FEDSPEAk - The Jewish Agency

ISRAEL, NATION OF CREATION
ISRAEL / SOUTH AFRICA EXPO
ISRAEL CENTRE SOUTH AFRICA
JNF SOUTH AFRICA
The 48th SAZF Conference has arrived!
Page 1 - 3
Showcasing Israel as one of the word’s
most forward thinking nations
Page 4 - 6
Experience Israel, explore your future.
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Tu B’Shevat in the park.
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I S R A E L
A N D
T H E
S O U T H
A F R I C A N
Z I O N I S T
F E D E R A T I O N
A s h a r e d t o m o r r o w
www.sazionfed.co.za
a p u b l i c at i o n o f t h e s o u t h a f r i c a n z i o n i s t f e d e r at i o n i n a s s o c i at i o n w i t h t h e i u a
Volume 1 FEBRUARY 2015
The much anticipated and eagerly awaited 48th SAZF
Conference is on our doorstep: taking place on Saturday night
7th March 2015 (the official and glitzy opening) and on Sunday
8th March (the Conference proceedings).
The SAZF Conferences have always been of the highest
standard, memorable and professional, presenting some of the
finest international and local speakers on Israel and Zionist
South Africa to the audiences.
48th SAZF Conference • 7th March 2015 • 20h00
Bookings
www.ticibox.com • 0861 444 225
Queries
sazf@beyachad.co.za • 011 645 2531 / 2510
This Conference continues that excellence, with addresses by
Canadian Professor Irwin Cotler, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat,
Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, and 2013 recipient
of the Blackberry Entrepreneur of the Year Award Gadi Mazor.
You will find the biographies of some of the speakers in this
issue of Fedspeak.
FEDSPEAK
www.sazionfed.co.za
FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 1
PAGE 2
IRWIN COTLER
NIR BARKAT
MP Labour Party
Canada
Law
Professor,
Constitutional
and
Comparative Law Scholar, International
Human Rights Lawyer, Counsel to prisoners of
conscience, NGO Head, Public Intellectual,
Peace Activist, Member of Parliament, and
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
of Canada – Irwin Cotler has been variously
described in these roles and responsibilities as
being “at the forefront of the struggle for justice,
peace and human rights.”
He is ending his tenure as a
Canadian Member of Parliament,
having been first elected in a
by-election in November 1999
with 92% of the votes. He was
re-elected in the general elections of November
2000, June 2004, and January 2006, with the
highest Liberal majority in the country, and, most
recently, in October 2008.
On December 12, 2003, the Prime
Minister appointed Professor
Cotler Minister of Justice and
Attorney General of Canada. He
was reappointed following the General Election
of June 2004 and served in that office until the
general election of January 2006, when the
Liberal government was defeated. As Minister of
Justice and Attorney General, he helped transform
the face of the judiciary through appointing two
women justices to the Supreme Court of Canada,
thus making it the most gender representative
Supreme Court in the world.
DECEMBER 2003
12
Professor Cotler is a Professor
of Law at McGill University,
where he is Director of its Human
Rights Programme, and Chair
of InterAmicus, the McGill-based International
Human Rights Advocacy Centre. He has been
a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School, a
Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Yale Law School,
and is the recipient of nine Honorary Doctorates,
including from the Hebrew University Jerusalem.
An international human rights
lawyer, Professor Cotler served
as Counsel to former prisoners of
conscience in the former Soviet
Union (Andrei Sakharov & Nathan Sharansky),
South Africa (Nelson Mandela), Latin America
(Jacobo Timmerman), and Asia (Trade Union
Leader Muchtar Pakpahan). More recently, he
served as Counsel to the leading democracy
advocate in the Arab world, Professor Saad
Edin Ibrahim; and as International Legal Council
to Shoaib Choudhury, a Muslim Bangladesh
journalist charged with sedition, treason, and
blaspheme for advocating inter-faith dialogue and
peace with Israel.
A noted peace activist, Professor
Cotler has been a leader in the
movement for arms control, and
helped develop “Peace Law” as an
area of both academic inquiry and
legal advocacy. He has been engaged - both as
scholar and participant observer - in the search
for peace in the Middle East. He has lectured
in both Arab countries and Israel for over thirty
years, and has been an active participant in
rapprochement dialogues between Israelis
and Palestinians.
