmanship.”
Representative Brad Sherman (Democrat California), who for years has backed strong Iran sanctions,
said one problem was a breakdown in communications
between the White House and the GOP leadership.
“It was not what would have occurred if the legislative
branch and the executive branch worked better together
in general and on foreign policy in particular,” Sherman said. “Those of us in the pro-Israel community
don’t want to see Israel be a partisan football.”
The closest thing to criticism of Netanyahu personally came from Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat California), who last year authored legislation enhancing
US-Israel security c-operation. A staffer wrote in an
e-mail that Boxer “feels the same way about this invitation/speech that she felt about Netanyahu’s comments before the 2012 US election.”
Two months before the 2012 vote, Netanyahu said
Obama did not have a “moral right” to keep Israel
from acting on Iran. In response, Boxer wrote to Netanyahu and said he had “injected politics into one of
the most profound security issues of our time”. (JTA)
News
30 January – 6 February 2015
Keeping the memory of
Auschwitz alive
DAVID SAKS
This week Tuesday, 70 years to the day since
the Auschwitz death camp in Poland was liberated by the Red Army, former prisoners and
other Holocaust survivors, heads of state and
world Jewish leaders, took part in a solemn
commemorative ceremony at the notorious camp to mark International Holocaust
Remembrance Day, so declared by the United
Nations.
The day before the ceremony, 15 Auschwitz
survivors, aged between 80 and 94, visited the
camp, some for the first time since being liberated. They included Mascha Schainberg, who
settled in Bolivia after the war and today lives
in South Africa.
The SAJBD, through working with the Department of Home Affairs, was able to arrange
for her to speedily receive the relevant travel
permits to enable her, along with her daughter, to attend the ceremony. The South African
Jewish community was represented at the
official ceremony by Ann Harris.
The historic visit of Auschwitz survivors and
their offspring was organised by the World
Jewish Congress (WJC) and the USC Shoah
Foundation. The latter was established by
renowned filmmaker Steven Spielberg in 1994
and has inter alia collected the testimonies of
52 000 Holocaust survivors worldwide.
WJC President Ronald Lauder has for many
years been involved in the restoration and
preservation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, with its
wrought-iron front gate sign brazenly declaring: “Arbeit Macht Frei”. Spielberg also helped
to raise $40 million from 19 countries to
ensure the preservation of the site for future
generations.
In the course of their visit, Shahar Azran
Survivors relive horrors
of ‘model ghetto’
TEREZIN, Czech Republic - Dozens of survivors
of the Theresienstadt concentration camp near
Prague, returned to the site for a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of their rescue.
Tuesday’s commemoration took place on International Holocaust Memorial Day. On January 27
that year in 1945 Russian army troops reached the
Nazis’ Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland,
where 1,1 million people were killed.
The troops reached the smaller Theresienstadt
camp on May 8, but “the day that the Red Army
reached that place of absolute evil is symbolic
for the liberation of all the camps, from Austria to
Estonia, by the Red Army or by the Allied Forces,”
said Tomas Kraus, executive director of the
Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech
Republic.
More than 155 000 Jews passed through the
camp, according to the Yad Vashem Holocaust
Museum in Jerusalem. Of those, 35 440 perished
at Theresiendstadt and 88 000 were deported to
be murdered.
Lawmakers from most European countries attended Tuesday’s event, part of a two-day conference organised by the European Jewish Congress
and titled “Let My People Live”.
Theresienstadt, a ghetto that also served as a
transit and concentration camp, was unique in
that the Nazis allowed some Jews there to retain
something of a cultural life, including putting
on concerts. It was the only camp that foreign
observers were allowed to visit and was used as a
model for propaganda.
In Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor
Orban apologised for Hungarians’ role in deporting
Jews to concentration camps, his first acknowledgement of Hungarian complicity in the Holocaust. (JTA)
took a historic photograph of the former prisoners, together with WJC leaders, beneath the
infamous sign at the entrance to Auschwitz
1 camp. It shows Robert Singer (CEO, WJC);
Natan Grossman (Germany); Samuel Beller
(US); Florence Sprung (US); Manny Buchman
(US); Mascha Schainberg (South Africa); Marcel Tuchman (US); Rose Schindler (US); Jonny
Pekats (US); Henry Korman (Germany); WJC
President Ronald Lauder; Mordechai Ronen
(Canada); Joseph Madrowitz (US); Edgar Wildfeuer (Argentina).
SA JEWISH REPORT 7
8 SA JEWISH REPORT
Letters
Disclaimer
The letters page is intended to provide opportunity for a range of views on any given topic to be expressed. Opinions
articulated in the letters are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor, staff or
directors of the Jewish Report.
30 January – 6 February 2015
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 preferably be e-mailed. Letters may be
edited or shortened.
The Editor, PO Box 84650, Greenside, 2034 email: sharon@sajewishreport.co.za
Don Krausz taken to task for ‘sublime
Creator’ quote
Why some allow themselves to become puppets
of our enemies
Some weeks ago the world stood aghast witnessing a two-day siege
in Sydney resulting in the tragic death of two people. Not only was
Australia in shock, but the whole world was outraged.
Some three weeks ago the world stood still again for three days
while the drama of the terrorist attacks in Paris unfolded with 12
journalists, four Jewish shoppers and two policemen senselessly
murdered - again the world vented its outrage at this tragedy. In the
aftermath of this orgy of killing, anger reached a crescendo when
a few million Frenchmen and world leaders took to the streets in
protest against this terrorism.
Leading newspapers around the world ran this as their lead story
(except The Star) the day after the siege was over and continued to
run reports and op-eds for some days, venting not only indignation
but being oh so politically correct in their choice of language.
The past few months we have witnessed a number of terrorist
attacks in Israel, culminating in the stabbing of 11 people on a Tel
Aviv bus last week.
Where was the world outrage at this terrorist attack? Four people
critically injured fighting for their lives in hospital and the BBC that
same day flights this report as their third item on the 20:00 news,
leading with “A Palestinian man was shot by an Israeli prison guard
while attacking bus passengers in Tel Aviv.” Oh trust the BBC to be
consistent!
Few leading newspapers ran this as their lead story the following
day, but all credit to world leaders - yes so many assembled together
- not in protest against this act of terror as they did in France only
two weeks before: No, they assembled in Davos, Switzerland to talk
about the falling oil price and the rising Swiss franc. Hardly one world
leader in Davos even seemed to know about the Tel Aviv attack - after
all, it was only Jews who were attacked; nothing new and perfectly
understandable.
Can Don Krausz be serious in his letter in Jewish
Report of January 23, titled: “Remember that blood
is thicker than ink.” He says: “How can any entity as
sublime as the Creator be insulted by mere mortals”?
Krausz clearly needs to re-read the sublime
Creator’s own injunctions to him as a “mere mortal”.
Here are just a few of the better-known ones, to
which the Creator takes, if not “insult”, at least
extreme exception:
You shall have no other gods before Me.
(Commandment #1)
You shall not take the name of the Lord your G-d
in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who
takes His name in vain. (Commandment #3)
The apparent horror of Muslims for pictures
of Muhammad (whether satirical or even
complimentary) may well have derived from: You
shall not make for yourself a carved image... you shall
not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the
Lord your G-d, am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth
generations of those who hate Me... (Commandment
#2)
Homosexuality is nothing less than an
“abomination” to this “sublime” Creator.
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both
of them have committed an abomination; they shall
surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
(Leviticus, 20,13).
Sublime, indeed.
Those Jews who espouse the cause of JFJP (Jews for a Just
Peace), the BDS and all the others of their ilk, have become
puppets of our enemies in much the same way as those Jews
who allowed themselves to be co-opted to the Judenrat by the
Nazis.
There are three reasons why Jews allowed themselves to
be co-opted to the Judenrat. One was fear for themselves
and their families. This is, clearly, not the case today, but the
other two reasons are still valid. Firstly there is the desire for
self-aggrandisement.
They wish to display their superior moral principles,
ignoring the hatred of our enemies and their implacable
desire to destroy Israel and all Jews and will deny the right of
Israel, a right common to all, of self-defence and
self-preservation by whatever means necessary.
