THE MONTHLY JOURNAL OF THE KWAZULU-NATAL

June 2013
Established 1923
Volume 17 No. 9
MOSHIACH'S HARP by Michoel Muchnik
T H E M O N T H LY J O U R N A L O F T H E K WA Z U L U - N ATA L J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y
EDITORIAL
Contents
Editorial
In Perspective
page 2
page 3
ISRAEL
Zulu King marks Israeli Independence event in SA
Israel sends Noah's Ark of animals to Turkey
Israelis cycle Mount Everest
page 4
page 6
page 6
JEWISH WORLD
What Boston hospitals learned from Israel
Oil-rich Qatar pushing to make its name as a
mideast peace broker
Past Tense
COMMUNITY NEWS
Bubkes
Durban United Hebrew Congregation
DIVOTE
Chabad of the North Coast
Eden College
Durban Holocaust Centre
Durban Kollel
Moriah
Umhlanga Jewish Day School
Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah Generations
Letter to the Editor
KwaZulu-Natal Zionist Council
Durban Progressive Jewish Congregation
Council of KwaZulu-Natal Jewry
Wotsup Wizo
Union of Jewish Women
Above Board
Cooking with Judy & Linda
Social & Personal
Diary of Events
page 7
page 8
page 9
page 10
page 11
page 12
page 13
page 14
page 14
page 15
page 15
page 16
page 17
page 17
page 17
page 18 -19
page 20
page 20
page 21
page 22
page 23
page 23
page 24
page 24
The views expressed in the pages of Hashalom are not necessarily
those of the Editorial Board or any other organisation or religious
body unless otherwise stated. Hashalom merely reflects views of
that particular organisation or individual.
Hashalom Editorial Board:
Chairman: Prof Marcus Arkin Editor: Prof Antony Arkin
Commitee: Dr Issy Fisher, Ms Diane McColl, Mrs Lauren Shapiro.
Production Manager/Secretary: Mrs Mikki Norton
Notice to Organisations/Contributors:
All material to be submitted by email to
hashalom@djc.co.za
DEADLINE FOR THE JULY ISSUE: 7 June 2013
Advertisements
Contact: Mrs. Mikki Norton
P.O. Box 10797 Marine Parade 4056
Tel: (031) 335 4451 Fax: (031) 337 9600 Email: hashalom@djc.co.za
Hashalom is published under the auspices of the Council of KwaZulu-Natal
Jewry, the KwaZulu-Natal Zionist Council and the Durban Jewish Club.
Typesetting Supplied.
Designed by Flying Ant Designs, email: dtp@flyingant.co.za
Printed by Fishwick Printers
Visit our website: www.hashalom.co.za
2 HASHALOM
June 2013
THE DISGRACE
AT THE WALL
L
Prof Antony Arkin
ast month's confrontation at the Western Wall between
members of Women of the Wall and haredi Jews appeared
in every major newspaper and television service throughout
the world. Women of the Wall are best known for fighting for
the rights of women from all Jewish denominations to pray
aloud, read from the Torah and wear tallitot and tefillin, all of
which is permitted by halacha. Praying women were spat on and
cursed by thousands of haredi worshippers at the Kotel, some
of whom threw stones, garbage and coffee at them. It was a
hillul Hashem, a desecration of the name of God, of the Jewish
people and the State of Israel.
As Jeremy Sharon wrote in the Jerusalem Post "Now the Women
of the Wall issue has risen to the top of Israel's national debate
and political agenda, in conjunction with ... an ever sharpening
dispute about the role of religion in public life".
The Kotel symbolizes for world Jewry their collective
identification with Jerusalem. Its liberation in 1967 symbolized
finally the coming home to Jerusalem as a free people. The
paratroopers of 1967 liberated it for the whole Jewish people.
The first mass pilgrimage to the Wall in 1967, on Shavuot, mere
days after the end of the war, was a spontaneous outpouring
of hundreds of thousands of Israelis, without any separation
between men and women, secularists and haredim.
But the decades since have created a haredi lock on the Kotel
plaza. Police have occasionally arrested members of the Women
of the Wall for their activities, arguing they violate a 2003
Supreme Court decision barring them from wearing tallitot and
reading from the Torah, because those actions deviate from
the Orthodox "tradition of the site", upset other worshippers
and cause disturbances. An April 25 decision by the Jerusalem
District Court ruled however that the Supreme Court decision
did not warrant arrests of the Women of the Wall activists. This
was a significant victory for the group.
The rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinowitz, called for
calm and Jewish unity. "The Western Wall is the one uniting place
we have left". A credible solution does exist for accomodating
non-Orthodox forms of prayer at the Wall. Jewish Agency head
Natan Sharansky recently presented a plan, backed by the
government, which would create a dignified, ample space for
egalitarian prayer.
For the first time the government of Israel has committed to
building and subsidizing an egalitarian "synagogue". This is a historic
victory for religious pluralism. As Yossi Klein Halevi of the Shalom
Hartman Institute argued in the Jerusalem Post: "The Sharansky
plan is also a victory for Zionism. At its core, Zionism is an ideology
of Jewish people-hood. The genius of classical Zionism was its
ability to include almost every variety of Jewish ideology- from
Marxist to capitalist, from anti-clericalist to theocratic - under a
shared, basic commitment. As modernity fragmented the Jews
into rival camps, Zionism insisted that those identities were mere
adjectives, and that the unifying noun was "Jew".
To be true to itself, the state that was founded by Zionism
must accommodate all parts of the Jewish people. That is what
Sharansky is offering.
IN PERSPECTIVE
WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH
T
here is a long-standing tradition in Judaism, beginning
with the Biblical references, which emphasise the human,
earthly, non-cosmic function of the Messiah and limits his
role to restoring political sovereignty under the kingship of a
"scion of the House of David" (Jer. 30.9).
The reason for minimizing the importance of the person of the
Messiah seems to have been to magnify God's direct involvement
in the Messianic drama. But the brutal Roman occupation added
fuel to popular speculation about the name and personality of
God's chosen agent who would announce the impending end
of the world.
By the second century CE the figure of the Messianic king had
become almost totally mythologised. The highly respected sage
Rabbi Akiva, whose choice of Bar Kochba who led the abortive
revolt against the Romans in 132-135 CE as the Messiah, taught
that there are two thrones in heaven, one for God and one for
the Messiah.
These Rabbinic speculations are modest compared to the virtually
unrestrained mythological elements found in the apocalyptic
writings like IV Esdras, where the Messiah is envisaged as a
human-like being who is blown up from the depths of the seas,
flies through the air, strikes terror into all who hear or behold his
presence, defeats the wicked by consuming them by the fire of
his breath, and only then begins the ingathering of the exiles and
the restoration of political sovereignty that was the mark of the
Messiah at an earlier time. This represents quite a change from
the impressive but thoroughly human picture given by Isaiah
(11.2), "The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of
wisdom and insight, the spirit of counsel and heroism, the spirit
of knowledge and Godliness".
Further complications and attempts to identify the figure of the
Messiah is the influential rabbinic belief in a second Messiah called
Messiah ben Joseph. The Messiah ben Joseph was supposed
to arrive prior to the Messiah ben David and was to die in the
battle against the forces of evil. Only then would God send the
Messiah ben David, who would defeat the enemies of God,
gather the exiles and inaugurate the Messianic age. The suffering
of the Messiah ben Joseph was not seen as atonement for the
sins of the people but merely as part of the general violence and
moral collapse which is also a sign of the pre-Messianic age.
Prof Marcus Arkin
in the Messianic age. The word Messiah means "The annointed
one" and so the holy oil would be used to annoint the Messiah,
who would then take the rod of Aaron with its ripe almonds and
flowering blossoms.
The most profound way the rabbis found to diffuse the
anarchistic elements in the messianic expectations of the people
was to reinforce the ancient biblical view that redemption only
followed repentance. The teachings of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah
and Jeremiah succinctly expressed by Rabbi Eliezer are that "
if they do not repent they will not be redeemed". Charity and
repentance are singled out as the most effective qualities in
bringing the Messiah.
The most important belief about the Messianic age was
that at that time all the dead would be reuntied in a general
resurrection and Day of Judgement in which final verdicts would
be pronounced upon all persons. Learning, which languished
during early messianic times, would be revived. The great
academies of Babylonia would be transported to the Holy Land
and God himself would be the chief of the academy and teach
the true order of the Biblical verses, which He alone knows.
Even before the medieval mystical turn of Judaism, the profound
hope took root that the peace and wholeness of the Messianic
age would encompass both God and the people who had
wandered and suffered for so long all in the belief that "Though
he tarries, yet will I await him".
Troy Schonken
www.djc.co.za
The basis of the belief that Elijah's appearance on earth is a
necessary prerequisite for the Messianic age is the prophecy
found at the end of the book of Malachi (3.23 -24) "Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the hearts of the
fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their
fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse".