A long-time advocate in the international struggle
against racism and discrimination of any kind,
Professor Cotler was at the forefront of the
international struggle against apartheid, as well
as the architect of legal remedies against racism
in Canada and beyond.
NATAN
SHARANSKY
Mayor of
Jerusalem
Chairman Jewish
Agency Israel
Nir Barkat was born in 1959 and brought
Known and acclaimed worldwide as one of
up in Jerusalem. He studied at the Hebrew
the founders of the Refusenik movement in
University Jerusalem, where he obtained a
Moscow, Natan Sharansky is a prominent
BA in Computer Science.
Israeli politician, human rights activist and
author, who spent many years in a Soviet
prison for allegedly spying for the Defence
In 2003 Nir entered politics
VOTE
2003
Intelligence Agency.
for the first time, when
he
founded
the
Yerushalayim
Since 2009 he has
served as Chairman of the Executive of the
party
Jewish Agency.
Tatzli’ah
(“Jerusalem Will Succeed”) and ran in the
As an activist, Sharansky was
Jerusalem mayoral race, gaining 43% of the vote
arrested in Moscow on 15 March
but losing to Uri Lupoliansky. The result was that
1977 and charged; and he was
he became head of the opposition on the city
convicted in 1978 on multiple crimes (including
council, a position he held until the 2008 election.
treason, which carried the death penalty). During
the years of his imprisonment, Sharansky became
On November 11th, 2008, Nir
a symbol for human rights in general and Soviet
Barkat was elected the 9th
Jewry in particular.
mayor of Jerusalem, the eternal
For 13 years his wife
capital of the Jewish people, and
Avital
inaugurated into office on December 2nd 2008 at
campaigned
age 49. He gained 52% of the votes, defeating
tirelessly for his right to emigrate to Israel, and
his main rival Meir Porush, who won 43% of the
– after his arrest and exile to Siberia – for his
freedom. He was finally released in exchange for
votes, and coming in as a secular politician.
a Soviet spy on 11 February 1986; and he and his
wife then flew home to Israel and thousands of
When elected to the position
waiting welcomers.
of mayor, he immediately
started out on a path of active
In
civic engagement and reform
2003
from
beyond the city council to address education, the
the
Sharansky
resigned
Knesset
because
of his opposition to Sharon’s
negative migration of Jerusalem’s young adults,
disengagement plan from Gaza,
and the need for lasting economic development.
but he remained party chairman, and decided to
merge it into Likud, which had won the election.
The mayor has combined his philanthropic
He was appointed Minister of Jerusalem Affairs
leadership with his business
/ Minister without Portfolio, responsible for
background in a number of
Jerusalem, social and Jewish diaspora affairs.
projects. The most important is
Previously he had served as the Deputy Prime
the Israel Venture Network that he founded and
Minister of Israel, Minister of Housing and
which is a venture capital network that invests in
Construction from March 2001, Interior Minister
social initiatives across Jerusalem.
of Israel (July 1999 – resigned in July 2000) and
Minister of Trade and Industry from 1996 to 1999.
VOTE
2013
When he ran again in the
2013
Jerusalem
He was re-elected to the
mayoral
Knesset in March 2006 as a
elections, he was endorsed
member of the Likud Party;
by the Labour Party; he also
but resigned from the Knesset in November 2006
had the tacit support of Meretz, which withdrew
to form the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies.
its candidate, Pepe Alalu, in order not to split the
Since 2007, Sharansky has been Chairman of the
vote and steal votes away from Barkat. He was
Board of Beit Hatefusot, the Jewish diaspora
re-elected with 52% of the vote. And in the same
museum, and chairman of the executive of the
year he was named the 43rd most influential
Jewish Agency for Israel since 2009.
Jewish person in 2013.
Natan and Avital Sharansky have two daughters,
Nir and Beverly Barkat have three daughters.
Rachel and Hannah.