Secondly, there are those misguided individuals who
feel they will save Israel by their efforts, a desire which failed
those individuals of the Judenrat and went up in the smoke of
Auschwitz.
Lastly, our enemies deny their anti-Semitism by citing the
number of Jews who support them.
Allan Wolman
Rosebank, Johannesburg
Michael Levy
Northcliff Ext 15, Johannesburg
No world outcry if it is ‘only Jews’ at receiving end
Leslie Hotz
Rouxville.
Johannesburg
We now close correspondence on this subject. - Editor
More news on our website
www.sajr.co.za
Parness has no authority to speak on behalf of Reference Library
I would like to reply to the article in last
week’s Jewish Report, “The library is alive
and well and living at Beyachad”.
The Zionist Federation is happy that the
Jewish Report is assuring the community
that the library is, indeed, alive and well.
However, your article contains inaccuracies
that need to be corrected.
The library falls under the Zionist
Federation. The director, Isla Feldman
is in charge. Maxine Fine is the qualified
librarian. Marcia Parness is involved with
the Joe Green Audio Visual Library but has
nothing at all to do with the Isie Maisels
Reference Library. She is not a volunteer
at the reference library and has made some
inaccurate declarations and appeals on its
behalf.
The library is funded by the Zionist
Federation. It now employs two fulltime
workers, the librarian, Maxine Fine and the
assistant, Eric Mathobo. This year money
will be invested in upgrading the library
management system and cataloguing tools.
The Zionist Federation will pay for this. The
library is definitely not funded by money
raised by Parness.
The Zionist Federation takes exception to
the fact that an article was written in your
newspaper without consulting the director,
Isla Feldman or the librarian. Neither were
included in the photograph nor interviewed.
This strikes us as irresponsible.
As regards book donations, Marcia Parness
is not privy to the library’s collection
development guidelines. There is a small
budget for buying new books and we
definitely appreciate monetary donations to
buy books.
We do not want books from book clubs.
What we do want is very recent non-fiction
books (within the past five years), in English,
on all aspects of Israeli life, politics and
society. We also welcome very recent nonfiction books on South African Jewry and all
that concerns them.
Mrs Parness is not in a position to make
declarations about the loan policy of the
library. She does not understand the issues
and the rationale for the Zionist Federation’s
decision to make this a reference library.
Maxine Fine, Librarian
SAZF Isie Maisels Reference Library
Chanukah gifts an accident waiting to happen
these gifts and I know that I am not the only
On the festival of Chanukah many nursery
one to bring up this issue, but it seems to fall
schools and grade R kids are given matches
on deaf ears.
among one or two other items as gifts for
People often seem to make necessary
parents.
changes after the fact.
This is absurd and intelligent educators
“There should have been a stop street
should know better. It doesn’t take a genius
there; I should have covered my pool; there
to work out the dangers involved in this
shouldn’t have been only one exit in the
supposedly “kind gesture”.
building that burned down; they shouldn’t
A friend of mine’s daughter and her
have given kids matches.”
friend used these matches to light a fire in
Let’s be smart about this and not wait for
her bedroom this past Chanukah. Baruch
a tragedy to happen.
Hashem her mother walked in just in time
to put the fire out. The consequences could
Dion Fransman
have been tragic.
I have spoken to teachers in the past about Johannesburg
News
30 January – 6 February 2015
SA JEWISH REPORT 9
David Kramer brings a new musical to Cape Town stage
SUZANNE BELLING
David Kramer (pictured), singer,
songwriter, playwright and director,
again has tapped into his musical
genius with his new show Orpheus
in Africa, born of his ongoing quest
for new and exciting material.
“I found a reference to Orpheus
McAdoo 10 years ago and a description of his 1890 visit to South
Africa. Orpheus is the main character and impresario who brought
the first African-American singing
troupe on tour to our shores when
whites predominated the stage in
this country.”
Hailing from Virginia in the US,
Orpheus was a qualified teacher
from the first generation of freed
slaves. His Jubilee Singers took the
country by storm.
Kramer, who wrote the script,
music and lyrics and is directing the
show, explained the music of this
genre.
“They took Negro spirituals
(sacred music) and gave the world
famous songs such as Swing Low,
Sweet Chariot and Amazing Grace.”
TV actor Aubrey Poo, who stars in
several soapies, including Scandal,
is cast in the role of Orpheus.
“It is a wonderful company of
14 actors and singers, mainly from
Cape Town, with two from Johannesburg,” Kramer told SA Jewish
Report.
The show runs at the Fugard
Theatre, Cape Town from January
28 to February 21. Kramer says
there are no plans at this stage to
bring Orpheus to Johannesburg
and the other main centres.
“It is a brand new musical and
we will assess the box office success
before there are further plans.”
Kramer was perhaps best known
as the celebrity to endorse the longrunning VW Microbus ad with his
red velskoene, bicycle and guitar.
He has numerous box office hits
to his credit, including his first
musical District Six in collaboration
with the late Taliep Petersen. The
partnership ended in tragedy when
Petersen was murdered. The two
met in the mid-seventies at a folk
concert at the University of Cape
Town with Des and Dawn Lindberg.
Paying tribute to his friendship
with Petersen, the Kramer Pe-
tersen Songbook was staged at Cape
Town’s Baxter Theatre, produced
by the theatre and Kramer’s wife
Renaye, whom he knew since childhood in Worcester. Renaye still
plays an active role in her husband’s
work. Her parents, centenarian
Louis Lange, now deceased, and his
wife Joyce, were the last Jews in
Worcester. Today no Jews live in the
town.
Kramer himself was born in
Worcester. His family name was
originally Karabelnik, which his
grandfather changed when he came
to South Africa from Lithuania in
1899.
In his youth, Kramer had lessons
with classical composer Cromwell
Everson. He joined a local band,
The Creeps, in the 1960s and went
to England in 1971 to study textile
design at Leeds University.
Back in Cape Town, he worked
in the textile industry and in the
seventies began his musical career,
singing in folk clubs and campus
concerts.
Kramer’s works are mainly
stories and songs in Afrikaans
and English about ordinary life
in South Africa. There is humour,
satire, but often, beneath that, a
dark realism.
He has one platinum and several
gold albums to his credit and in
2007 was awarded an honorary
doctorate in literature from UCT.
World News in Brief
Suspicious
prints found near
Nisman’s apartment
BUENOS AIRES - Investigators found
suspicious prints near the apartment of
late Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman,
who was investigating the 1994 bombing
of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires.
Nisman was recently found
dead from a gunshot wound in his
apartment days after he had accused
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez
de Kirchner of secretly negotiating
with Iran to avoid punishments for
those behind the attack.
Government officials initially said
the incident appeared to be a suicide,
but Fernandez later said Nisman’s
was not a suicide. According to the
Argentine daily newspaper El Littoral,
investigators found suspicious
fingerprints and footprints in an air
conditioning service entrance into the
apartment.
Another Argentine newspaper,
Clarin, reported that Nisman’s
neighbour was an Iranian - fuelling
speculation that the prosecutor
was murdered by an agent of Iran’s
government.
The 1994 bombing of the
Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association
in Buenos Aires killed 85 people and
injured 300. Iran and Hezbollah have
long been suspected of carrying out
the attack. (JNS.org)
10 SA JEWISH REPORT
News
30 January – 6 February 2015
Geoff Ramokgadi - leads
Swazi Jews with passion
Photo: Ilan Ossendryver
Johannesburg Torah Institute – a
welcome addition to communal life
Clive Blechman, chairman of the Great Park Synagogue; Rabbi Dovid Hazdan, spiritual leader; and
Rabbi Yosef Hazdan, director of the new Johannesburg Torah Institute, cut the ribbon to the Torah
library at the JTI.
SUZANNE BELLING
Torah was the anchor of the synagogue, Chief
Rabbi Warren Goldstein, told over 100 people
who attended the opening of the Johannesburg
Torah Institute at the Great Park Synagogue in
Houghton on Monday night.
Synagogues which had Torah learning programmes, survived the passage of time, he said.