Elijah is identitified not only as a prophet but also as a priest in
the lineage of Aaron and Eliezer. In connection with that priestly
role a beautiful teaching is preserved that Elijah will bring with
him three things for the Messianic age. First, the manna that fed
the Israelites in their wanderings in the desert; second, the flask
of water and the flask of oil that were used to purify and annoint
the Tabernacle; and the third, the flowering staff of Aaron. The
Manna would feed the people during the time of tribulations
June 2013
HASHALOM 3
ISRAEL
ZULU KING MARKS ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE EVENT
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Gil Lavie
K
ing Goodwill Zwelithini, leader of the Zulu nation in South
Africa, has marked Israeli Independence day along with
his wife Queen Thandi at a Yom Haatzmaut ceremony
held on Thursday at the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
"The event shows that there are many friends here that support
Israel and they came to show their support from different stratas
of society," he said. He continued by expressing goodwill and
continued cooperation between the two countries.
Along with the King, other important dignitaries that attended
included the Rev. Bishop Dr. B.E. Lekganyane Head of the Zionist
Christian Church, Reverend Kenneth Meshoe MP President of
the African Christian Democratic Party, and Ambassador C.T.
Rubushe, Chief Director of Middle East at the South African
Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Altogether the event was attended by 400 guests including
Christian Zionists and members of the Jewish community. In
addition to an Israeli themed lunch, local South African bands
entertained the crowd with lively music. The Israeli national
anthem was performed by Udi Cohen, and played by the
Zimriya youth band.
In a welcoming speech delivered by Ambassador Dov SegevSteinberg, he expressed gratitude for such an outstanding event
filled with such high calibre guests. In his speech, he spoke of
the “incredible strides” that Israel has made in industries such
as “technology, medicine, science, education, agriculture and
more” and Israel’s want and willingness to share her knowledge
and capabilities with others. Regarding the peace process with
the Palestinians, he expressed a desire to build bridges towards
a meaningful dialogue in order to find an outcome based on the
principle of a two states solution.
With his term ending later this year, the Ambassador ended his
speech on a personal note, summarizing his past five years in
South Africa, remembering it as one of his most interesting and
enjoyable posts; “This has been my experience in South Africa
which will always have a special place in my heart.”
In a speech delivered by the Zulu King, he praised the ability of
the Jewish people to always rise above challenges, categorizing
Israel's history as one filled with paradox and tragedy, but
ultimately triumph. He also expressed a desire to further
cooperation with Israel in the arena of agriculture and to
promote youth exchanges between the two countries.
Conveying a message from the South African Government,
Ambassador C.T. Rubushe, reflected the on going contributions
of the Jewish community in South Africa. "Many contributed
significantly to South Africa’s development…Many [Jews]…
took part in the anti-apartheid and liberation struggle...”.
Regarding bilateral relations, Ambassador Rubushe praised
“the incredible contributions that Israel has made to South
Africa,” saying “These valuable projects… are much needed
and also complementary to the objectives of our own National
Development Program.”
In a telephonic interview with Israeli Ambassador to South
Africa, Dov Segev-Steinberg, he praised the event as hugely
successful and said it shows the extent of friendship that Israel
enjoys in South Africa.
4 HASHALOM
June 2013
(second from left going right) Prince Thulani, Deputy Israeli
Ambassador Yaakov Finkelstein, Israeli Ambassador Dov SegevSteinberg, His Majesty King Zwelithini, Bishop Lekganyane (ZCC),
Rev. Meshoe (ACDP). The other members are part of the ZCC.
Photo: Ilan Ossendryver
‘It is your duty, and your privilege, to be involved’
IUA – UCF Campaign 2013
We are proud to announce that the new IUA-UCF campaign started on the 1st of April 2013 and is already off to a
successful start!
The IUA-UCF ensures that our community institutions and organizations have the necessary funding to carry out their
essential work.
The beneficiaries of the campaign include a wide range of causes: from Durban Jewish Social Services and Beth
Shalom to the CKNJ and the new youth worker. All funds raised go to ensure that:
- the most vulnerable in our community live with dignity and security;
- youth are taught the importance of community and the role that Israel plays in the lives of the Jews in the
Diaspora;
- communal administrative structures are effective, efficient and coordinated.
The community is responsible for collecting 30% of the monies allocated to the beneficiary organisation and it is this
percentage that is the responsibility of each and every community member.
“The goal of the community organisations is that all the Jews in our community can live with dignity”
David Simpson
“No matter the level of contribution to Beth shalom all the people receive the same level of care”
Solly Berchowitz
“We get calls and they always say the same thing, ‘we know the Jews look after their own, please can you help’”
Lew Heilbron
“The most important thing is that you participate in a sustainable way”
Jeremy Droyman
If you wish to contact us to find out more information, and to play your part in supporting the community,
please be in touch with one of our new ‘Charity Ambassadors’. Contact Clive Bernstein on 082 416 5300
or email cliveab@mweb.co.za, or be in touch with the new UCF team of Ronnie Herr on 083 500 4060; Jeremy
Droyman on 082 456 2291; Graham Kluk on 083 788 4118; David Simpson on 083 779 3032; or Solly Berchowitz on
083 325 1664 or alternatively the IUA-UCF office on 031 3326794 or e.mail iua-ucf@djc.co.za.
Please support us by contacting our UCF Charity Ambassadors today - we need your help.
June 2013
HASHALOM 5
ISRAEL
ISRAEL SENDS NOAH’S
ARK OF ANIMALS
TO TURKEY
Ramat Gan Safari organizes shipment of 40
different species to reinforce Izmir Wildlife
Park.
Viva Sarah Press
The 40 ‘passengers’ on Tuesday’s Turkish Airlines flight to
Istanbul are part of a special animal exchange between the
Zoological Center Tel Aviv – Ramat Gan Safari and the Izmir
Sasali Wildlife Park.
The modern day Noah’s Ark cast – set to move house on May 7
– will include three zebras, six antelopes, three monkeys, three
meerkats, four raccoons, six fruit bats, and 20 ibises.
The Safari has a healthy population of zebras and Safari
spokeswoman Sagit Horowitz said it is the world’s leading zoo in
zebra exports. Several months ago, Turkish zookeepers in Izmir
asked Ramat Gan Safari for help in boosting their zoological
collection. The Ramat Gan Safari – like other zoos in Israel —
is a member of the international zoological organization and
regularly participates in exchanging animals to promote breeding
and bolster exhibits at other zoos.
But Horowitz noted this is the biggest exchange in which the
Ramat Gan Safari has ever taken part. Horowitz also said that
although Israel and Turkey may be at diplomatic odds with one
another; animals are the true gesture of cooperation and always
override politics.
The best proof for this notion is Izmir the elephant. In 2008, the
Safari sent Winner, a captive-born Asian elephant, to the Izmir
Wildlife Park as part of a breeding program exchange. In 2011,
Winner and his Pakistan-born ‘wife’ Begumcan, welcomed the
birth of Turkey’s first elephant on its soil – Izmir.
ISRAELIS CYCLE
MOUNT EVEREST
Daniel Moores and Abraham Cohen pedaled
along the highest road in the world from Lhasa
to Kathmandu to raise money for impoverished
Nepali communities.
Viva Sarah Press
Two Israeli expert cyclists will today (May 7) complete one of the
craziest fundraising campaigns – a two-week cycling marathon
from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal.
Daniel Moores and Abraham Cohen decided to take on the
highest road in the world to raise money for Nepali communities
living on the lowest incomes. Moores and Cohen, together
with the Israel-based non-profit organization Tevel b’Tzedek,
launched an indiegogo funding campaign to support marginalized
populations in rural communities in Nepal.
They surpassed their $3,875 goal by nearly $400. Their journey
is inspiring. Moores and Cohen rode some 1,200 kilometers at
4,000-5,000 meter altitudes.
“We went through ice glaciers, a small river, deep sand dunes,
facing a new obstacle with each step we took,” Cohen wrote on
his daily blog. “When we arrived to Rongbuk monastery guest
house we were so glad. We met a group of motor bikers coming
from Kathmandu to Lhasa, they thought we are mad. Maybe
they were right.”
The Everest Cycling Marathon for a Just World was sponsored
by ROI Community. Tevel b’Tzedek promotes social and
environmental justice by raising funds to improve the quality
of life in impoverished Nepali communities using a holistic
development model that focuses on agriculture, education,
health and women’s empowerment.
Acknow. ISRAEL21c
Acknow. ISRAEL21c
Ramat Gan Safari is sending zebras, antelopes, meerkats and
ibises, among other animals, to a new home in Izmir, Turkey.
(Tibor Jager)
6 HASHALOM
June 2013
Daniel Moores and Abraham Cohen took on the highest road in
the world to raise funds for Nepali communities. (Photo from the
Everest Cycling Marathon indiegogo page.)
JEWISH WORLD
WHAT BOSTON HOSPITALS LEARNED FROM ISRAEL
M
inutes after a terrorist attack killed three at the finish
line of the Boston Marathon, doctors and nurses at
the city’s hospitals faced a harrowing scene - severed
limbs, burned bodies, shrapnel buried in skin.
For Boston doctors, the challenge presented by last week's
bombing was unprecedented but they were prepared.
Many of the city's hospitals have doctors with actual battlefield
experience. Others have trauma experience from deployments
on humanitarian missions, like the one that followed the Haitian
earthquake, and have learned from presentations by veterans of
other terror attacks like the one at a movie theater in Colorado.