2
Avishay
Braverman
MK for the
Labour Party
Avishay Braverman is an Israeli economist
and politician. A former president of the
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, he is
currently a member of the Knesset for the
Labour Party and the head of the Economic
Affairs Committee.
Born in Israel in 1948, he
completed his army service
with the rank of Lieutenant.
An economist by profession,
Professor Braverman earned his B.A. in Economics
and Statistics at Tel Aviv University and his Ph.D in
Economics from Stanford University in 1976.
First elected to the Knesset in 2006,
Braverman served on Economic Affairs
Committee and the Finance Committee,
which he also chaired. He also served
as chairman of the Pensioners’ Lobby;
and as Minister of Minority Affairs from March 2009
until his resignation in January 2011.
Professor Braverman worked for
14 years at the World Bank where
he held the positions of Senior
and Principal Economist as well as
Division Chief. During his tenure,
he conducted research and was
responsible for formulating policy and evaluating
projects throughout South America, Africa, Asia,
the Middle East and Eastern Europe with a focus on
economic development and social justice.
He served as a Director of both
Makhteshim Agan Industries
Ltd and Israel Corporation Ltd.
He is a member of many international economic
associations as well as being a member of
the Russian Academy of Natural Science and
the Israeli-American High-Tech Commission.
In recognition of his contribution
to education in Israel and the
development of the Negev, he received
the 1999 Ben-Gurion Prize as well
as the 2000 Rotary International
and the Lions Club Man of the Year prizes.
Professor Braverman is the
author of several books and
numerous articles on subjects
BOOKS
emanating from his professional
experience in fields including:
economic and institutional
development, agricultural economics, industrial
organization and public policy, and water and resource
management. Today he lectures widely on issues of
economic development in the changing world and
places a particular emphasis on the economic effects
of peace in the Middle East.
Professor
Braverman
has
received
honorary
degrees
and academic awards from
several institutions for his work
on economic development. In 2003, he received
Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from the
Jewish Theological Seminary for his contributions
to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
In November 2005, Braverman
announced his intention to become
involved in politics. Despite rumours
that he would join Kadima, in a
move viewed as surprising, he
ended up joining the Labour Party, and was
elected to the Knesset in the 2006 elections.
Prior to the 2009 elections he won
fourth place on the party’s primaries,
retaining his seat in the subsequent
election. He opposed the decision of the Labour Party
to enter the Netanyahu government in March 2009, but
shortly afterwards it was announced that he would be
entering the government as Minister without Portfolio,
focusing on Minority Affairs, and later became the
Minister of Minority Affairs. He resigned from the
cabinet after Ehud Barak left the Labour Party; and in
December 2014 announced that he would be retiring
from politics, but would continue to give his support
to the Labour Party and its leader Isaac Herzog.
FEDSPEAK
www.sazionfed.co.za
FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 1
2002 – 2015: The South African Zionist
Federation, after a period of quiet
introspection in the latter years of the 20th
century, was revitalized and re-energised,
and has once again taken its position on
the podium of communal organisations,
up there with the best.
Under the chairmanship of
Avrom Krengel, the SAZF has
brought huge chunks of Israel to
South Africa: its history, politics,
culture, innovations, inventions, excellence and
more. It has entertained and amused both the
Jewish and the wider communities; it has fought
fiercely for Israel’s right to a voice and to tell her
story in context; it has encouraged a love of Israel
among adults and children; it has staged lavish
and magnificent productions around the theme of
Israel; it has hosted concerts, orchestras, dance
groups, and social and medical photographic
exhibitions; and it has educated and astounded
audiences by bringing to South Africa members
of government, chairmen of various organisations,
political analysts, spokespeople for NGOs,
historians, archaeologists, military experts,
musicians, singers, dancers, actors, comediennes,
artists, all of the highest calibre, from both Israel
and across the world.
It has supported the Zionist
Youth Movements; it has held
memorial services for the many
who died in horrific terrorist
attacks; it has commemorated
national days of solemnity and
celebrated joyous holidays; and it has hosted
numerous peace rallies in support of Israel and
against those who would cause her demise.
