gradulations!!! - Chevrah Kadisha

PAGE 2
Gil Aluf
Wins Apple
Competition
PAGE 5
Selwyn Segal’s
New Best Friend
Shevet Yuval
PAGES 7
Keeping Up
With The
Jonesbergs
PAGE 8
Brixton’s
Enduring
Legacy
NEWS
for our friends
Pesach • March 2013 • Volume 40
AT THE HEART OF COMMUNITY WELFARE
GRADULATIONS!!!
A Message From
Our Chairman
Human achievement is
always inspiring. And
when it’s accomplished in
spite of huge challenges,
it’s especially encouraging.
We share with
you some of
the inspirational
graduation
ceremonies the
Chev
recently
celebrated:
FINKELSTEIN TLC:
Eleven learners at
the Chev’s school
for children with special educational needs
graduated at a wonderful party attended by
family and staff. The décor was Las Vegas; the
mood, exuberant and the accomplishments
enormous!
WORLD OF WORK: over ninety workers
attended the year-end ceremony acknowledging their contribution and providing them
with well-earned certificates and gifts. WOW
I extend to you and your families warm
traditional greetings for a kosher and
joyous Pesach.
workers are employed within the Organisation
and are part of the Chev’s Protected
Employment programme.
KADIMAH & BOSTON CITY CAMPUS:
Thirty-eight very proud Kadimah workers
graduated at an exciting ceremony in
December 2012 with a certificate and
Business Admin level 2 Learnership
qualification.
Continued on page 2
With Pesach being so early this year,
memories of the graduation celebrations
that filled the 2012 year-end calendar
are fresh in our minds. In this edition
of Chevrah News we also pay special
tribute to the late Gerald Horwitz, obm,
who passed away just days after
Rosh Hashana. Gerald was a dear
friend to the Chev and for many
years the hard working President
of Sandringham Gardens and the
inspiration
and
driving
force
behind Golden Acres.
Our Government is on a drive to promote
home-based care as an alternative to
institutional living. Please read about
our pioneering efforts to research this
possibility through the hosting of a
Think Tank and consultation with other
role-players in our community.
We
highlight Selwyn Segal’s relationship
with Bnei Akiva’s Shevet Yuval and the
enthusiasm around the camp experience
some residents enjoyed.
The Chev in Numbers
R6 million
spent on medicines
each year
R18 million
spent on municipal
services each year
R24 million
spent on food
each year
499
medical staff including
nurses and caregivers
1
Our
Social
Services
partnership
with CAJE (College of Adult Jewish
Education) offers an exciting programme
of monthly lectures for 2013 by experts
in a variety of fields. Please keep this
newsletter handy for topic and date
details throughout the year.
AT THE HEART OF COMMUNITY WELFARE
Continued from cover story
Continued from page 1
Chev CEO, Michael Sieff, warmly welcomed
the 120+ guests at the graduation ceremony
held in the Gerald Horwitz Lounge at Golden
Acres. In congratulating the graduates and
thanking Boston City Campus for the yearlong course sponsorship, he explained that so
often our lives are in our own hands, to do
with what we choose.
In her speech, Kadimah’s energetic and
dedicated social worker, Naomi Afargan,
said that a year ago, when Ari Katz, CEO of
BCC, approached Kadimah with the offer of
a Business Admin Learnership at no charge,
they were delighted. “Here was a golden
opportunity for individuals who had long since
given up hope of furthering their education
because studying is expensive and without a
grade 12, almost impossible”.
Naomi and Tracy Mayhew, Manager of the
Chev’s Protected Employment Services,
identified 60 candidates from Kadimah, World
Michael & Naomi with Charlot Breger, Project Manager
and Joshua Masindi, Evidence Facilitator
Other offerings provide insight into the
innovative activities and services of the
Chev. I’m sure you will enjoy reading
about them.
As always, we would not be able
to accomplish this important work
without the support of our generous,
encouraging community. We thank you!
Chag Sameach
of Work, Kibbutz Lubner and the community.
But the course was not easy and a month into
it, several people dropped out. To the remaining
38 graduates Naomi said, “Many of you sitting
here today wanted to give up and I would like to say
how unbelievably proud I am of you for persevering
and sticking it out right to the end!”