Five people present shared their Torah experiences which included daily Gemorah, Kaddish on
the loss of a mother which led to ongoing study
when the mourning period was over, joining for
the intellectual gain of one-on-one study of the
Talmud, and navigating the Siddur.
Director of the JTI, Rabbi Yosef Hazdan, his
father, Rabbi Dovid Hazdan, spiritual leader of
the Great Park Shul, and chairman Clive Blechman, cut the ribbon to the library housing Torah
books.
Born in South Africa, Rabbi Yosef Hazdan attended school at Torah Academy in Johannesburg. He studied at yeshivot in Kiryat Gat, Israel;
Brooklyn, USA; London and Melbourne and ob-
tained his smicha in Melbourne and Israel.
Married to Itty, they lived in New York and
settled in South Africa in November last year.
Rabbi Yosef Hazdan immediately started several
one-on-one classes at his home in Currie Street,
Oaklands, and now has fulfilled his dream to
teach “authentic Torah to adults”.
The JTI offers Torah education to men and
women in reading, guidance in using the Siddur,
Jewish law and advanced study of the Talmud.
Itty, whose mother started Machon Chana,
the first seminary for Jewish women in Brooklyn, has brought her lessons to the JTI.
With her mother-in-law Feige Hazdan and sister-in-law Goldie Simpson, she will give lessons
on family sanctity and on building and enhancing Jewish marriages.
Rabbi Dovid Hazdan and Rabbi Shmuel Simpson are also instructors.
“At JTI no membership is required; all are welcome regardless of background or affiliation. We
are sure that your mind and soul will be stimulated and enriched by the knowledge of our great
heritage,” Rabbi Yosef Hazdan said.
Waverley Shul still finalising departure of Rabbi Rose
OWN CORRESPONDENT
Many congregants of Waverley Shul in Johannesburg, have still to come to terms with the resignation
of Rabbi Aharon Rose in November last year
Numerous discussions have been held between
the shul committee and the rabbi
to finalise the details.
In a notification to the congregants last week, the shul
committee advised them that “the
committee and Rabbi Rose are
currently in discussions regarding
the terms of his leaving, and we
will keep the community advised of
progress in this regard.
“The committee will initiate a
recruitment process to source a
suitable replacement rabbi for the
upstairs shul. We aim to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.”
It said Rabbi Rose would still be working with the
committee and the community and continue carrying
out his various functions until such time that matters
had been finalised.
“We will, in due course, provide information
regarding a farewell.”
Rabbi Rose, in a letter to the members of Waverley Shul, said: “I cherish the past 16 years that I
have been at Waverley Shul. We have worked hard
together, and deepened our
understanding of Judaism
and applying its values and
goals in our lives.
“Each one of you is very
special to me and I look
forward to maintaining
the bonds that we have
developed during my time
here, wherever I may be in
the future.
“Mashi and I shall fondly
remember all of the simchas
we have celebrated together with you, as well as the
closeness that we have established during the sad
times. We feel privileged to have led this community for so long. I pray that Waverley Shul go from
strength to strength in the coming years”
Geoff Ramokgadi, vice-president of the African Jewish Congress, with “The Travelling Rabbi”,
Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft at the rededication of the synagogue in Maputo, Mozambique.
SUZANNE BELLING
Geoff Ramokgadi, an “honorary Jew” and
leader of the Jewish community in Swaziland, is now also a vice-president of the African Jewish Congress.
Brought up by his single mother on the
meagre wages of a domestic servant, Geoff
had a dream - to become a Jew.
This dream was born in Johannesburg,
when defying the stringencies of apartheid,
his mother’s employers in Rustenburg invited Geoff to spend holidays in their house.
“It was a traditional Jewish home; the
warmth of their hospitality permeated my
entire being. Jewish books and Judaica were
everywhere. I used to pore over them at
every opportunity. And then I came across
pictures of the Holocaust.
“But I realised the Holocaust was more
than oppression and hatred (he had experienced under apartheid South Africa), it was
the systematic, planned murder of six million of a nation which I had grown to identify with and to love.”
Geoff ’s mother’s employers also subsidised his education, enabling him to become
a window-dresser.
Back in Rustenburg he found employment
with a Jewish shop-owner. Geoff flourished
in the store for several years, absorbing
every bit of Jewish knowledge that came his
way.
“I burned with the desire to be Jewish, I
felt it right here,” he said, pointing at his
heart.
Geoff became the lead vocalist for Rustenburg’s first multiracial band, which, in 1975,
had little acceptance in South Africa.
Then came his break - an invitation to play
in a rock concert in Swaziland, where there
was no racial discrimination.
From behind the microphone, Geoff spotted a beautiful Swazi girl, Dudu, a member
of the royal family, and fell in love at first
sight.
“I drove up to Swaziland from Rustenburg
every weekend for eight years to see her.”
In 1982 Geoff decided to make Swaziland
his home. He married Dudu the following
year and blossomed as an entrepreneur, designing and building homes. He redecorated
the palace of the Swazi Queen Mother and
mingled with the royal family.
In 1990, Geoff formalised his decision
to be a Jew. He became the first South African black to register with the Johannesburg Beth Din for conversion to Orthodox
Judaism, and, sporting his newly-acquired
kippah, he attended the 70th birthday bash
for Nelson Mandela.
Dudu, who says that initially her only
knowledge of Judaism was what she had
heard at school about Jerusalem, “which I
thought was a place in heaven”, accompanied Geoff on his first visit to Israel.
“It was almost `beshiert’ that we met
and shook hands with then Prime Minister
Yitzhak Shamir, at the Kotel. It was like a
sign telling me I belonged to Klal Yisrael,”
said Geoff.
He pumped his Swazi professor friend and
linguist Nathi Gamedze for information.
Nathi, the son of a Christian minister went
to live in Jerusalem, where he converted to
Judaism and obtained smicha. Nathi taught
Geoff the basics of Hebrew.
For the rest, Geoff is self-taught, learning
from the siddur, studying Jewish literature.
He named his house in Mbabane, “The
Kibbutz”. A brass plate above the doorway bids visitors “Shalom”. Photographs
hanging in the entrance hall are of Yitzhak
Shamir shaking hands with the Ramokgadis
alongside a portrait of King Mswati III of
Swaziland.
There are mezzuzahs, menorahs, religious paintings and portraits of the late
Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Schneerson.
Geoff unifies the 40 Jews living in Swaziland, arranging sedarim, services for the
festivals and negotiated with the Swazi authorities for an official Jewish section in the
cemetery.
“I view myself as an ambassador of the
Jewish people and my task is to counteract
all the rumours about Zionism and Israel.
The colour of my skin is my passport in Africa. I am not regarded with suspicion and it
lends credibility to my message.”
There is a downside, however. After 24
years of study and Jewish observance, Geoff
is still “not a proper Jew”.
With no kosher facilities or shuls in Swaziland, it has become impossible for Dudu to
adopt a Jewish lifestyle and meet the criteria to “megayer”.
The Beth Din, which accepted Geoff ’s
application for conversion, has no doubts
about his sincerity but “our hands are tied”,
they say.
Undeterred, Geoff pursues his quest.
He recently fulfilled another dream building the Kobe-Ramokgadi Advanced
Learning Academy in Ezulwini.
In the eyes of all his Jewish friends and
associates, Geoff has a Jewish neshama and
is merely awaiting a “hechsher” which he
hopes one day to attain in Israel.
He recently was a delegate in Budapest to
the World Jewish Congress conference and
attends gatherings with Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft in all the African countries where there
are Jewish communities.
30 January – 6 February 2015
News
SA JEWISH REPORT 11
‘Tis the season of ‘good-wool’
The festive season has come and gone, but it’s never too
late to continue spreading some cheer and “good-wool”. 67
Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day has the solution! Presently
sweltering in summer heat, one tends to forget how ruthless
South African winters can be.
Said Carolyn Steyn, founder of the “67 Blankets” - of which
Jewish Report last year was an enthusiastic participant with
the paper’s readers taking this worthwhile project to heart:
“We launched this campaign almost a year ago with the hope
of collecting just 67 blankets to
distribute on Nelson Mandela Day in July 2014. To my
surprise, we managed to collect
over 6 000 blankets instead,
thanks to our global base of
loyal supporters or “KnitWits
for Madiba” as we like to call
ourselves.