Members of its executive committee have met
with the highest echelons of government in South
Africa, to put Israel’s case across and to help
South Africans understand the unique position
Israel holds in the international community.
They have also met with the highest echelons
of government in Israel where they have been
received with fanfare and respect; and have
become well-known names on the Israel/
Zionist landscape.
The SAZF has unflinchingly and
unceasingly fought and defended
Israel’s case in the national
media. For more than 12 years the
Media Team Israel has monitored,
assessed, criticized, challenged and responded
to blatant anti-Israel (now more anti-Semitic)
sentiments in both print and electronic media;
the Team’s volunteers have given their time,
their energy and their emotions to ensure that
So
Israel’s truth receives the space it deserves; they
have taken newspapers to the Ombudsman and
radio and television stations to the Broadcasting
Complaints Commission. They have lost more
cases than they have won, but that has not
deterred them from continuing their crusade.
Their name and their writings are respected even
by those who oppose their ideology; and they
wield influence and strength far in excess of their
small number. members.
N at i o n
,
l
e
of
a
r
Bill Gates, Carlos Slim Helu, Donald
Trump and Warren Buffet are all
multi-billionaires, with much in
common. But there’s something
lesser known about these four: they
stand amongst an ever-growing
number of people that have or are
currently investing millions of dollars in
the Israeli tech industry. More specifically,
Israeli tech startups.
South Africa Friends of
Israel and Outreach
Bill Gates attributes it to the
people. He has been quoted as
saying, “While startups in Israel are
similar to those in Silicon Valley,
there are specialists in Israel in
fields like information security who get much of
their experience from their service in the army.
The science and technology curriculum in Israeli
universities is also of a very high standard. The
level of technological integration in the country is
evident. The use of fast speed internet, lap tops
and cell phones is advanced here and puts Israel
at cutting edge of world technology.”
SAFI – South Africa Friends of Israel – was
established as a branch of the SAZF two
years ago, its primary objective being to
establish and maintain the vibrant
relationships that exist between the
Christian, Hindu and Jewish communities.
These partners have time and time again shown
their unwavering support for Israel; with the
relationships between them thriving and
continuing to grow through projects that move
towards ensuring a better standard of living for
all South Africans. SAFI now provides a perfect
platform allowing these additional communities
to voice and express their indisputable support
for Israel
Warren Buffet, on the other
hand, attributes it to the Israeli
government. In an interview
with an Israeli paper, Buffet
commented on the positive climate
for investors provided by the Israeli government.
He said that Israel is “a nation of entrepreneurs
with fantastic capabilities. You [Israel] need to
continue providing the best and most comfortable
conditions for investors. This is the responsibility
of the government, which ensures a positive
climate for investors.”
The SAZF Staff
Carlos Slim Helu, however,
invests because he views Israel
as a pioneering leader in the tech
industry. He was quoted saying,
“We like to have our finger on the
pulse of everything regarding new technologies
and I know that in this Israel is a world leader, so
we are interested in Israeli developments.”
Professional staff members Isla Feldman
(Director), Froma Sacks, Miriam Garb, Lisa
Peretz, Bev Goldman and Benji Shulman are
the backbone and foundation of the SAZF.
Despite being few in number, they have ensured
over the years that the Federation has remained
in the forefront and spotlight of Jewish Zionist
activities; and they are definitely the wheels that
propel the Fed forward. They are all specialists in
their fields; but they are also all multi-taskers and
are multi-faceted in what they are able to do. The
success of the myriad of Zionist and Israel-related
events that have been arranged over the years
is due to their precision, perfection and focus.
Donald Trump invests because
he is a big fan of Israel. He said,
“Frankly, a strong prime minister is
a strong Israel,, and you truly have
a great prime minister in Benjamin
Netanyahu – there’s nobody like him! He’s highly
respected; he’s highly thought of by all.”
Israel is today’s nation of
innovation. It has more
start-ups per capita than
any other. In the areas
of water and energy, Israel is experiencing an
increasing leadership role in the global economy.
Its stature in medical devices, healt hcare, water,
clean-tech and agricultural technology is recognised
internationally. It is the go-to address for cyber
and information security, because it has a strong
ecosystem of information security enterprises and
a government willing to test new tools.