Learners attended class two
mornings a week, returning
to work afterwards. They
completed modules like
writing, computers and
communications
and
were expected to learn
workplace
skills
and
demonstrate them. “They
learned
many
skills”,
Naomi added, “business,
organisational,
time
management… but more
importantly, they gained
so much confidence and
just seem to walk taller!”
COLIN DATNOW
LONG SERVICE
AWARDS:
are issued annually
to recognise staff
who have proved
their loyalty – fifty
were acknowledged
this
year.
Many
employees in all
divisions
have
remained
in
the
Chev’s employ for
decades. Joseph Nhlangwana and Gladys Choene receive
their certificates for 30 years of service from
CEO Michael Sieff.
GIL ALUF WINS APPLE IN EDUCATION COMPETITION 2012
Gil Aluf had an amazing year
in 2012! Not only was he one
of Finkelstein TLC’s graduating
students, he also won the
Artistic Excellence category
in the Apple in Education
Competition of 2012, beating
dozens of contestants from
mainstream schools!
Gil’s winning project, entitled
Book
of
Superheroes,
demonstrated
his
artistic
ability through the creation
of the original hand-drawn
cartoon characters that peopled his comic
strips. Writing is a slow process for Gil, so
transforming his drawings into stories was
difficult. With the support of TLC staff
and therapists, Gil used the iPad’s voice
recognition to convert his spoken word into
text. He then scanned in his drawings and
made use of the iPad’s comic book app to
chronicle his stories.
The competition recognises the most
innovative and creative use of Apple in
learning and teaching. The
category he entered caters
for those learners seeking
to express themselves
in
an
extraordinarily
creative and artistic way,
using iMovie, iPhoto or
GarageBand on an iPad
or Mac.
But Gil himself is an
exceptional young man.
He had been suffering
major epileptic seizures
since
he
was 7 years old. Each seizure
was a medical emergency and
they occurred up to five times a
day. The episodes interrupted
his brain activity and often
destroyed brain cells.
Many
different surgical procedures
failed to help until, finally, in
December 2008 Gil underwent
drastic brain surgery that
effectively separated one side of his brain from
the other.
2
Thankfully, the seizures stopped but the
operation caused paralysis in his left hand
and unstable body movement. According
to his teachers Gil has suffered through all
of this with optimism and positive energy,
not allowing his physical disability to slow
him down. What’s more, he found a way
to express his artistic talent that is deeply
rewarding for him. “This iPad competition
submission is a testament to this young man’s
tenacity and refusal to give up,” his teacher,
Leanne Beer, says.
This year the Apple in Education Competition
brought in more than 1000
entries from over 70 schools
in more than 30 subjects.
The judging criteria for the
Artistic Excellence category
were demanding.
Gil fulfilled them all and
much, much more!
He
demonstrated remarkable
courage and continues to
inspire everyone around him with his upbeat,
can-do attitude. That’s really winning!
Pesach • March 2013 • Volume 40
From the Desk of Group CEO
MICHAEL SIEFF
Now that I have had three years at the helm, and a little time to
reflect on them over the holidays, with the clarity of hindsight I can
see the distance covered and the terrain ahead.
facilities situated opposite one another on the
Sandringham campus. They accommodate
over 40 patients with bipolar mood disorder,
schizophrenia, severe depression and many
other conditions. In addition to these residential services, there is
also an outpatient clinic where our social workers refer patients for
assessment and treatment by our psychiatrists. The rising number
of people affected by mental health challenges seems to be due to a
combination of the stressful world in which we live and an inherent
predisposition which can be set off by any number of triggers.
Whatever the reason, the Chev is called upon to expand Mental
Health Services to accommodate those who need our help.
Our primary objective has been, and remains, to ensure the
financial sustainability of the Chev so that we can always provide
a safety net for vulnerable members of the community. To that
end we have consolidated our operational services and physical
locations and tightened up where we were overextended. We are
also securing and protecting Brixton Cemetery; developing Our
Parents Home into an upmarket facility; improving our telecoms for
greater efficiency and, amongst many other initiatives, nurturing
community partnerships like the Red Alert network which protects
donors from unethical solicitation.