“Over the past year, many
people have asked me how
they could get involved in this
incredible initiative, despite the
fact that they can’t knit or crochet. We now have a solution.”
This week Tuesday evening
saw the first “birthday” of 67
Blankets at a well-attended
bash at the Nelson Mandela
Children’s Fund building in
Houghton. The entrance “fee”
was appropriately - a blanket.
To celebrate the birthday, Steyn
organised for well-known
artists such as PJ Powers to
perform. There was also a draw, with “number 67” winning a
well-stocked goody bag.
The aim this year is 21 000 blankets by May, to be spread
out at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, in pursuance of a
Guinness Book of Records acknowledgement.
Steyn says 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day has established drop-off points across the country for wool donations.
The wool will then be distributed to knitting enthusiasts and
transformed into beautiful blankets for those less fortunate.
“There are so many people out there who can and want to
knit, but don’t have the resources to do so. For example, we
have just officially launched the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day initiative at the Zonderwater Correctional Centre.
“The prisoners have already crocheted a number of squares
for us and are so eager to make thousands more - they just
need the materials.”
She hopes that in a continuation of the spirit of the festive
season, South Africans will donate generously. “We do not
accept money and trade only in wool. In fact, we rely on the
‘good wool’ of people.”
* If you would like to contribute wool, and help those in
need, please visit the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day
(South Africa) Facebook Group or visit www.67blankets.
com<http://www.67blankets.com>. Alternatively, you can
call 0617 676 767.
Last year announcing Jewish
Report’s wholehearted support
for the project, Jewish Report’s general manager. Karen
Knowles said: “Madiba’s legacy
lives on in each blanket we produce with our own two hands.
“The Jewish Report is challenging the broader Jewish
community to support this
initiative. We are asking young
and old, individuals, businesses
and schools to join 67 Blankets
for Nelson Mandela Day, by
knitting or crocheting a blanket
or squares for blankets which
will then be collected for delivery to various charities.”
Karen may be contacted at
(011) 430-1982.
Photo: Shereen Miller
OWN CORRESPONDENT
How can the Jewish community
get involved?
Carolyn Steyn; Timothy
Moloi and PJ Powers. 1. Start knitting a blanket or
squares today.
2. Challenge other Jewish businesses/retirement homes/
schools/individuals etc to compete with you by committing to making blankets.
3. Should you not be able to join this inspiring project yourself, you can also sponsor schools and old aged homes by
supplying wool and needles so they can get involved.
Last year, in a colourful evening, hosted by Daphne Kuhn
at Auto and General Theatre on the Square in Sandton, on
which a completed hand-made blanket was requested in lieu
of a ticket price, “several hundred” blankets were received:
some were knitted, others crocheted, there were blankets in
bright colours and others in sober hues, with cute brocades
and special expert wool tricks embedded.
INVITATION TO
CONSIGN
Consigning for the
JOHANNESBRUG April Auction
has been extended to 4 February 2015
AUCTION
21 & 22 APRIL 2015
Contact
011 880 3125
for more details
François Krige
(South African 1913-1994)
BLUE CRANES
SOLD R 363 776
25 & 26 November 2014
4th Floor | South Tower | Nelson Mandela Square
Cnr Maude & 5th Streets | Sandton
www.stephanwelzandco.co.za
12 SA JEWISH REPORT
Community Columns
News
A column of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies
Let us never forget the horrors
of Auschwitz
Ten years ago, the UN
General Assembly designated January 27 - the
date of the liberation of
Auschwitz - as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On Tuesday
Above Board a solemn ceremony took
place at Auschwitz to
Mary Kluk mark the 70th anniverNational Chairman
sary of the liberation of
the death camp.
As an executive member of the World Jewish
Congress, I had considered attending, but decided in the end to attend the event organised
by the Durban Holocaust Centre. South African
Jewry was represented by Ann Harris, and
Mascha Schainberg, a survivor of Auschwitz
now living in South Africa. She attended as a
guest of the World Jewish Congress and Steven
Spielberg Shoah Foundation. The SAJBD was
able to facilitate Mascha’s attendance through
working with its contacts in the Department of
Home Affairs to ensure that she was provided
with the necessary travel documents.
We much appreciate how the authorities, in
recognition of the special circumstances attached to this matter, so willingly assisted us in
this regard.
Mascha was one of 300 survivors of Auschwitz from around the world who, as a joint
venture of the WJC and Shoah Foundation,
were brought out to attend the ceremony. It is
sobering to reflect that at the 60th anniversary
gathering, 1 500 survivors were present; 10
years from now, a bare handful will remain.
Those survivors who remain need - indeed,
are owed - the firm assurance from all of us
that their stories will not be forgotten when
they are no longer among us. It is therefore
incumbent on us all to accept upon ourselves
the sacred duty of remembrance and of passing
their testimonies on to the next generation.
When remembering, and teaching about, the
Holocaust, it is crucial to emphasise that Auschwitz was the culmination, not the starting
point, of Nazi genocide. That process began not
with deeds but with words.
Before being deprived of their rights, livelihoods and finally their lives, Jews were systematically demonised - in the political arena,
media, academia and every possible forum. As
a result, they came to be regarded as a disloyal,
destructive element to be shunned and despised.
Once this view had sufficiently taken root, it
became possible to move on to the next step,
which was to deprive Jews of their civil liberties and economic freedoms. Physical attacks
(notably Kristallnacht) came next and finally
the onset of programmatic mass killing.
That hateful words can all too quickly lead
to hateful deeds is an enduring lesson of the
Shoah, and one that has never been more relevant than in the times we live in. Both in our
own country, and in many other parts of the
world, we are witnessing a continual spewing of
vitriol against any given target.
That, indeed, is one of the paradoxes of living in a democracy: Freedom of expression is a
core value, but all too often it serves to expose
the underbelly of hatred and prejudice. It is
incumbent on those who abhor bigotry in all
its forms - and we can safely affirm that they
constitute the great majority - to denounce
it and to continually educate themselves and
upcoming generations not only about how evil,
but also how fundamentally irrational it is.
Relating to this, there has been a spate of
violent attacks against foreign nationals in
Gauteng. The Board (refer to our Facebook) has
condemned these repugnant acts and appealed
to the Jewish community to contribute to a
fund it is setting up to assist the victims.
The details are: Account name - SA Jewish
Board of Deputies, Standard Bank Killarney,
Account number: 200305190, Reference: Your
name+Xenophobia. Section 18A Certificates
available on request.
• Listen to Charisse Zeifert on Jewish Board Talk,
101.9 ChaiFM every Friday 12:00-13:00.
30 January – 6 February 2015
What’s on the web this week...
Users are pouring in to the 15-month-old Jewish Report
website, www.sajr.co.za which passed the half-million-hit
milestone this week. This includes a whopping 115 000
unique visitors from 179 countries.
Stories that you will find exclusively on the website –
or in more depth and detail than we have space for in the
print edition - include:
ON ISRAEL AND ALIYAH:
• JA think tank delivers new plan to absorb 120 000 French
Jews
• Naftali Bennett: Anti-Semites “now openly sell their wares”
• Israel to host their biggest sports event ever
• The many faces of the visit of terrorist Leila Khaled
CONTRIBUTORS:
• Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein on events in France
• David Hersch on Holocaust Week
• Rabbi Shmuel Bloch delves deeper, as usual
• Bev Goldman’s pick of the best Zionist reads
SA COMMUNAL ACTIVITY:
• Wendy Kahn slams government on xenophobia
• JNF’s Huddle Park Family Picnic on Tu B’ Shvat
• SA Zionist Federation expect 5 000 at conference
• Win a car, 2 trips to Israel & 5-star holidays at SA/Israel
Expo
• 20 of SA’s finest Jewish teens chosen as Diller Fellows
• Let’s all help SAUJS to turn IAW into Israel Awareness Week
TOP READS OF 2014 SERIES:
• LATEST: Shabbos project goes global, adds a million heads
• STORIES TO DATE: Jewish Report’s 2014 Hit Parade - Shalom, Tata, we will
remember you... always - Campus battlefields are now more level - New words for
Jews in 5774 - Protective Edge from our correspondents - Jerusalem prepares for
massive snowstorm - Jewish Report Absa SA Achievers 2014.