They have managed the most onerous tasks often
in the shortest possible times; they have ensured
smooth navigation through a multitude of obstacles
often thrust in their way; they have soothed ruffled
feathers, calmed down prima donnas, drawn the
very best out of their compatriots, raised monies,
lived up to expectations, been answerable to those
in positions of power, debated and discussed;
and always and on time, they have delivered the
goods, goods of the highest quality. They are
superwomen (and a superman) whose loyalty to and
passion for the SAZF are unrivalled. Kol Hakavod
to them for the amazing work they have done.
3
eation”?
Cr
13 Wonderful Years
w hy “
Is
PAGE 3
When Tel Aviv was one of
the 28 cities designated as
new members of UNESCO’s
creative cities network, Tel
Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said, “Tel Aviv’s entrance
to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network reflects
the world’s recognition of the city’s contribution
to the present and the future – recognition of Tel
Aviv as a vibrant center of cultural creation and
breakthrough technology, the creative industries
and the focus of the original visionary scene of
digital innovation and initiatives.”
The epicenter of Israel’s scientific
prowess is the WEIZMANN
Institute and its Levinson
Visitors Centre which hosts some 30,000 guests
a year and is the starting point for a visit to the
institute’s scientific campus. The center, with its
unique interactive exhibits and state of the art
multimedia presentations, offers a rare glimpse
into the wonders of the Weizmann Institute and
the Clore Garden of Science, a unique outdoor
science museum.
The MATAM Technology Park
is located near the entrance to
Haifa and houses numerous Israeli
technology companies including
Intel’s original Israeli office. One of the earliest
companies to operate out of the MATAM complex
was also one of the first to develop an internet
browser. This was NetManage which developed
the Chameleon Browser in the early 1990’s,
technologically predating the Netscape browser
which ushered in the dotcom era.
Israel has the world’s most productive cows.
Israel is responsible for inventing the epilator.
Israel developed WAZE, the GPS- based travel
app which gives turn-by-turn information and
up to date traffic statistics. Israel developed
the pillcam, the first pill that can be swallowed
to record images of the digestive tract. Israel
developed the USB flash drive. Israel developed
the technology to produce drinking water out of
thin air. Israel invented modern drip irrigation.
Israel developed the beloved cherry tomato. Israel
developed Viber, an app available for download on
any smart phone which allows one to make calls
across the world for free, using Wifi. Other Israeli
innovations include instant messaging, lightningfast computer processors, Mobileye technology,
First Care Emergency bandage, SensAHeart, the
NICOM non-invasive cardiac output monitor to
prevent sepsis, the Lubo Airway Collar, the Agilite
Instant Harness, the Babysense breathing monitor,
the Hyginex bracelet, the iMayDay iPhone app,
the Blizzard Jacket, the Israeli-made Skysaver,
the Oxitone watch, the BiondVax universal flu
vaccine, the world’s first solar window, Disk on
Key, Indigo digital printing presses ….
Name it and it’s been done in Israel. The Nation
of Creation indeed!
FEDSPEAK
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FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 1
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FEDSPEAK
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FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 1
PAGE 5
SA/ISRAEL EXPO
The Expo is an opportunity
to share with the world
Israel’s success
as one of the foremost,
forward thinking nations
The South African Zionist Federation
SA/Israel Expo to be held on
8 March 2015 at the Johannesburg
Sandton Convention Centre
Join us and
stand a chance to
Explore travel,
educational and living
opportunities
in Israel.
BE PART OF THE HEART
OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE
AND SUPPORT THE
FIRST EVER
SA/ISRAEL EXPO
per person
The event will showcase
the best of local and Israeli
businesses, companies and
associations
heart of the
Jewish People
and support the
SA/Israel Expo
R20 kids under 10
For Bookings:
www.ticibox.com
0861 444 225
a car, local &
international air
tickets, watches, hotel
accommodation...