But they have benefited as well from the expertise developed
by Israeli physicians over decades of treating victims of terrorist
attacks - expertise that Israel has shared with scores of doctors
and hospitals around the world. Eight years ago, four Israeli
doctors and a staff of nurses spent two days at Massachusetts
General Hospital teaching hospital staff the methods pioneered
in Israel.
According to the New Yorker magazine, every Boston patient who
reached the hospital alive has survived. “We had periods where
every week we had an attack,” said Dror Soffer, director of the
trauma division at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, who participated
in the delegation. “It becomes your routine.” Techniques that
were “routine” in Israel by 2005, and helped save lives in Boston
last week, began evolving in the 1990s, when Israel experienced
a spate of bus bombings. Israeli doctors “rewrote the bible
of blast trauma,” said Avi Rivkind, the director of surgery at
Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center, where 60 percent of
Israeli victims have been treated.
Much of what Israel has learned about treating attack victims
was done on the fly. In 1996, a 19-year-old soldier arrived at
the Hadassah hospital following a bus bombing with severe
injuries to her chest and esophagus. Doctors put chest drains on
her lungs and performed endoscopies twice a day to stop the
bleeding. Both techniques are now regular practices. “We were
sure she was going to die, and she survived,” Rivkind said.
A riskier move came five years later when Adi Huja arrived
at Hadassah with massive blood loss following an attack
in downtown Jerusalem. Rivkind realized his team wasn't
controlling the bleeding, so he directed staff to administer a shot
of NovoSeven - a staggeringly expensive coagulant typically used
for hemophiliacs that was not approved for a trauma situation.
But it worked and Huja survived.
Rivkind is an internationally recognized expert in terror medicine
and widely considered one of the great brains behind Israeli
innovations that have been adopted around the world. Trained
at Hebrew University, the Hadassah Medical Center and the
Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems in Baltimore,
he has contributed to several volumes on trauma surgery and
post-attack care, and authored a number of seminal medical
studies. Rivkind was the personal physician for the late Israeli
President Ezer Weizman, helped care for Ariel Sharon when
the prime minister fell into a coma following a stroke, and has
performed near-miraculous feats, once reviving a soldier shot in
Ben Sales
the heart who had been pronounced dead in the field.
But not everything Rivkind has learned about treating attack
victims comes from a story with a happy ending. In 2002,
Shiri Nagari was rushed to Hadassah after a bus bombing. She
appeared to have escaped largely unharmed, but 45 minutes
later she was dead. It was, Rivkind later wrote, the first time he
ever cried after losing a patient. “She seemed fine and talked
with us,” he told JTA. “You can be very injured inside, and
outside you look completely pristine.”
Organizing the emergency room, Rivkind said, is as important as
treating patients correctly. During the second intifada, Hadassah
developed what he called the “accordion method,” a method
of moving patients through various stages of assessment with
maximal efficiency. The process has become standard in hospitals
across Israel and around the world.
Some of what distinguishes Israeli trauma doctors are qualities
that are hard to teach. Rivkind has said he keeps two beepers
and a cell phone on him at all times, even in bed. Even when
calls come in the middle of the night, a small army of medical
professionals can usually be relied on to arrive at their posts within
minutes, sometimes even ahead of the ambulances carrying the
wounded. “Whenever there was an alarm, we jumped, ran and
called our homes, and then got ready to absorb patients,” said
Liora Utitz, the mass-casualty coordinator at Rambam Medical
Center in Haifa. “I felt very safe. The volunteerism of everyone
gave me strength.”
Israel continues to export its trauma expertise. Rivkind has taught
medicine in Melbourne, Australia, and Southern California.
Delegations of doctors from New York and Los Angeles have
visited him in Jerusalem.
“We have tens of years of cumulative trauma experience,” he
said. “We’ve learned not to give up.”
Acknow. JTA
Africa’s Leading
Steel Supplier
www.macsteel.co.za
June 2013
HASHALOM 7
JEWISH WORLD
OILͳRICH QATAR PUSHING TO MAKE ITS NAME AS A
MIDEAST PEACE BROKER
Ron Kampeas
W
hen it comes to the latest Arab peace initiative, two
questions are circulating in Washington: Why Qatar?
And why now?
The three answers: Because Qatar is rich; it is scared; and why
not?
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, the Qatari prime
minister and foreign minister, in recent weeks has driven the
revivification of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, moderating
it slightly to hew closer to the outlines touted by the Obama
administration since 2011. The updated version, outlined by
Hamad in remarks to reporters following his meeting April 29
with Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden
in Washington, pulls back from the 2002 demand that Israel
withdraw to the 1967 borders in exchange for comprehensive
peace. Instead, Hamid proposed “comparable and mutual
agreed minor swaps of the land” - a formulation that opens
the door to Israel's retention of several major settlement blocs.
Hamad also did not mention the Palestinian “right of return” and
the division of Jerusalem, elements of the original Arab initiative
that had led to its rejection by the Israeli government.
Qatar, the fabulously wealthy Persian Gulf state that is host to
the forward headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, hasn't
been known until recently for grabbing onto thorny diplomatic
challenges. So what does Hamad hope to gain?
The Qatari Embassy did not respond to multiple requests for
comment, but experts and officials say that Qatar is wealthy
enough to do what it likes and, as an autocracy concerned for
its survival in a region roiling with revolution, is driven to make
friends and demonstrate its usefulness. “For a small country,
they’re throwing money around, organizing diplomatic events,
trying to shape a range of issues, much of it related to the Middle
East uprising,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for
American Progress, a think tank considered close to the Obama
administration. “It's rich, it's small, it lacks the inner turmoil of
other countries. It’s one of the [Middle Eastern] countries ...
that are more internally stable and have more resources.”
Just prior to unveiling the revised peace plan, Hamad, a distant
cousin of the Qatari emir, was honored by the Brookings
Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy, an organization
that received $2.5 million to $5 million from the government of
Qatar in 2012, according to Politico.
Tamara Cofman Wittes, the Saban Center’s director, said Qatar
for years had accrued influence through such uses of “soft
power” - the generous dispensation of money and assistance
- coupled with its ownership of Al Jazeera, the region’s most
influential news outlet. When uprisings swept the Middle East
at the beginning of 2011, Qatar was able to step into a vacuum
left by the toppled dictators, she said. “It vaulted Qatar into a
much more prominent role in regional politics because of the
loss of [Egyptian President Hosni] Mubarak,” Wittes told JTA.
“Its regional assistance and Al Jazeera have allowed it to play a
larger role in how the awakening is viewed.”
8 HASHALOM
June 2013
Backing winners, whether the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
or the forces that helped topple Moammar Gadhafi in Libya,
also lends credibility - and insurance - to a regime that is itself
autocratic, Katulis said. “If they win as many as friends as
possible, get in early on the ground floor, they'll be all the more
influential,” he said.
A State Department official played down Qatar's role in reviving
the Arab peace bid, noting that the new plan formally emerged
from the Arab League. And yet he emphasized that the Obama
administration is focused mainly on returning the Israelis and
Palestinians to the negotiating table and hopes the peace initiative
can help them get there. “It's a sign that the Arab League is
a constructive member in the process,” the official said. “The
regional partners have a role, but our major focus is getting the
Palestinians and Israelis back to the table for direct talks.”
So far, that doesn't seem to be happening. Israel is less than
thrilled about the new initiative. An Israeli official confirmed
that Netanyahu remains as unenthusiastic about the 1967 lines
as a basis for negotiations as he was in 2011, when President
Obama’s proposal based on those lines precipitated a small
crisis in U.S.-Israel relations.
Israelis are also skeptical of Qatar because of its support for
Hamas, the terrorist group controlling the Gaza Strip. The
country’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, became the
first foreign leader to visit the strip last October.
“On the diplomatic front, Qatar publicly claims to support IsraeliPalestinian peace while making certain to undermine it in every
possible way,” Seth Mandel wrote last week in Commentary,
the neoconservative journal.
But Wittes said Qatar’s relationship with Hamas could be seen
as a benefit. Hamas is a mainstay of Palestinian politics, and Qatar
could help influence the group to moderate. “If obstruction of
peace was Hamas’s role as spoiler,” she said, “you have to look
at the potential for Qatar as a positive influence.”
Acknow. JTA
PAST TENSE
Pundit
being winner and runner-up respectively in the women’s Tenth
Year Tennis Tournament and Mr Jack Droyman and Mr Len
Saul on respectively achieving the same honours in the men’s
Tournament
t$POHSBUVMBUFE%S.ST*(PMECFSHPOUIFCJSUIPGBTPO
Extracts from HASHALOM – JUNE 1963
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
Extracts from HASHOLOM – June 1938
Congratulated
THEY SPEAK OF JEWRY
t 'SBOLJF 2VFSJEP BOE .BVSJDF 4PMPNPO 8FOEZ 'SJFEF BOE
Jackie Schaffer, Andrea Stange and Brian Bernstein on their
respective engagements
“Incitement to Jew-baiting is being used as a cloak to conceal
all manner of objections which have little or no reference to
the Jew such as ... Anti-Semitism has always been a convenient
weapon when ruling powers wish to direct movements of
popular discontent”. “Vigilance” in The Forum.