ANTI-SEMITISM SERIES:
• LATEST: How Gaza won their war so well
• STORIES TO DATE: Europe goes back to ‘30s Dangerous but wonderful thing to be Jewish - German
Jewry “sitting on their suitcases” - Battleground Belgium,
hotbed of anti-Semitism - 75% of violent anti-Semitism
goes unreported - Israelis tried to enlist Facebook’s Zuckerberg.
Naturally, South Africans are the most frequent visitors, making up just over
66 per cent of all hits. They are followed by an ongoing race between Israelis and
Americans, both at 8,2 per cent; then Australia, the UK and Canada.
57 per cent of these users have accessed the website via a PC and 43 per cent via
a mobile platform (30 per cent by phone and 13 per cent by tablet).
This column is paid for by SA Jewish Board of Deputies
r e : t h e l at e
DA N I E L CO PA N S
The family of the Late Daniel Copans would like to express
their grateful thanks and appreciation to all persons who
graciously donated funds towards the considerable medical
costs incurred as a consequence of Daniel’s condition.
The funds were paid into an account administered under our
control, and were utilised and applied as and when required.
As a consequence of Daniel’s premature death, it became
unnecessary to utilise all the funds, and we are in a position
to refund donors with a pro-rata share of the balance.
A suggestion has been made by certain donors that the
funds be donated to either a cancer-related charity, or apply
the funds to establish a Foundation in memory of Daniel.
This Foundation would assist desperately ill children with
medical costs in the case of life threatening conditions.
As certain of the donations were made anonymously, we
appeal to all persons or institutions who made donations,
to contact us, in confidence, with instructions as to how you
would prefer your share of the refund to be applied.
All queries can be directed to
Lucille Liebowitz c/o Tuffias Sandberg KSi
E-mail: lucillel@tsksi.co.za
Telephone: 087 940 9080
World News in Brief
Anti-Semitism rises at US colleges
JERUSALEM - The Israeli government on Sunday was presented with a report
about global anti-Semitism showing that anti-Israel activity has increased
on college campuses across the US in 2014. The report, composed with the
co-operation of the Co-ordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, was
presented by Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett.
The report found that during July and August 2014, amid Operation
Protective Edge in Gaza, a 400 per cent increase in the number of antiSemitic incidents on American campuses was registered from the same
period during the previous year. For the majority of the violent cases recorded,
the perpetrators were of Arab or Muslim descent.
“Over the recent year, we have witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic incidents
and a wave of anti-Semitism across large parts of the world, first and
foremost in Europe,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. (JNS.org)
Israeli US envoy chided for boosting
Bibi’s campaign
TEL AVIV - Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, was
reprimanded by an Israeli government commission for promoting Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election campaign in a television interview.
In a December interview with American Fusion Television, a network aimed
at Hispanic-Americans, Dermer was asked about the Israeli elections in
March. In response Dermer, a close Netanyahu ally, said that when Israelis
“look at all the people that stand for the leadership of the country, they will
have confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu,” according to
Haaretz.
Dermer, as a state employee, is forbidden from “promoting the interest
of any particular party or candidate”, according to rules publicised earlier in
December by Israel’s Civil Service Commission. (JNS.org)
ChaiFM slammed
for hate speech,
propaganda
STAFF REPORTER
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA
(BCCSA) has reprimanded
Jewish radio station ChaiFM
for broadcasting content that amounted to hate
speech and propaganda.
“As a sanction the tribunal issued a firm reprimand, cautioning the broadcaster that if a similar
finding is made in future, a fine will be considered,”
the commission said in a statement on Monday.
Complaints about three separate broadcasts were
lodged against the station.
The first was about a caller to the station who
wanted to throw pork chops at Muslims. The second
complaint was about a radio guest who said Muslims
were barbarians and slaves to their religion.
The BCCSA dismissed these two complaints, saying they did not contravene the broadcasting code.
The third complaint was about a guest speaker on
the station delivering a speech which was against
Muslims in general, and associated Palestinians with
Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party.
The BCCSA ruled the insert amounted to propaganda.
“The propaganda rises to the level of the advocacy
of hatred based on religion and ethnicity that constitutes incitement to cause harm,” the BCCSA said.
News
30 January – 6 February 2015
SA JEWISH REPORT 13
The Jewish World in seven seconds
JTA – “Let My People Live!”
PRAGUE - A panel discussion Monday in
the Czech capital to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz
death camp by Russian troops was aptly named
“Let My People Live!” after the recent attacks on
Jews in Europe.
Canadian Jewish News - Nisman’s death
not suicide says Argentine president
BUENOS AIRES - Argentine President Cristina
Kirchner now says that the death of special
prosecutor Alberto Nisman was not a suicide,
reversing an earlier statement by her government.
In an open letter published on her Facebook page
and blog, Kirchner wrote that Nisman’s death was
an “operation against the government”.
Kosher Mobile
Meals receives a
generous donation
Jewish News - Gay Holocaust victims
should be remembered
LONDON - UK Deputy PM Nick Clegg backs a call
for gay victims of the Holocaust to be remembered
on a national memorial. He told PinkNews he
felt Holocaust memorials should include nonJewish victims, which included up to 15,000
homosexuals.
News24 - Jewish radio gets slap on the
wrist for hate speech
JOHANNESBURG - The Broadcasting Complaints
Commission of SA (BCCSA) has denied two
claims and reprimanded ChaiFM for a third - for
broadcasting content that amounted to hate
speech and propaganda.
See page 12 for more details.
UK Jewish News Online - New Greek
leader criticised for anti-Semitism
ATHENS - The Greek nationalist leader who joined
the country’s new coalition government was last
month criticised for peddling anti-Semitic lies
about Jews not paying taxes. In a much-criticised
December interview Panos Kammenos said Jews,
Muslims and Buddhists were “not taxed” whereas
the Greek Orthodox Church was. The Board of
Jewish Communities in Greece called for him to
apologise.”
Arutz Sheva - Muslim Gang Went ‘JewBashing’ During Gaza War
NEWCASTLE - Four plead guilty to vicious attack in
northern England to “protest about the Palestinians”;
attacker gloated he was “going Jew bashing”.
Members of a Muslim gang who carried out a
terrifying anti-Semitic attack last year, have pleaded
guilty to racially aggravated common assault.
Cleveland Jewish News - Spielberg warns
of growing anti-Semitism
KRAKOW, Poland - Film director Steven Spielberg
says Jews are again facing the “perennial demons
of intolerance” from anti-Semites who want to strip
them of their identity. Spielberg spoke to a group
of Holocaust survivors on Monday, a day before
commemorations at Auschwitz that mark the 70th
anniversary of the death camp’s liberation. Earlier
in the day some of the survivors prayed for their
murdered loved ones amid the barracks and barbed
wire of the camp, with one survivor crying out in a
pained voice: “I don’t want to come here anymore.”
Read the South African Jewish Report online
www.sajr.co.za
ESTELLE CLINE
Kosher Mobile Meals, which ensures that
around 160 elderly people in the community receive daily cooked, nutritious meals,
received a most generous donation of
R18 000 from Mark Meltzer, president of the
HOD’s Lodge Negev.
Kosher Mobile Meals is the Union of
Jewish Women’s biggest project in Johannesburg. Glenda Goldberg, its convener, was
thrilled that her organization was nominated
as a beneficiary of the lodge’s annual bingo
evening.
Kosher Mobile Meals volunteers pack and
deliver meals to recipients in many suburbs
around Johannesburg.
www.kia.co.za
• For enquiries call (011) 648-1053.
World News in Brief
Journalist who reported
Nisman’s death flees
Argentina
BUENOS AIRES - The Argentine-Israeli journalist
who first reported the death of Argentine
prosecutor Alberto Nisman, has fled to Israel last
Sunday, following threats to his safety.