A place to
celebrate
Jewish and Israeli
business
innovation
Loads of entertainment,
kids rides and fun
activities will excite
Be part of the
the whole family
R50
WIN
For Queries:
sazf@beyachad.co.za
011 645 2531 / 011 645 2510
5
FEDSPEAK
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FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 1
PAGE 6
8h00
1
–
0
09h0
ay5
d
n
Su h 201
rc
8 Ma
The first South Africa Israel Expo will be
held on Sunday 8th March; and under
the aegis of the SA Zionist Federation, in
association with the SA Israel Chamber
of Commerce (SAICC) Centre, the Israel
Centre and the Embassy of Israel, more
than 120 assorted exhibitors will present
themselves to the huge crowds that will be
in attendance.
and failing to understand why the SAZF is not
the JNF and why the SAJBD is not the SABJE.
This Expo is therefore their ideal opportunity for
presenting themselves; and at the same time
paying tribute in a unique manner to Israel, the
link that unites them all irrespective of what
they do. Could there be a finer environment than
this Expo for presenting their beliefs and their
activities? That’s doubtful indeed.
Late last year the SAZF hosted an incredibly
successful Solidarity Rally for Israel; and this
Expo aims to continue that momentum, giving
the Jewish community another opportunity to
show its pride in, solidarity with and support
for Israel. These are stressful times indeed
for the Jewish community both locally and
internationally. Anti-Semitism is at an alltime high, and diaspora communities often
feel vulnerable and susceptible. This Expo
is the perfect chance for us to join together,
to unite for Israel and the Jewish world, and
to show the world our combined strength and
our determination to keep Israel at the heart of
the community.
which use Israeli technology boast about being
at the cutting edge of their sectors; Israeli
companies importing their products into South
Africa have a loyal and devoted client basis;
traffic between the two countries is not merely
constant but always on the increase, exciting
and energizing the market; and new ventures
between both are playing a greater role than
ever before.
The Expo will be open from mid-morning Sunday
to late afternoon, giving visitors more than
enough time to be present; and throughout the
day there will be entertainment, a delectable
assortment of foods available, and wonderful
prizes including……A CAR! In addition there
are air-tickets to Israel for two; a 5-Star hotel
holiday stay for two; vouchers for Sorbet;
watches from Jetline; theatre tickets from
Daphne Kuhn; and much more. And everyone
present will be in the lucky draw – automatically!
What a win!
In addition to the very comprehensive number
of communal organisations participating, giving
community members an excellent opportunity
to meet with the staff and board members, and
get information on those with which they may
not be very familiar, there will also be numerous
businesses present, both local and Israeli,
including airlines, travel agencies, educational
institutions, agricultural technology, hotels,
banks and media.
The Israel Centre hosts an annual Aliyah Expo
focusing on all the benefits offered to potential
olim to Israel. These have been most successful
over the years; and participating at this SA-Israel
Expo will be a number of Israeli companies that
make Aliyah easier: banks, medical aid schemes,
property rental and purchase businesses,
institutions of higher learning and others that
provide invaluable services to those South
Africans contemplating making the move to live
The Expo will host all the local Israel-related and in Israel.
Zionist communal organisations, giving each
one a much-valued chance to educate visitors Businesses are exhibiting because the business
in their individual ideologies and programmes. connections and bilateral trade between South
Despite much media coverage, there are still Africa and Israel are strong and sturdy, and have
many in the community who are confused by brought countless benefits to the many who are
the different organisations, mixing them up involved in these associations. Local companies
Entertainment during the day will include live
music from one of Israel’s most popular music
groups, Israeli dance groups, local singers, an
exhibition on The History of Zionism in South
Africa, and an art exhibition. There will be a
special play-area for kiddies, and a games area
for the older, more sophisticated teens. There
will be a “Hyde Park” style speakers’ corner,
where talks on various topics and institutions
will be given throughout the day. There will be
food stores galore to satisfy the most discerning
palate; and there will be ample seating available
for all.
I “heart” Israel: Je Suis Juif
Bookings
61 444 225
www.ticibox.com • 08
Queries
.za • 011 645 2531 / 2510
.co
ad
ch
ya
be
zf@
sa
6
ISRAEL CENTRE SOUTH AFRICA
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JEWISH NATIONAL FUND SOUTH AFRICA
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