Wished mazaltov to
t.BSDJBBOE)BSSZ4USPVTPOUIFCJSUIPGUIFJSUXJOEBVHIUFST
“For time out of memory there has been no Jewish question in
Great Britain” - Sir Samuel Hoare.
t+BOJOFEBVHIUFSPG.S.ST"SOPME.JMMFS
BOE$MJWF.JMMFS
on the birth of their daughter
“Anyone who tries to be a Christian cannot have any truck with
such a movement as anti-Semitism. It is inconceivable that anyone
who prides himself on being a Christian can be an ant-Semite” –
The Right Rev. G.H. Clayton, Bishop of Johannesburg.
t.S.ST4BN&SOTUPOUIFCJSUIPGUIFJSTFDPOEHSBOETPO
NEWS OF THE WORLD – JEWISH NOTES FROM HERE,
THERE AND EVERYWHERE
HITLER SAFEGUARDS ENGLISH MORALS!
t .S .ST .BOOJF 8PPMGTPO PO UIFJS 3VCZ 8FEEJOH
Anniversary
t.S"CF%VCJOBOE%S7FSB'BDUPSPOUIFJSSFDFOUNBSSJBHF
t 3IPEB EBVHIUFS PG .S .ST . ;VMNBO PO SFDFJWJOH UIF
great honour of being asked to join the company of famous
Spanish dancer, Luisillo
“Miss Christina Foyle of Foyles, the well-known London
bookseller, revealed at a meeting in Birmingham…..that when
Hitler announced that all books in Germany which had been
written by Jews must be destroyed, she wrote asking if her firm
might purchase all of them because she thought that most of
the best German books were written by Jews. Hitler replied
personally and said he could not consent because he did not
wish to have the morals of the English people corrupted”.
Recorded happiness that Mr Jackie Strous had recovered from
his recent illness.
JEW-BAITING IN BELGIUM
Rabbi Isaac Goss, director of the S A Jewish Board of Education,
had given a brilliant lecture on the life and works of Chief Rabbi
J. L. Landau and this issue of Hashalom contains a full report
of that lecture.(Having read the report, Pundit wishes he could
have attended the lecture).
The activities of anti-Semites in Antwerp are reported to be
assuming serious proportions. Anti-Jewish agitators distribute
anti-Jewish boycott literature appealing to all non-Jews not
to trade with Jews. Degrelle, the leader of the Rexist party,
delivered a violent tirade at an enormous party conference
against “international Jewry”, who, he said “wanted to let loose
a world conflict”.
IRAQ WANTS JEWISH DOCTORS
It is reported that owing to a dearth of doctors in Iraq, the Iraqi
government has instructed its Ambassador in Vienna to facilitate
the immigration of Austrian Jewish doctors. (How times have
changed).
OBITUARY
Hashalom contained an obituary of the late Mr Leo Lipinski
(a pillar of the Durban Jewish community including especially
the Chevra Kadisha) and a memorial in memory of Nahum
Solokow.
IN THE FOYER
Bellboy paid tribute to Mr Abe Goldberg on his recent election
as MP for the Umlazi constituency.
IN TOWN AND OUT
PROFILE
The issue contained a tribute to Mr Arnold Miller who had
recently been elected as the President of the Council of Natal
Jewry.
PEOPLE’S COLLEGE
OBITUARY
HASHALOM paid tribute to the late Professor Leon Roth,
former head of the Department of Philosophy at the Hebrew
University and former rector of the University from 1940-43,
who had recently died on a visit to New Zealand.
LADIES! SERVICES YOU MAY NOT NEED WHICH WERE
ADVERTISED IN HASHALOM JUNE 1963, BUT JUST LOOK
AT THESE PRICES!
Cleanse, massage of face, neck, back, shoulders, steam or spray
mask, make-up
R3.00
Cleanse, massage of face, steam or spray, mask, make-up R2.50
Massage of back, neck and shoulders
R1.00
Depilatory for lip
50c
Depilatory for lip and chin
75c
Special treatment for bust
R1.50
Brides-to-be, make-up for wedding
R1.00
Those were the days!!
t$POHSBUVMBUFE.JTT4ZCJM+BDPCTPOBOE.JTT%FMMJF.JMMFSPO
June 2013
HASHALOM 9
BUBKES
AGING GRACEFULLY
Lauren Shapiro
As I compare myself to my newborn daughter, whose skin is
literally as smooth as a baby’s bum, I realize quite how much
aging bothers me (and many other women, I imagine).
The beauty industry preys on this feeling, producing and
advertising wonder potions that claim to eliminate wrinkles,
even out imperfections, and make you look up to several
decades younger.
A few years back, during my first pregnancy, I bought one of
these “miracle creams” which promised to prevent stretch
marks. I devotedly rubbed it into my belly every day, and I was
pleased with the results. Then one day, getting out the bath, I
caught my reflection in mirror - from behind.
No-one told me you can get stretch marks
Ultimately,
on your toochus!
“
journey, which is ultimately why we are all here.
Despite the changes, I like my body. It’s served me well in
creating a meaningful life. My cellulitey legs can still run after my
boys. My (slightly) flappy arms can rock and soothe my baby.
My face – even with its new lines and wrinkles – can smile, kiss
and talk to my friends. My hardening hands can still cook and
clean, keeping my house welcoming. Most days I can still reach
the peanut butter on the top shelf and get myself dressed and
where I need to be almost on time.
So my “fine lines” are fine by me. And I guess I don't really mind
the stretch marks on my bum - they complement the stretch
marks on my heart.
The beauty industry aims to keep you looking the same age
forever, as if it can stop time. But if I stop to think about it,
why would you want to do that? I love this moment with its
story books and sand castles and milk-scented cuddles – but I
wouldn’t want to be stuck in the “nappy stage” forever! I want
to grow; I want to watch my children grow. And if
means a few more wrinkles, it seems a
your face that
fair trade.
“
M
y mother warned me this would happen. Yes, even to
“the best of us”. Hairs that are a little too pale to pass
for blonde. Lines on my face. Wrinkles on my hands,
and miscellaneous marks and spots where the pages of glossy
magazines tell you they shouldn’t be. I’m not yet 35, and age is
catching up with me like a boisterous puppy with the mailman.
is not as important
I’ve been giving this topic quite some
Technology can only go so far – it may be
as your faith
thought lately. When I started writing this column
able to recreate a youthful complexion, but
over eight years ago, I was a carefree varsity student
it can’t create a smile. Money can buy miracle
and aside from the odd alcoholic overindulgence (okay, regular
creams, but not happiness. Science is skin deep, and ultimately
alcoholic overindulgences), I was pretty happy. I liked my body,
your face is not as important as your faith.
hair and skin well enough.
In fact, the concept of a miracle cream is a bit of a modern
Now – eight years, one husband and three kids later – in addition
to the stretch marks, I have wrinkles, cellulite, some varicose
veins, and that "stray eyelash" on my chin that my mother
warned me about (how does that work??)
When I bemoan my increasing physical imperfections to my
friends, they comfort me (“It’s not so noticeable.” “Have you
tried this?” “Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal”). When I carp to
husband, he squints at me and says, “What wrinkles?” (Good
man! Or perhaps age is catching up with him too and he needs
new glasses…)
In Judaism, the physical aspect of our existence holds huge
significance. We are both spiritual and immensely physical beings
(at least in this world). Without our bodies, we wouldn’t be able
to fulfill many important mitzvot – our arms lay tefillin, our hands
light candles, our lips recite prayers. Throughout our life cycles,
our bodies are integrally related to many special rites, from brit
milah, to marriage (in the biblical sense) and childbirth. Even after
death, they are treated with the utmost respect (cleansed by the
ritual of tahara and buried in accordance with strict laws).
But we must remember that ultimately our bodies are little
more than glorified sand castles, like those elaborate edifices on
the beach that pull in a few rand each day and are washed away
by the elements.
Our bodies are houses for our souls. Perhaps stretch marks
are Hashem's way of teaching us humility; scars His means of
reminding us of important lessons. Wrinkles are graph lines
of how far we have come – outward markers of our spiritual
10 HASHALOM
June 2013
paradox - the process they're trying to hide is the true miracle.
After all, wrinkles are a symbols of growth, of a life lived fully –
that’s the real wonder.
So yes, gazing at my baby's perfectly smooth skin, I must admit I
am a little jealous. But not only of her complexion. I'm jealous of
the exciting journey she still has in front of her. Her skin is like a
blank passport waiting for stamps. My wish for her is laugh lines
and stretch marks and other signs of growth and joy.
I have more to look forward to on my own journey, too –
sunspots, thinning hair, turkey neck, crow's feet, bunyons, bingo
wings… Oy, vey! But it's okay. They make creams for all of that.