Damian Pachter, who works for
BuenosAiresHerald.com and tweeted the news
of Nisman’s January 18 death, left Argentina last
Saturday after the threats and being followed by
people he didn’t know, according to Fopea, the
Argentine Journalism Forum. Pachter holds dual
Israeli citizenship.
“I will return when my sources tell me that the
conditions changed,” Pachter told an Argentine
publication. “I don’t think that I will be there
during this government.”
In a statement, the forum said it had notified
the “relevant authorities” and urged the public to
“pay attention to the safety of journalists in our
country these days”.
Nisman was found dead of a gunshot wound
in his home soon before he was to present
evidence that Argentine President Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner covered up Iran’s role in
the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish centre in
Buenos Aires. (JTA)
KIA, the sponsor of surprises.
KIA is a proud sponsor of the sport of tennis and all the passion that comes with it.
We understand the drive to be the best, it takes a lot of heart and a bit of Soul.
KIA Motors, the major sponsor of the Australian Open 2015.
17852OFyt
Youth
14 SA JEWISH REPORT
30 January – 6 February 2015
All about growing seeds and phases
of the moon
Photo: Sheva Messias
20 of SA’s finest teens are Diller Fellows
ANT KATZ
At King David Linksfield Preprimary School, Rosh
Chodesh (the new month) is always celebrated.
The school did so in the merit of Gordon Price, a
father from the school, who sadly passed away a
year ago.
For Rosh Chodesh Shvat, the children enjoyed
a show by A+ Edutainment, Loving Our World. The
children learnt about conservation and recycling
and planted their own vegetable seeds in little
pots, which they took home. Following the show,
the senior groups had a picnic and teacher Dorian
Becker explained the phases of the moon to the
children. They were encouraged to go home and
observe the moon in the night sky.
Reason says:
admire the
difference.
Instinct says:
cherish the
individual.
At Grant Thornton, we recruit people
with a passion for business, who
combine reason and instinct to give
the kind of advice that makes a real
difference to the organisations they
work with.
They know it’s about more than just
the numbers, it’s about enjoying
tough challenges, seeking out
opportunities and adding real value
to our clients by unlocking their
potential for growth.
Big upgrading and refurbishment at YC
CARLY MERVIS
South African Professional Services
Awards (SAPSA)
Grant Thornton awarded Best Accounting/
Auditing Firm of the year 2014
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_SAPSA_award.indd 1
2014/11/07 8:13 AM
Yeshiva College is in the
process of upgrading and
modernising its campus so
as to fall in line with 21st
century educational trends
and standards.
In order to cater for
current and future growth,
a new classroom was added
to its Junior Primary School
block, facilitated through
a generous donation. As a
result of the hard work of
the Parents Association, the
playground was also given a
fresh look with the addition
of astroturf.
Photo supplied
SHEVA MESSIAS
Thirteen girls and seven boys have passed a rigorous selection process to be the first South Africans
to attend the prestigious Diller Teen Fellow leadership programme. It is the first group from outside
America and Israel - but will definitely not be the
last.
The Israel Centre in Johannesburg, in partnership
with the Helen Diller Family Foundation, is behind
this initiative to promote Jewish teen leadership.
On Sunday January 18, the Israel Centre in
Johannesburg hosted a programme where they
introduced the first group of 20 Diller Teen Fellow leaders from South Africa. The Israel Centre
South Africa (ICSA), which is, in effect, the Jewish Agency for Israel’s South African arm, has
launched the venture to train future community
leaders in partnership with the Helen Diller Family Foundation.
Diller is an international initiative promoting
Jewish teen leadership. Since its inception the
programme has grown to include nine community partnerships in North America and Israel, and,
now, in South Africa - each of which is twinned
with an Israeli city.
The official launch had been “such an inspirational morning”, Livnat Katz, marketing coordinator at ICSA, told Jewish Report afterwards.
The launch, at Beyachad, hosted some of the
top South African Jewish leaders among the
guest speakers. The list was headlined by Chief
Rabbi Warren Goldstein; the director of the SA
Board of Jewish Education, Rabbi Craig Kacev;
and the national chairman of, (among a host of
other communal organisations), the SA Zionist
Federation, Avrom Krengel.
Also present and among the VIP guests and
speakers were: ICSA director Aviad Sela; direc-
tor of the Diller Foundation, Mark Reisbaum;
senior Israel director of the International Diller
Teen programme, Liat Raviv; and Gilad Spitalnik,
the Diller Teen Fellows co-ordinator.
The 20 pupils were selected after a rigorous
recruitment process and the large number of
aspiring applicants had to be whittled down to
20. To qualify, pupils had to:
• Be entering grade 11 in 2015;
• Complete a comprehensive application form;
• Provide two references from teachers, mentors, rabbis, youth leaders, etc - not parents,
family members, or personal friends;
• Attend a three-hour-long group activity-based
interview (with the aim of seeing how the applicants interacted with each other, took initiative, showed creativity, worked in a group, and
work within a larger team;
• The applicants were then evaluated on their
behaviour, interaction and the answers they
gave to questions; and
• Small groups of between two and three applicants then attended a 15-minute long group
interview.
“The students we chose first needed the approval of their schools before we could accept
them onto the programme,” says Katz.
“This year we only had King Davidians, a mix
from Linksfield and Victory Park,” she explained.
The programme would be expanded to other
schools in future.
The lucky SA Diller Teen Fellows are: Adam
Sandler; Adina Davidovitz; Amanda Gamsu;
Amy Deldman; Ariel Kahanovitz; Chadd Silver;
Cheyney Travis; Dalya Abadi; Daniel Shainfeld;
Daniel Shwartz; Deena Katzen; Gabi Lipshitz;
Noah Tradonsky; Roni Katz; Tyler Richter; Jessa
Marx; Liegh Sher; Yakira Sheperd; Tori Ichikowitz; and Carley Friedman.
30 January – 6 February 2015
Classifieds
What’s On
To book your classified notice or advert contact:
Tel (011) 274-1400, Fax 086-634-7935, email: jrclassified@global.co.za
SERVICES
NOTICES
Hawley Marble and Granite Works
Est. 1948. Monumental masons.
We are proud to have served the
Johannesburg Jewish community
for many decades. Your support is
much appreciated. Collen Hawley
Tel: (011) 828- 9010 Chaim
Silver (011) 485-3005
PERSONAL
Retired gentleman 80s,
exercises every day, good
physique, walks often, loves
music. Looking for slim lady in
late 60s, 70s to enjoy going
out walking, share expenses,
holidays, cruising etc. SMS
details to 076-083-6681
LIFTS OFFERED
SERVICES
AIRPORT SERVICE
JHB
HOME SERVICES
Experienced, reliable driver able
to lift you anywhere/ anytime 24
hours. Courier work undertaken.
Please call Paul
083-542-6480
SMILE-LEE’S LIFTS
A reliable lift service.
Specialising in lifts to and from
airports, shops, appointments,
casinos and courier.
Charna 083-391-6612
AIRPORT SHUTTLE
SAM
(011) 728-5219
083-627-8516
To OR Tambo
from R170.
To Lanseria
from R220.
Reasonable rates to
all other areas.
BEST SERVICE
DIAL A LIFT
Comfortable
7 seater.
083-267-3281
Pip Friedman
www.
dialalift.co.za
Lift service
Doctor’s app, OR Tambo,
Pretoria, gym.
Reasonable rates!
Ivan 082-962-5007
Tuesday (February 3)
Sunday (February 8)
• UZLC hosts Anna Cox, The Star’s Metro Watch
reporter, on “An Update on the City of Johannesburg Projects”. Venue: Our Parents Home. Time:
12:45 - 14:00. Contact: Gloria, (011) 485-4851 or
072-127-9421.
• Morris Rutstein -SAZF first semester evening Hebrew
ulpan course starts today and runs until Tuesday, May
26. Times: EveryTuesday evening from 19:00 - 21:15.
Venue: Yeshiva College, Glenhazel, (in the classrooms).
Registration takes place on Monday, February 2 at
18:30. Enquiries: (011) 645-2531 (office hours).