Finally, Dementia is a growing concern worldwide. It is one of the
world’s fastest growing diseases and statistics reveal that over 36
million people across the globe are sufferers. More concerning is
that the number is expected to rise to over 115 million by 2050 due,
primarily, to longer lifespans. Since there is currently no cure for
most types of Dementia, of which Alzheimers is the most common,
we are learning new techniques, therapies and treatments every day
in our residential aged homes.
Looking ahead, apart from the many services where it is business
as usual, there are three areas in which we are being called upon
to increase services because of the growing number of people
affected. These are Protected Employment, Mental Health Services
and Dementia Care – each of which I will briefly explain.
Our Protected Employment Services department is very active
and innovative and currently ‘employs’ 200 people throughout
the Organisation. These people walk taller and feel validated and
dignified by the skills development, mentorship programmes and
work opportunities offered to them. An example is the wonderful
Boston City Campus Business Administration Learnership featured
in this edition of Chevrah News – a truly inspiring story. Kadimah
has branched out and now runs a second workshop, The Junction,
on our Sandringham campus. Our World of Work employees have
grown in number and they, too, are recognised and appreciated for
their valuable efforts on a daily basis.
As you see, the terrain ahead offers no shortage of challenges, but
with dedication, experienced and qualified staff, the support of our
community partners and the help of G-d, we will meet them head
on together, and succeed.
Best wishes to you and your families for a Chag Pesach Kasher
v’Sameach – a kosher and joyous Pesach.
.
The second area of growth is in our Mental Health Services. Sandringham Square and Lodge are two mental health residential
MICHAEL
SANDRINGHAM GARDENS
HOSTS
SEMINAR: LONGTERM CARE OF THE ELDERLY
Over 120 guests attended an informative Seminar
on Longterm Care of the Elderly hosted recently by
Sandringham Gardens. The seminar was primarily
aimed at senior nursing staff, occupational
therapists, social workers and other professionals
working with the elderly. Delegates from aged
homes around Johannesburg were invited.
Four expert speakers addressed the following
topics: • Dr Ryan Fuller, Psycho-Geriatrician, talked about depression
• Lijahne Beetge, Clinical Psychologist and the Chev’s General Manager of Mental
Health Services, spoke on learned helplessness & entitlement
• Kay Govender, Occupational Therapist and the Chev’s General Manager of Our
Parent’s Home, addressed the issue of the determination of meaningful activity
• Jackie Fabian, Occupational Therapist, spoke about the transition from community
into longterm care.
The Seminar ran throughout the course of the morning and ended
with a panel discussion, giving the audience the opportunity to
engage in discussion with the presenters and ask questions.
3
AT THE HEART OF COMMUNITY WELFARE
A LIFE TOUCHED BY...
Arcadia Jewish Children’s Home
For the next year, Josh, now 18, went from one rehab
facility and halfway house to another. Incredibly, he
managed pass matric with a university exemption.
It was while he was in a halfway house that he met
Gwen, a social worker who provided him with strong
support and encouragement and who helped him
believe that he could count on himself to break out
of his cycle of destruction and chaos.
Josh is 25 years old today – an intelligent, attractive
and likeable young man. Looking at him now, it is
difficult to comprehend the gruelling and painful
journey he has travelled and just how strong and
determined he has had to be.
His mother overdosed on drugs when Josh was just
a year old. His parents were not married and his
father, also a user, had no rights under the law at
that time.
Shortly afterwards Josh came to the Chev and
met financial social worker, Dorit. He was 19 and had decided he
wanted to live on his own – no more families. The Chev helped him
find a cottage in Sydenham and he started rebuilding his life. Though
intellectually capable, Josh was not quite ready to tackle a degree, so
he undertook an apprenticeship with a plumbing company where he
worked – happily and successfully - for the next 3 years.
So Josh came into Arcadia as a baby. Before his 3rd birthday he was
adopted by a Jewish family and lived with them until he was 16. But
he was increasingly unhappy in that household and was eventually
removed from the family’s care by the Children’s Court and placed
back into Arcadia.