Instead, I’m choosing to focus on anniversaries, on grandchildren,
on growing older gracefully and gratefully. Until next time.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Michael Greenbaum
Penina Taylor: Missionary Impossible
The DUHC was recently privileged to have Penina Taylor as a
guest speaker. In welcoming Penina, Rabbi Mark Friedman said
the community was very fortunate to have the opportunity to hear
her speak about her unique spiritual journey to Torah Judaism. He
said that Penina is in great demand worldwide as a speaker whose
unique experience has saved Jewish lives spiritually. In the past 10
years, Penina has shared her life story in the US, Israel and South
Africa, inspiring Jews to become more observant. The large
audience in the Perling Hall was riveted by her astonishing 17year spiritual journey from Secular Judaism, through Christianity
and Messianic Judaism to Orthodox Torah Judaism.
In her talk entitled “Missionary: Impossible”, Penina told how
she was raised in a secular Jewish home. In her search for
spirituality, a high-school friend said “find a relationship with
G-d” and persuaded Penina, along with her parents, to become
Christian. Penina then attended a Christian bible college; was
certified as an evangelist and a Billy Graham Crusade counsellor;
and converted thousands of people to Christianity. After leaving
college, Penina married Paul Taylor and both continued work
in lay church leadership positions. But Penina described herself
as having “a Jewish soul at war with Christian beliefs.” Her
family then became Messianic Jews (Penina prefers the term
“Hebrew Christians”) and started a Messianic congregation.
The family adopted Jewish rituals and dress while still believing
in Christianity. During this time, Penina began reading about
Orthodox Judaism and adopted the concept of "Torah Observant
Messianic Judaism."
Penina Taylor, Rabbi Friedman
dynaMix Lag B’Omer Evening
The dynaMIX social group, headed by Aubrey Nathan along with
Michael Sevel, Itai and Joanne Mizrachi, and Bradley and Carryn
Meltz, hosted a fun-filled "Flaming Hot" Lag B'Omer evening with
a huge bonfire and activities for all. Orli-Shein Essers organized
special games for the children while the adults were treated to an
impressive bonfire, enjoying delicious braai burgers accompanied
by Israeli music organized by DJ Itai. The highlight was at the end
of the evening when Bradley Meltz lit a "flaming hot" Lag B’Omer
sign which filled the night with light and fire.
After this memorable evening, the DUHC now looks forward
to many more successful events with dynaMIX which Aubrey
Nathan said has created an opportunity for Jewish people to
meet and socialise with each other in the community.
After moving to a religious Jewish neighbourhood in Baltimore,
while still practicing as Messianic Jews, the family attended an
Orthodox synagogue. Before her son’s barmitzvah, Penina
disclosed her Christian beliefs to her Rabbi. He then introduced
her to Mark Powers, Director of Jews for Judaism, and together
they studied the biblical texts in Hebrew from a Jewish point-ofview. This convinced Penina and her family to reject all forms of
Christian belief, including Messianic Judaism, and they adopted
Orthodox Torah Judaism, eventually all going on aliyah to Israel
where today they live a Torah-observant life.
In concluding, Penina noted that as a Christian, she was required
to read the entire Hebrew Bible, the Tanach, each year, saying
that there are consequently many Christians who are more
knowledgeable of the Hebrew Bible than many Jews. She
challenged the audience to make reading the entire Tanach one
of their many spiritual goals as they “find joy and enthusiasm in
Judaism.”
Rabbi Zekry then thanked Penina for her exceptional presentation
and encouraging message. He also thanked Rabbi Friedman for
his extensive efforts in arranging for Penina to come to Durban
to tell her inspirational story to the community.
June 2013
HASHALOM 11
COMMUNITY NEWS
Cheryl Unterslak
During my last trip to Israel, I delivered numerous gifts around
the whole country but the majority of them were delivered
to families in the South of Israel who had their lives changed
forever from the destruction caused by the rockets that poured
into Israel before, during and after “Operation Pillar of Strength”
at the end of last year.
I visited numerous families in Ashkelon, Kiryat Malachi, Sderot
and the surrounding areas for days, and heard about their
suffering; it was heartbreaking. One of the examples is family
S whose husband and father of three small children was killed
when after taking his family to the bomb shelter he went back
to help others to the bomb shelter. Their home was destroyed
and they are now staying in tempory accommodation, and are
to deal with their enormous loss and the numerous changes in
their lives. They are battling.
Family A’s home was completely destroyed by a rocket, and
their teenage son Yitzchak was killed. I met with his parents
and siblings and they were in terrible emotional pain trying to
deal with the loss of their beloved son as well as their home and
belongings. One of the daughters gave birth to a baby boy a few
months afterwards and they have named the baby Yitzchak after
his late uncle.
Aviv whose mother was badly
injured by a rocket
Shimon whose brother was killed
I visited family Z in their tiny apartment where the mother of
four small children was lying on the couch recovering from
surgeries after having her legs badly injured when a rocket fell
next to her while she was running towards a bomb shelter. This
is a very close loving family who had financial challenges before,
and now have many more challenges to deal with while she and
her family heal physically, emotionally and financially.
These are just a few examples of how badly the families in the
South are affected by the rockets, and how many lives were
changed forever in a second. There are so many of these families
dealing with a lot of pain and an enormous amount suffering with
PTSD. The families were all so happy with the gifts to make the
children happy and they were all comforted knowing that there
are Jews from South Africa who are aware of their suffering
and who really do care about them and show their support.
All the gifts that were distributed to these families came from
the children at Kind David Linksfield Park in Johannesburg, from
Eden in Johannesburg and Sylvia and Ayshis Chayil who always
brings a lot of joy and comfort to lots of these special children
over the years.
Tehilla who has bad
PTSD after a rocket
landed in the lounge
of her apartment
when she was in it
SAM'S SERVICES
I offer the following services:
Shuttle to and from airport, lifts, doctors,
shopping etc.
I will stand in queues at the licensing
department etc.
Car repairs, panel beating, auto trimming.
Collect and deliver documents and parcels
within the greater Durban area.
Any service which you do not have time
for I will be able to help you with.
Very affordable prices
Reliable and punctual
Levi Yitzchak whose father was killed
12 HASHALOM
June 2013
Please contact: SAM ON 082 823 6751
COMMUNITY NEWS
Alana Baranov
Recent Events – Pesach 2013 and our Minyanaires
Club
at North Coast Chabad.
Stay in touch!
A few months later, in my Friday afternoon phone conversation with
my grandchildren, my granddaughter asked me to bring her a prayer
book. Naturally, the next time I went to visit, I brought her a prayer
book. This was a rather inexplicable request on her part. She had
no knowledge of Hebrew at all and was only six years old, so she
could barely read English, never mind Hebrew. Every evening after
this, she insisted that her mother read to her from the prayer book
at bedtime. Given her newfound interest, I went to the Chabad
bookshop and bought a few more books.
If you would like to receive SMS notifications for Shabbos and
events please SMS your name and number to 0825500503. If
you would like to subscribe to our bi-monthly email, mail us
on chabadnc@global.co.za. Check out our website at www.
chabadnc.com.
It was now two years later and David was going on thirteen. Of
course, I would have liked him to have celebrated his Bar Mitzva in
a fitting manner, but it seemed unlikely that this would happen. He
had had no formal Jewish education and there were no Jews where
they lived.
WITH A SMILE By Mia Roth
One day I got a phone call from my daughter. Rabbi Shlomo and two
young Lubavitch students came all the way to their town to pay them
a visit. My daughter had said "hello" to Rabbi Shlomo in Umhlanga
a week or two before and he expressed wishes to visit her. Shlomo
managed to win over not only my granddaughters with his lovely
smile, but the whole family, including my son-in-law. Of course, it
was not only the charm of his personality that won them over, but
the Lubavitch way of not condemning anybody and accepting the
situation for what it is and proceeding from there.
We had superb communal Seders at Chabad this year with 101
guest and locals for first night and 73 for the second night.
Wednesday evenings’ Minyanaires is growing and each week
there is something happening after the minyan - Klabejas, Sushi,
Movie Night, Fabrengen Night etc. The locals are loving it Chabad Rocks Umhlanga!!
Two years ago my two grandchildren and I were strolling along
the beach at a holiday resort on South Africa's North Coast called
Umhlanga. We had a family flat a block away from the beach and
were enjoying the summer sun.
At that time, Judaism played a very small part in the lives of my
grandchildren, my daughter's two children. My daughter had had a leg
amputated when she was twelve years old. It made her adolescence
a difficult time for her and when she married Jimmy, a non-Jewish boy
from down our street, although initially upset, I eventually accepted
the fact that this was part of the fallout from her disability.
A year later my grandson was born. I arranged for his his brit mila
(circumcision). Three years later, my beautiful granddaughter
was born and shortly thereafter the whole family moved from
Johannesburg to a very pretty town, two hours from Umhlanga.
There were no Jews in the town and for the first twelve years of his
life, my grandson had no Jewish instruction.
But that all began to change one summer morning. As my
grandchildren and I strolled along the beach, I noticed a large sign
that said, "North Coast Chabad." Though I later found out that the
sign had been in this conspicuous place for many years, I had never
noticed it before. Why I saw it that day I don't know.
"David," I said, "Go see if the Rabbi is at home."