• JNF presents “Tu B’Shvat in the Park”. Venue:
Huddle Park, Linksfield. Time: 11:00. Cost: R30 pp,
toddlers free. Mountain biking; beer tent; kosher
food; DJ. Bring bikes, umbrellas, blankets and picnic.
ID necessary to gain entrance (one per family). Contact: (011) 645-2541 or Sharon@beyachad.co.za
Wednesday (February 4)
• Big Band Music Appreciation Society meets at
St John’s College Auditorium, Houghton. A DVD
will be shown “Short Interlude of Big Band Hits”
followed by the AGM. Thereafter Dave Goldstein will
present an audio programme “Through the Years”
of various Tommy Dorsey recordings and a DVD on
him, “Sentimental Journey”, will be screened. Time:
14:15 sharp. Enquiries: Marilyn, 072-243-7436 or
Jack, 082-450-7622.
• Second Innings hosts Cliff Matthews on “Poland, Then,
Now And Into The Future”. Venue: The Gerald Horwitz
Lounge, Golden Acres. Time: 10:00 for 10:30. Cost:
R20 members, R30 visitors (incl tea and light refreshments). Contact: (011) 532-9616.
• Yeshiva College reunion for alumni who matriculated
from YC before 2004. Venue: Yeshiva College. Time:
18:00. RSVP: Avril Joseph alumni@yeshivacollege.
co.za, (011) 640-9909.
WANTED
LIFTS OFFERED
A TAXI SERVICE
Let Warren Pogorelsky chauffeur
you to your destination in Johannesburg and back. OR Tambo from
R170. Mercedes Benz
Tel: 082-399-6187
Sun City & Game Reserve
Today, Friday (January 30)
Sunday (February 1)
8-seater.
Tours/Day Drives
Contact Arnold,
082-447-0185
011-454-1193
EMPLOYMENT
OFFERED
We are looking
for a GP to join
our amazing,
very busy
practice in
Athol Square,
Sandton.
If interested,
please call
083-503-6975
HEBREW SECRETARY
King David High School
Linksfield invites
applications for the position of
secretary for the Hebrew Department. Applicants must be
fluent in English and Hebrew
and be able to type flawlessly
in both languages.
Please send CV to
blumbergc@sabje.co.za
Only short-listed candidates
will be contacted and
interviewed
MISCELLANEOUS
Love entertaining?
No time to cook? Gourmet
meals delivered to your door.
Prepared and designed
by professional international
chef. Just heat and eat.
Kosher food is available on
request. Contact Regev on
082-827-6570 or
afek@telkomsa.net to
discuss your menu and dietary
requirements.
All household
furniture, linen,
kitchenware,
clothing & more.
All size beds &
bases.
Call Terry:
076-533-1440
Deceased
estate house
clearances
Entire households
cleared,
professionally and
confidentially. I’ll
take the burden
off your shoulders
and pay you for it.
Please contact
Ladislav Miklas
079-810-8837
for a trusted and
professional service.
Also clear garages,
cellars, storage
rooms and storage
facilities.
Appliance repairs on-site
Fridges, stoves, washing
machines, tumble dryers and
dishwashers. Free quotations.
Call Jason 082-401-8239 /
076-210-6532
PROPERTY
AVAILABLE
House for sale
No agents please
Highlands North / Rouxville
4/5 bedrooms, 2½ bath
2 self-contained cottages.
Pool, lots of parking.
Asking upper R1 million
Contact Hazel on
076-428-9176
Marais Steyn Park, Edenvale
Upstairs portion of duplex
to share, consisting of fully
furnished bedroom, lounge,
bathroom, DStv, elec & water.
R5 000 per month.
Contact Bev 082-444-4836
FOREIGN CITIZENSHIP
Lithuanian / Polish /
German citizenship
Many South African Jews are
eligible for EU citizenship. If you
are interested, please contact
me. I specialise in obtaining
Lithuanian, Polish and German
citizenship. I am able to obtain the
required documents from archives
in Europe.
Rael Cynkin CA (SA)
info@noborders.co.za
083-346-4627
VEHICLES
WANTED
IF YOU WANT TO
BUY OR SELL
A VEHICLE
Contact:
Solly Kramer
082-922-3597
SA JEWISH REPORT 15
Monday (February 2)
• UJW hosts David Shapiro, financial consultant to the
Sasfin Group, on “The Outlook for 2015”. Venue: 1 Oak
Street, Houghton. Time: 09:30. Cost: R35. Contact:
(011) 648-1053.
• UJW hosts Dr Lorraine Chaskalson, former lecturer in
the Dept of English at Wits, on “Contemporary Poetry”.
Venue: 1 Oak Street, Houghton. Time: 09:30. Cost:
R35. Contact: (011) 648-1053.
• Temple Israel in PE hosts a Tu B’Shvat Seder. Cost:
R60. Information: Yolanda Yonah Blackman, (041)
373-6642 (08:00 - 13:00).
Friday (February 6)
• UZLC hosts Irwin Manoim on “How The Jews Made
The Alphabet and How The Alphabet Made The Jews”.
Venue: Our Parents Home. Time: 12:45 - 14:00.
Contact: Gloria, (011) 485-4851 or 072-127-9421.
Tuesday (February 10)
• B noth Zion Association CT WIZO AGM. Venue:
Marais Rd Shul Hall, Sea Point. Time: 09:30. Guest
speaker: Ambassador Arthur Lenk. Information:
(021) 464-6729.
News
Unrepentant hijacker Leila
Khaled still stands for violence
After widely published picture of a youthful Leila Khaled holding an AK-47 rifle, it is believed she underwent six plastic
surgery operations on her nose and chin to conceal her identity. Speculation about this is rife, with some sources believing
it was to allow her to take part in future terrorist activities.
ANT KATZ
Despite the opposite of SA Jewry and many other South
Africans, convicted multiple plane hijacker Leila Khaled,
will definitely arrive in South Africa next week for a series
of fundraising talks for Boycott, Divest and Sanctions
SA. With tickets selling at up to R500 a seat, this is likely
to bolster the BDS war-chest for the forthcoming Israel
Apartheid Week campaign next month.
The SA Union of Jewish Students, however, will be
working hard to emulate their success of last year and
turn that event into “Israel Awareness Week”.
Since Jewish Report on January 7 broke the news of
Khaled’s impending visit, the story has erupted into a
flutter of media hyperbole.
A furious SA Jewish Board of Deputies Chairman Mary
Kluk had a go at BDS-SA, the local arm of the US-based
anti-Israel NGO, for bringing Khaled to South Africa as
its guest and for the pre-publicity which “depicts Khaled
holding an AK-47 and represents her past hijacking of
one plane and an attempted hijacking of another, as
something to be admired”, said Kluk.
Now in her seventies, Khaled is anything but a hasbeen revolutionary looking after grandchildren at her
home in Amman, Jordan.
She still sits on the executive of the Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), which is on the list of
banned terrorist organisations in many countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and most of Europe
and others.
In April 2014 she was quoted saying: “My party (the
PLFP) has not changed, it has stuck to its original programme. We are calling to escalate the resistance, so we
decided to take our destiny into our hands by waging an
armed struggle; negotiating will get us nowhere.”
In an interview with Paula Schmitt from 972 magazine,
she said: “Resistance doesn’t only happen through violence but violence is the mainstream!” She stressed that
her PLFP still believed that violence was the way forward.
“By the time she was 28, Leila Khaled had already hijacked two planes and held dozens of passengers hostage.
Her image appeared on the covers of news magazines,
her face was plastered on the walls of student dorms; she
became a pop phenomenon and an inspiration for TV and
film characters,” wrote the magazine.
“Leila has no regrets about her choices. For her, what
she did was fair and justified. In fact, it was a duty. She
often quotes Che Guevara with corroborating lines, but
Leila didn’t need a guerrilla to help her rationalise her
acts,” wrote Shmitt.
“The plane hijackings were tactical. Just for a short
time, just to ring a bell for the world and make people ask
the question: Why? It seemed to have worked,” she said.
She emphasised: “There were very strict instructions
not to hurt anyone, especially the passengers; they are
not the ones we targeted. Our goal was to release the
prisoners from Israeli jails… to show our comrades and
brothers and sisters in jail that you are not alone, we are
behind you, we are freedom fighters.”
Palestinian director Lina Makboul produced an awardwinning documentary “Leila Khaled: Hijacker”, questioning whether Khaled’s actions were good or bad for their
people. “This action stained your struggle,” said Makboul
But Khaled is unapologetic: “That’s not terrorism, I am
a victim of oppression and occupation; we, as a people,
have the right to resist by all means.”
The PFLP is still very active and responsible for some of
the most heinous recent terrorist attacks, including the
November 2014 West Jerusalem shul massacre in which
four Jewish worshippers and a Druze policeman were
killed with axes, knives, and a gun.
Khaled’s first target was Yitzhak Rabin when, on
August 29, 1969, Khaled was part of a team that hijacked
TWA Flight 840 on its way from Rome to Athens, diverting the Boeing 707 to Damascus. No-one was injured,
but the aircraft was blown up after hostages had disembarked. The PFLP leadership thought that Rabin, then Israeli ambassador to the United States, would be on board.
Sport
Sport
16 SA
SA JEWISH
JEWISH REPORT
REPORT
16
5 – 12
2014
30 January
– 6December
February 2015
BillieGrainger
Jean helpsnamed
Women’s
Benevolent
fundraiser
Earl
new
Davis Cup
captain
JACK MILNER
MILNER
JACK
One Grainger
of the greatest
tennis
players
of allAfrica’s
time,
Earl
has been
named
South
Billie Jean
King,
hascaptain,
donatedwith
memorabilia
to
interim
Davis
Cup
immediate
the Johannesburg Jewish Women’s Benevolent
effect.
Society
help them
funds.
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is dueraise
to play
a Euro/Africa
Marlene
herself
a tennis
player of
Zone
GroupBethlehem,
2 tie against
Turkey
in Mersin
note who
has6participated
on the
from
March
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little time
platform,to
used
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for
available
fill her
the contacts
gap left by
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recent
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that they
nation
John-Laffnie
decould
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well
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Earl,
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ofknown
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tenandcoaches
not onlyindid
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but also
nis
theshe
country,
appointed
Fed
a signed
of last
her book
as well
a poster,”
Cup
teamedition
captain
year and
hasasalready
said Marlene.
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wasrapport
also involved
in a
managed
to build
upJean
a good
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concert
to raise
fundsso,
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an Aids
concert
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he is
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coach
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signedChani
the poster
along with
rica’s
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1 player,
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into
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including Grand Slam winners
the
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Roddick,after
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Graf,
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discussions
with
and Andrehas
Agassi.
Grainger,
confirmed she will be playing
held a rafflEurope/Africa
e and the winner
was Rael
in “We
the upcoming
Group
2 tie
Berelowitz,”
said Marlene.
in
Tallinn, Estonia
from February 4 to 7. This
winner
livesin
in 10
London,
willAsbethe
the
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der Linde at
Africa
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As a player
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and
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Annecone
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Goldie.
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herSectional
vice-president,
Annette
Angel,
US
Indoor
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title have
with donated
Annemanywho
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time
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cone,
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on to
to the
coach
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Benevolent.
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between
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best-ever
players
such
as Pete
Sampras,
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they have
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and
Roger
Federer.
tion
is 121
years old,
having
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Jewish
Earl
practised
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prestigious
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people of Johannesburg
continuously.
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with Jimmy
Those
whoHooper,
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MikeJean
de Palmer
be aff
ected by her
and charm.
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learned his coaching
career
She is outspoken
and does
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senior
started
words.
In 2002 she
was in South Africa for the
Nick
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which
Players
who
have
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names at
his
on that
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joined
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World
Earl
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theDavis
organisation
owned by
Billie
Central
include
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Dean
Jean andand
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Kloss,
at Sun as
City.
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Ruan
Roelofse
well as Fed Cup
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to the youngsters
teammates
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andbetween
Natasha11
and 14, Billie Jean was amazed by how many of
Fourouclas.
the
players did not
know
namesjob
ofwith
somethe
of
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has
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a great
the tennis
fromthe
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respective
counDavis
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team over
past
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and
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youshoes
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from,
Itries.
realise
will bewhere
toughyou
to come
fill,” said
how do
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Earl.
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role
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ongoing”
what she
he has
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her bestme
“I
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TSA from
approached
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chamand
can assure
everyone
I will be 100
pion committed
is afraid of losing.
else is afraid of
cent
to the Everyone
task at hand.”
winning.”
JJ van der Linde (centre) accepts the
Billie Jean King memorabilia from Jewish
Benevolent
President
Earl
GraingerSociety
has been
named Marlene
as South
Bethlehem
(left)
and
Vice-President
Annette
Africa’s new Davis Cup captain.
Angel on behalf of winner Rael Berelowitz.
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Cost: R40
tea andhe
snacks).
fairytale
behind
good
horses.
That’s
what racing
Whenever
they
come
here
they
take
a
bit
of
Enquiries: (011) 646-6170.
is about. Horses come just out of the blue and
time to settle down, but I thought his Queen’s
• Majestic
Filmwhere
Society and
Today present
a matinee
screening, by Selwyn
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it’sKlass,
weird.”
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run,
heRadio
finished
second
to Futura,
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to the Commonwealth.
Venue:
Ditsong
of Military
History
rode in Hong
Kong
forMuseum
11 years
in the
was
beautiful and he’s come on a bit since then.
Auditorium, Saxonwold. Time: 14:30. Cost: R100. Bookings: (011) 486-3648 or majestic@telkomsa.net
latter years of his career and was champion
“I could feel he’s a very intelligent horse and
seven
occasions.
has also
won
the
he
knows
what
to
do.
Once
he’s
on
the
grass
he
• Big Band Music Appreciation Society meets at St John’s College Auditorium,jockey
Houghton.on
Harry
Fidler from
Ballito Bay He
will present
a tribute
to Glenn
Met
on
two
occasions
with
Foveros
and
Model
comes
alive.
He
becomes
a
lot
more
alert
and
Miller featuring previously unheard material and recordings. Time: 14:15 sharp. Enquiries: Marilyn, 072-243-7436 or Jack, 082-450-7622.
Man, the two horses he rates among the best he
doesn’t get excited.
• Jaffa’s
morning
placea from
08:30he
- 12:00
at 42be
Mackie Street,
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has
everMuckleneuk
ridden.Pretoria. There will be second-hand clothing,
“In fact,
if market
Louistakes
were
person
would
tombola, a delicatessen, tea garden, books, personalised printing cards and much more.
MANY E
IN-STOARLS
SPECI
MANGO
PIECES
500g
54
Specials
while
stocks
last
For all your
Kosher
99
needs this
MANY E
IN-STOARLS
SPECI
99
99
39 3399 Shabbos
22
49
Great deals this Tu B’shevat on dried fruit & nuts
NORTHWIND
Extra Large
Eggs
18’s
99
COOLDRINKS
340ml Cans
6 PACK
VARIOUS
FLAVOURS
per 6
pack
CARDIN
Margarine
CHICKEN
500g
BRAAI
PACK
/kg
R
ORDIENE
L
N R
O
ORDIENE
ONL
Offers valid till 4th February ‘15
1 LONG AVENUE CNR RIDGE AND SUMMERWAY GLENHAZEL | CALL: 011 440 9517 | info@kosherworld.co.za | www.kosherworld.co.za
| CALL: 011 440 9517 | info@kosherworld.co.za | www.kosherworld.co.za
1 LONG AVENUE CNR RIDGE AND SUMMERWAY GLENHAZEL
TRADING HOURS: MON-THURS 7AM-10PM || FRI: 7AM-4PM || SAT:1/2 HOUR AFTER SHABBOS -10PM || SUN: 8AM - 10PM
TRADING HOURS: MON-THURS 7AM-10PM FRI: 7AM-4PM SAT:1/2 HOUR AFTER SHABBOS -10PM SUN: 8AM - 10PM
SPACEWORX_1130_JR
ELEMENTS_1126_JR
WHILE
STOCKS
LAST