"What for?" asked David, quite reasonably. "What shall I say to him
if he is home?"
"Just go and see," I answered.
Off David went, reappearing minutes later. Behind him was a
rather roly-poly figure, dressed in black, looking a bit confused. I
was confused as well. What did I want to say to him? Nothing in
particular, it seemed. I introduced the two children and myself and
then we said goodbye and went home. In the end, I think he was as
perplexed at the encounter as I was. I told my daughter that we had
met a rather nice rabbi that day and my granddaughter added that
she liked his smile. That was our first meeting with Shlomo, Rabbi
Before long, Rabbi Shlomo had David learning the blessing to be
recited at the Torah. Suddenly it looked as if David would have a Bar
Mitzva after all! When Shlomo ascertained that my granddaughter
had never been named at the Torah, he suggested the name Ariela
- a name she liked immediately. The following Shabbat we went to
shul and Ariela received her name.
Two months before the Bar Mitzva, Jimmy got an offer to work in
Australia and the family emigrated. The only person they knew in
Australia was Jimmy's sister and her family. Coincidentally, a good
friend of his sister was the secretary of the local Jewish day school.
The next thing I heard, both children were attending the school! This
meant that the family had to rent a house nearby. Coincidentally
this house happened to be across the park from the shul run by
another Lubavitcher, who welcomed them with the same warmth
as Shlomo, though, as my Ariela pointed out, Shlomo's smile was
still the best.
The Bar Mitzva finally took place on a Shabbat two months after
their arrival in Australia. The Friday night meal was a small family
gathering augmented by the presence of my oldest son who came
specifically for the occasion. Jewish friends cooked, attended, and
helped to make it a special event. We had a kiddush after services
on Shabbat and all went well. When I left to go back to South Africa
three weeks later, my daughter's last request was that the next time
I came I should please bring a few mezuzot. She only had two to put
up and their new house has five outside doors. Ariela overheard this
conversation and made me promise to bring one for her bedroom
door, as well.
June 2013
HASHALOM 13
COMMUNITY NEWS
Norma Bloch
Enjoying pita on Yom
Haatzmaut Joshua
Aronoff, Josh Serjeant,
Jade Friedman
Shalom,
It is another eventful term in the Eden pupil’s calendar, jampacked with celebrations, festivals and shiurim which were
presented by a range of note-worthy lecturers and speakers.
Some were solemn days, such as Yom Hashoah - the day we
remember the tragedy of the Holocaust. The moving candlelighting ceremony was accompanied by pupils reading excerpts
and poems written by children of the Holocaust. Mrs. Marcellin,
the Eden College History teacher, gave a thought-provoking
talk on the lessons to be learnt from this horrific period.
For Yom Ha’atzmaut our resident Hebrew teacher Mr. Eli
Lauwrence Peretz had us captivated with his enlightening lesson
on the Israeli Defense Force and his experiences with the ‘dog
unit’. Pupils commented on how meaningful it was to listen to
his real-life stories which they could relate to.
Alana Baranov
Children of Chabannes - Upcoming Events
We celebrated Lag B’ Omer with glorious weather and a braai
at the Eden swimming pool – a South African version of the
traditional bonfires used by Jewish communities around the
world to mark the lifting of the mourning period between
Passover and Shavuot. Eli proved that he is not only a skilled
Hebrew teacher and a famous ‘dog handler’ but also a chef of
note, cooking our boerie roll to perfection.
In our series of shiurim, pupils had the opportunity to ask Rabbi
Perez a number of interesting questions in his informal question
and answer session. Stem cell research was just one of the topics
they wanted to know about.
It was an absolute pleasure to welcome back Rabbi Michael
Vegoda to Eden College; he devoted his shiur to how we can all
become kinder, more empathetic human beings.
Needless to say, as with all Jewish functions there was food
a-plenty - from pizzas, to falafel, boerie rolls, to nachos and
sweets. Our pupils certainly never go hungry!!!
Until next month.
Our latest newsletter is out!
Learning with Rabbi
Perez
Rabbi Perez with
Joshua Serjeant and
Joshua Aronoff.
14 HASHALOM
June 2013
Expanded to a full six pages to capture all of our exciting news
and interesting events, the DHC’s latest newsletter is out!
Be sure to stop by the DHC to collect your copy
or alternatively, access it on our Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/dbnholocentre) or on our website www.
holocaust.org.za.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Robert Sussman, Executive Director
This month saw a visit to the Umhlanga Jewish Centre (UJC) by
the residents of Jewel House along with workers from Masada.
Everyone was treated to a delicious braai and enjoyed exploring
the campus, especially those people who had never visited the
UJC on prior occasions.
The shul at the UJC continues to grow, as more and more
visitors come to see the beautiful and inspiring atmosphere that
visitors just can’t stop talking about – and then wind up coming
back again and again because they so enjoy being here. We’ve
also started to get regular visits from people who happen to
be on holiday or doing business in the surrounding area and
word is really beginning to spread about the South Africa Jewish
communities’ newest crown jewel. We’re looking forward to
hosting our very first shul dinner in honour of Shavuot – but
more about that in the next issue.
Shelli Strous
The Moriah children enjoy singing and percussion rings with
musical instruments. We have recently learnt Hatikvah, Nkosi
Sikelele and Shosholoza! This term we have focused on learning
about Colours and we have incorporated Jewish and secular
themes into our learning process. We are delighted to welcome
Emma van de Weg to the Moriah family.
We are continually working on interesting new ideas for play
based learning so that our Moriah mornings are filled with
spiritual and intellectual growth and development.
For more information about our very special school which
welcomes all Jewish children across the community, from the
age of 16 months to approximately 3 years old, kindly contact
Shelli Strous 031 201 7439 (mornings).
As always, the Kollel continues to offer interesting shiurim every
week – please contact us for further details.
Everyone enjoying the view from the deck at the UJC.
Exploring the campus by the Kollel homes at the UJC.
Enjoying the braai at the UJC.
David Friedman, Shai Shapiro, Slade Stark, Raphael Moshal and
Erryn Hermelin
Slade Stark and Raphael Moshal
singing Torah Torah
Emma van de Weg
Erryn Hermelin, Mikaela Pillemer, Slade Stark and Shai Shapiro
enjoy their Lag b'Omer picnic
June 2013
HASHALOM 15
COMMUNITY NEWS
UMHLANGA JEWISH DAY SCHOOL
Robert Sussman
Busy, busy busy – there’s no other way to describe the last few weeks at UJDS. In honour of Yom Ha’Atzma’ut,
we had a fun-filled visit from the Israeli Caravan, who brought with them food to taste and games to play. Grades
R to 7 went on outings to the Natural Science Museum where they had an opportunity to learn all about the
earth and the many creatures that inhabit it. Some students were even brave enough to hold a giant Madagascar
hissing cockroach, one of the largest cockroaches in the world! Grade 6 and 7 students had their own adventure
on the school campus – bivouacking! The students erected temporary shelters and stayed overnight on the school playground under
the supervision of the very dedicated (and brave) Grade 6/7 Teacher Duncan Rankin and UJDS Librarian, Lynn Cutter. The students had
a great time braaiing, playing games, and staying up late.
Israeli Caravan at UJDS
Roasting Marshmallows on Lad B'Omer
(the day after Lag B'Omer)
Daniel Meltz and Kedem Papo building
their shelter
Danielle Burne, Duncan Rankin, and Rachel
Rosen waking up after bivouacking
Daniel Meltz, Kedem Papo, and Ethan Plen
building their shelter
Rachel Rosen and Danielle Burne
building their shelter
Grade 2 and 3 students petting the crocodile Students getting hands on with a crocodile at
at the Natural Science Museum
the Natural Science Museum
Students looking at the dinosaur at the
Natural Science Museum
16 HASHALOM
June 2013
Grade R and 1 students at the Natural
Science Museum
Grade 2 and 3 students at the
Natural Science Museum
Grades R and 1 learning about Wildebeest
at the Natural Science Museum
COMMUNITY NEWS
Talmud Torah
Generations
Talmud Torah
Cheryl Unterslak
Cheryl Unterslak
On the evening of Thursday the 2nd of May, Talmud Torah held
a parents information evening at the Durban Jewish Centre
for all of the Talmud Torah parents and anyone else who was
interested in learning what exactly Talmud Torah is about. The
evening was very well attended, and the parents were addressed
by both Rabbi Perez and Rabbi Vegoda, who visit regularly.
Rabbi Perez spoke to the parents about the importance of
educating your children and how important education is in
Judaism. Rabbi Vegoda spoke about the importance of Jewish
education and the amazing role he plays in the development
of teaching material for Talmud Torah and Talmud Torah:
Generations. Both Rabbis stressed the importance of a parent’s
role in the Jewish education of their children. Parents also had
the opportunity to ask questions not only to the Rabbis, but also
to all of the teachers involved, and to put suggestions forward to
make Talmud Torah even more of a success!
Sh’keiach to all of those involved in putting this evening together
and an especially big thank you to all of the parents who are so
dedicated to the Jewish education of their children!
Well done to all the participants of the first term quiz who all
got 100% and were given Toy Zone vouchers as prizes! It is
amazing to see such commitment from everyone.
For those of you who do not know, Talmud Torah: Generations
happens on Sunday afternoons at Moriah and is focused on
providing both the time and the material to enable parents to
learn with their children. Everyone who attends receives an
amazing booklet put together by Rabbi Vegoda. The booklet
has 3 interactive sections: the first talks about an aspect of the
weekly Torah portion, the second presents a moral dilemma to
be discussed and the third teaches about mitzvot. Each section
is written in a fun and exciting way and everyone can take
something out of it! It is amazing to watch parents learning with
their children and to see how much both the parents and the
children get out of the experience!
At the end of the first, second and third terms, a quiz takes
place on the booklets of the last two weeks.. Everyone who
attends receives a prize just for taking part and everyone who
gets 100% for the quiz receives a toy voucher! Everyone from
grade 6 and below is invited to attend!
At the end of the fourth term every year there is a very exciting
draw for 2 tickets to Israel – one for the winning child and for
one parent. Every time you attend Talmud Torah: Generations
during the year, your child receives one entry into this draw! So
the more you attend, the greater your chance of winning!
We really encourage everyone to take advantage of this fantastic
programme! For more information please feel free to contact
Cheryl on cheryl@divote.co.za or Jess on jess.johnstone@
gmail.com.
Letter
to the Editor
Penny Toubkin talking to Rabbi Vegoda
Joan Truscott writes ...
Dear Editor,
Every second Friday, Erev Shabbos, the passages of Beth Shalom
ring out with laughter and the patter of feet. The quiet of our
home suddenly erupts and sleepy residents stir at the sound of
children's high pitched voices. The children of the Umhlanaga
Jewish Day school have arrived to bring bobbas and zaidas treats
and wish us Shabbat Shalom. The children, who are a delight,
arrive with their morahs or mommies, knock on our doors and
present us each with a bag of goodies. It is a joy to have them
visit us,especially as many of us have grand-children very far
away. Sometimes we are lucky enough to steal a little kiss. This
mitzvah is good for the children too. It teaches them that the
elderly are still part of society and that we matter no how old
we are are, we are still deserving of love and care
Parents talking to Rivka Hermelin
We are grateful and want everyone involved to know how
much we appreciate and welcome our little visitors. They bring
sunshine into our lives.
June 2013
HASHALOM 17
COMMUNITY NEWS
Grant Maserow
Yom Yerushalayim
Yom Yerushalayim took place on the evening of 7 May at the
Durban Jewish Centre. There was a great turn out with a crowd
of approximately 70 people.
Yom Yerushalayim is the celebration of the liberation of
Jerusalem, in the Six Day War in 1967. Jerusalem was reunited
after 19 years and the Jews were able to access the Kotel. Rabbi
Pinhas Zekry, our guest speaker, spoke about the urgency and
anticipation of the reuniting of Jerusalem with Jews and with
Israel, at the outbreak of the Six Day War. He recounted the
experiences of Rabbi Goren, the chief Rabbi of the IDF, of finding
and accessing the Kotel and saying tehillim because it was too
early in the day for mincha, yet the auspicious moment was too
great to go without praise to Hashem.
Ronnie Bank, Rochelle Winer, Jeanette Bank
Rabbi Zekry commented that today we take our visits to
Jerusalem for granted; we land at Ben Gurion airport, drive
to Jerusalem and walk to the Kotel, without a thought of the
struggle of the soldiers and Jewish leaders of the day to bring us
to this moment. Yom Yerushalayim is a day of praise to Hashem
for the blessing of having a reunited Jerusalem, the eternal capital
of Israel and the Jewish people.
A short extract from the movie Follow Me: The Story of the Six
Day War, was screened, showing the recapture of Jerusalem and
the Old City in 1967. The evening concluded with a prayer for
Jerusalem invoked by Rabbi Zekry.
Thereafter, the guests were treated to wine and coffee and
Selma’s delicious humus and felafel.
Robert and Noa Sussman
Rabbi Pinhas Zekry
18 HASHALOM
June 2013
Rabbi Zekry and Jessica Stout
COMMUNITY NEWS
Zionist Caravan in Durban (19 – 22 April)
Kendyll Jacobson
The Zionist Caravan made the trip to Durban for another great
whirlwind visit. The van arrived on Friday the 19th of April, after
driving through terrible rain – much to their disappointment
as they were looking forward to “Sunny Durban”. The group
consisted of Ori Leizer - Betar Shaliach, – Yuval Berger – Netzer
Shaliach, - Yaron Shiponi (and his wife Noa and son Daniel) –
Habonim Shaliach and Robbie Cohen who works for the Israel
Centre.
Their schedule was packed and everybody knew that their trip,
while extremely informative and fun, would also be short. The
first event which they held was on Saturday night at the Young
Israel Centre for children in grade 8 – 12. Here they showed a
movie and had a wonderful Israeli meal, everyone sat around
the table talking about different aspects of Israel and possible
aliyah and study options in Israel. The following morning, after a
late night, everyone headed to the YIC again but this time for an
activity with the grade 0 – 7 children. The kids were treated to
great Israeli sweets and snacks but with a twist. Blindfolded, the
children had to trust the Israelis, open wide, bite down and guess
which treat they were given – everyone hoping they wouldn’t
get the pickle! A great morning was had by all who attended.
Before the Caravan’s evening event they went up to Valley of
1000 Hills and Phezulu to see the traditional Zulu village there.
On Sunday evening there was an event for the whole community
at the DJC where the Caravan put out a wonderful selection of
Israeli food and screened a movie - Israel Inside - followed by an
open discussion. Finally to finish off their road trip, on Monday
morning the Israeli’s visited Umhlanga Jewish Day School where
they played fun food games and entertained the children during
their break time.
The 6 of them were hosted amongst our community and a
special thank you goes out to those who opened their homes
for the weekend. Our community was extremely privileged to
be given the opportunity to have a taste of Israel brought to us.
We can only hope that the Caravan will come again next year
and we look forward to any future Israeli endeavours.
Ori, Yaron and
Michelle Shapira
enjoying the
Israeli food and
conversation on
Sunday evening
Yuval and Robbie at UJDS playing a food game
Ori ‘Israel Man’ with the grade 0 – 7 kids and Kendyll
on Sunday morning
19 HASHALOM
June 2013
COMMUNITY NEWS
Diane McColl
Linda Nathan
Lag B’Omer with the DPJC
Rena Quint’s Visit To Westville Prison
Sunday, 28 April saw the annual Lag B’Omer braai at the DPJC.
Members of Netzer manned the fires and cooked while the
hard working ‘Friends of Netzer’, the Mums, made salads. The
lazy afternoon was topped by music provided by the talented
duo of Stephen Abrahams and Stan Lipschitz who played old
favourites to a small but appreciative audience. So good was the
music that the more adventurous present were up on their feet
dancing. It was a charming way to end a weekend.
After Rev.Bongane Hlatshwayo, Head Chaplain of Correctional
Services KZN, heard a radio interview with Rena Quint, our
guest speaker at Yom Hashoah this year, he immediately
contacted us to inquire if he could attend the function and meet
Mrs Quint in person. After Yom Hashoah, Rev Hlatshwayo
extended an invitation for Mrs Quint to address the female
inmates at Westville Prison.
On Tuesday 9th April Linda Nathan (President CKNJ), Roseanne
Roseanne (Executive Office Administrator CKNJ), Oz Bilu and
Shlomo Weiner (Chabad) accompanied Rena and her grandson
Boaz to the prison. We were met outside the prison by Rev
Hlashwayo, who directed us to the Women’s Prison building and
lead us through some very strict security measures.
Westville Prison is the largest correctional services facility
in South Africa and is home to some 10 000 inmates. As we
entered the prison building we were surrounded by the most
beautiful singing which emanated from the chapel service being
held in the hall.
l to r: Leah Chananie, Ingrid Edelson and Ruth Avidan
About 150 female inmates were present. Pastor Thabile Khumalo,
a retired prosecutor, recited the opening prayer followed by
Rev Hlatshwayo who warmly welcomed us and introduced the
speakers. Linda Nathan introduced Mrs Quint and explained the
purpose of the day. Rena then addressed the inmates. She told
her story through an interpreter to a captivated audience, many
of whom were reduced to tears.
Gifts were presented to all present and then Roseanne Rosen
eloquently gave a vote of thanks and a message of inspiration.
Shlomo Weiner closed the proceedings with a prayer and a
rousing rendition of “Ya’aseh shalom”, with many of the inmates
joining in the singing.
l to r: Bruce, David and Rita Jacobsohn
We were then asked to stand in a reception line so that the
women could personally say thank you. They walked out of the
hall in single file, singing and embracing those of us present.
To quote a survivor, “We have shown that the misery, cruelty,
despair and injustice that were afflicted on us, did not break our
indomitable will. It did not consume us with hatred to the point
of destroying our own and other people’s lives. Instead we set
out to create a new life”.
Hopefully the lesson learnt was that despite adversity, tragedy,
despair and hopelessness, one can live one’s life with purpose,
meaning and fulfilment.
Stanley Lipschitz and Stephen Abrahams
Rabbi Hillel Avidan and Ruth are on
a three month break in Italy and
then on to England where Rabbi will
be celebrating his 80th birthday in
July with family and friends.
The congregation of Temple David
wish him happy travels and a very
happy 80th birthday.
20 HASHALOM
June 2013
Rena Quint, Rev. Bongane Hlatshwayo
21 HASHALOM
June 2013
COMMUNITY NEWS
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF …….
Within the Union’s projects there really is something for everyone, because variety is not only the spice of life but also the type of work
undertaken by the Union. And not everyone needs to do everything!
For the past month members of the Union of Jewish Women’s committee have had a wide variety of projects and/or functions in which
to choose to be involved.
An informative talk was arranged with ICare about how to deal with street children, or rather how not to….. because by giving them
money we are in fact keeping them on the street. They have to choose to leave that lifestyle and options of shelters/homes are available
to them. For ICare and other organizations to pick them up and take them to a shelter for rehabilitation is considered kidnapping.
Of course the Union participated in the communal Yom Ha’atzmaut function and once again had a “sell out” success with shwarma and
hot chips. Thanks to the ladies who toiled over the hot stove and those who did the selling!
Another interesting and amusing talk full of personal anecdotes was given by Rabbi Silberhaft to launch his book detailing his travels
throughout Southern Africa. His knowledge about the country communities is phenomenal and the account of his experiences at
Buckingham Palace and with various members of government or business hierarchy very entertaining.
A visit was arranged to the Hillcrest Government Hospital, a long term facility for patients who need care and have nowhere else to
live. Our very sincere appreciation to members of our community for their magnanimous response to our appeal for cup-cakes and
sandwiches. Until you experience the gratitude personally you have no idea how much that small treat means to the patients.
The Union co-sponsors flights for Rabbi Perez to visit Durban. His Shiurim continue to grow in popularity and we are fortunate that
the walls of Marcel and Linda’s home keep “expanding”. The last topic discussed was the “Jewish perspective of angels” which led to
very divergent opinions and lively and amusing discussions.
22 HASHALOM
June 2013
COMMUNITY NEWS
Above Board
Mary Kluk,
National Chairman
COMFORTING
WINTER PUDS!
A column of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies
An alarming upsurge of antisemitism in Europe
Last month, together with our National Director Wendy Kahn,
Cape Chairman Li Boiskin and Cape Director David Jacobson
attended the World Jewish Congress Plenary Assembly in
Budapest, Hungary. There was also an African Jewish Congress
delegation, led by its President Mervyn Smith and Spiritual
Leader and CEO Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft. The meeting was held
in Budapest on this occasion in order to show solidarity with
the local Jewish community, which has of late experienced an
alarming resurgence of right-wing antisemitism. In the course of
our stay, we indeed witnessed at first-hand the severity of this
problem. Whatever threats that we might face in South Africa,
it bears no relation to a situation where overt anti-Semitic
rhetoric features continually in the public domain. We certainly
cannot deny the high level of security that was provided for
the conference by the authorities, yet the very fact that such
comprehensive measures were deemed necessary tells its own
sad story. One cannot imagine a Jewish leadership gathering in
South Africa ever having to be protected in this way.
In the firing line is Hungary’s 100 000-strong Jewish community,
one of the largest in Europe. We were heartened to see how,
despite the negative propaganda against them, its members are
going about fostering a broad-based renewal of Jewish life in the
country. At the same time, it was evident how pervasive is the
legacy of the Holocaust within the community. It was only near
the end of the war that the Nazis extended their programme of
mass extermination to Hungarian Jewry, yet even in the short
time available, and despite the heroic efforts of Raoul Wallenberg,
they succeeded in shooting and gassing of more than 600 000
Jewish men, women and children. Unlike in Poland, Lithuania
and elsewhere, however, a significant minority was liberated,
and they and their descendants are acutely aware that they are
a community of Holocaust survivors.
The conference provided an inspiring display of Jewish solidarity,
as well as strong messages of support from other European
leaders. No matter where they might be, Jews everywhere
know that their fellow Jews, whether under the umbrella of the
WJC or other influential world bodies, will exert themselves to
the utmost on their behalf in confronting anti-Semitic threats
against them. This was the strong message that was conveyed to
Hungarian Jewry, as well as to the government of that country.
Cyril Karabus: Home at last
The story of Dr Cyril Karabus has gripped the Jewish world,
and particularly our own community, during the nine months in
which he was unjustly imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates.
We applaud everyone involved in bringing this saga to a happy
conclusion, with a special mention of the role played by Dr
Karabus’ legal representative in South Africa, Michael Bagraim.
Michael has rendered extensive service to South African Jewry
over many years, including as National Chairman of the SAJBD.
The part he played in bringing Cyril Karabus home will certainly
be ranked as one of his finest achievements.
PEAR AND CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE
Filling:
8 pears, peeled & quartered
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
100g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
Place pears, lemon zest, juice, sugar and water into a saucepan over
low heat. Gently stir to ensure that the pears are covered by the liquid.
Cook until pears are tender (about 10 minutes). Cool. Place pears and
juice in an ovenproof dish – add the chocolate pieces.
Crumble:
175g butter or margarine, chilled & diced
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
½ cup brown sugar
100g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
To make the crumble, place the flour and butter in the food processor
and process until crumbly. Add the other ingredients by hand. Sprinkle
crumble evenly over the pears and bake at 170degC for 25 - 30 minutes.
Serve with ice cream or custard!
APPLE AND BERRY SPONGE PUDDING
3 Granny Smith Apples,
peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ cups castor sugar
500g frozen mixed berries
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk (orly whip)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Icing sugar to dust
Place the apple, lemon juice and 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and
cook over low heat, stirring for about 3 minutes. Cook for a further 3-4
minutes until the apple softens slightly. Add the berries. Pour mixture
into a greased ovenproof dish. Beat eggs, milk and remaining sugar with
a beater until pale. Add the vanilla, the fold in the flour and baking
powder. Spread this batter gently over the fruit, then place in 180degC
oven for 20 – 25 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve with ice
cream or 1 cup thick cream mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
CITRUS DELIGHT
90g butter
1 ½ cups castor sugar
1 ½ cups milk
3 eggs
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
Icing sugar for dusting
Place the butter, sugar, milk, eggs, lemon juice, flour, baking powder and
orange rind in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth
Pour into a lightly greased ovenproof dish and bake 180degC for 1
hour, until golden. Dust with icing sugar and serve with some vanilla
ice cream
June 2013
HASHALOM 23
COMMUNITY NEWS
Social & Personal
BIRTHS
Mazaltov to Darren and Hayley Katzer on the birth of a son and to
Marion Katzer on the birth of a grandson; to Penny Berman on the
birth of a grandson, a son for Jeremy and Paula; to Ruby Goldberg
on the birth of twin great grandchildren, a boy and a girl for Gary
and Britt Shotland and to Neville Shotland and Arline Shotland on
the birth of twin grandchildren; to Shirley Tollman on the birth of a
grandson, a son for Lisa and Brian Lotterman in USA.
BAR/BATMITZVAH
Mazaltov to Rochelle Freedman on the barmitzvah of her grandson
Jared, son of Adine and Phillip Osopov; to Fay Herr and Hymie
Herr on the batmitzvah of their granddaughter Erin, daughter of
Michael and Candice Herr in Melbourne; to Jeannette Landy on
the batmitzvah of her granddaughter Jessica, daughter of Desray
and Bruce Conne.
ENGAGEMENT
Mazaltov to Jenna Reinbach on her engagement to Gil Lewinsky
in Jerusalem.
MARRIAGES
Mazaltov to Sidney and Gaynor Lazarus on the marriage of their
daughter Aviva to Alon Glassman; to Mike Sevel and Sarah Hagen
on their marriage and to Rob and Gill Sevel on the marriage of
their son Mike and to Lily Cline on the marriage of her grandson.
BIRTHDAYS
Mazaltov to Colin Goldberg on his 70th birthday.
CONDOLENCES
Deepest sympathy to Stan Hart on the passing of his mother Sybil.
24 HASHALOM
June 2013
Diary of Events
June 2013
4
7.30p.m.
KNZC Israeli Film Club
5
9.30a.m.
UJW Friendship Club
12
8.30a.m.
UJW "Morning of Cards"
14
10a.m.
Sisterhood AGM
Temple David
18
7.30p.m.
HOD Lodge Jaffa
DJ Centre
19
9.30a.m.
Sisterhood Friendship Club
4p.m.
DUHC Sinai Indaba
5.45p.m.
DUHC
Annual General Meeting
Perling Hall
Beth Shalom
20
DJCentre
Beth Shalom
DJ Centre
Beth Shalom
Umhlanga
Jewish Centre
July 2013
3
9.30a.m.
UJW Friendship Club
9
7.30.p.m.
KNZC Is Lit
DJ Centre
All times and venues correct at time of going to press
Hashalom is not responsible for errors and omissions.
Please submit your information in writing to
The Editor, PO Box 10797, Marine Parade 4056
or fax to (031) 3379600 or email hashalom@djc.co.za.