In 2010 Josh went to Israel for 3 months with Aish HaTorah but
couldn’t find a fit and came back. He moved back into his cottage
and got a job at Discovery’s call centre, where he is still working. He
has been clean for 6 years now and is determined never to return
to those dark days. He is also ready to study and has registered at
UNISA for BCom Law for 2013.
Filled with anger and disappointment, young Josh – whose life thus
far had been a series of one rejection following another and who
had never known love or acceptance – became a rebellious, wild and
defiant teenager. Drugs were his preferred choice of self-destruction.
Challenging authority and displaying uncontrollable behaviour Josh
was eventually removed from Arcadia and put into a reformatory.
After 3 months in the reformatory the family of a school friend
applied to have him released into their care on the condition that
he wasn’t caught drinking or drugging. He broke that agreement a
year later and when he tested positive for substance abuse again was
faced with the option of going back to the reformatory or going into
rehab. He chose rehab.
“I am thankful to the Chev, more specifically certain people at the Chev,
for the financial support and for Arcadia taking me out of a somewhat
messy situation. Without the Chev, Gwen, and my
girlfriend, I am not sure where I would be. For now,
things look good and I couldn’t have done it on my
own”.
A Tribute to Gerald Horwitz obm
The Gerald Horwitz Lounge at Golden Acres was named in his honour
as a gesture of appreciation and respect for his loyal and dedicated
service to the Jewish community. He will be remembered fondly for his
courage, compassion, generosity and sensitivity.
Gerald Horwitz passed away on the
20th September 2012, just days after Rosh
Hashana.
A big personality with a big heart, Gerald
was a Jewish leader of strength and
distinction for whom the interests and needs
of the community were always paramount.
He was also a highlyrespected attorney whose endearing fine
qualities led to him being widely characterised
as a “total mensch”.
Gerald was a true and faithful friend to the Chevrah Kadisha and his
passing has left a void. He was laid to rest in Jerusalem. We extend our
sincere condolences to Daryl, Lisa, Steven, Gordon and their families.
Gerald served two terms as President of
Sandringham Gardens (1984 -1989 and 1993
-1996) and was the visionary and driving force
behind the building of Golden Acres. Rabbi Baruch Grossnass speaking at a
breakfast shiur held in honour of the late
Gerald Horwitz during Succoth in the
Sandringham Gardens succah 4
Pesach • March 2013 • Volume 40
SELWYN SEGAL’S NEW “BEST FRIEND”
BNEI AKIVA’S SHEVET YUVAL!
If words fail to describe the unreserved
exhilaration of the 8 Selwyn Segal
residents and Finkelstein TLC learners
who attended Bnei Akiva camp this
December, pictures might just succeed.
Shevet Yuval is a brand new Bnei Akiva initiative in SA
that caters to adolescents and young adults with special
needs, though it has been functioning with amazing
success in Israel, Australia and Canada for many years.
While camp, which ran from 11th – 17th December for
this group, provided endless excitement, new experiences and immeasurable delight,
Shevet Yuval is not just about camp.
Saul Jassinovsky, Rosh Shevet Yuval SA
and his Bnei madrichim have created
a lasting relationship which began
before camp and
will continue long
after. Outings have
so far included
visits to tenpin
bowling and the
putt putt course
- and who knows
what
surprises
2013 will bring?
A Chanukah Miracle
Saul, who has been
a part of Bnei
Akiva for 10 years
in positions both
junior and senior,
says, “We want to
integrate
special
needs youth with youth in the community. There
is amazing support for people with special needs
in our community, but none that have extended
to the youth and SA’s Jewish youth movements.
We aim to remedy this situation in the interests of
equal opportunity for those of all abilities.”
Brenda Solarsh, GM of Selwyn
commented that many special
people
are
routinely
underestimated.“Disabled people
are often lonely and hunger for real
friendships. They thrive on social
interaction with the community
and can often cope with it
beyond expectations.
Shevet
Yuval’s outings, friendships and
camp experience have provided
unprecedented joy and delight
and we are very grateful for this
relationship”.
And that’s why Selwyn Segal has
a new best friend!
Thank you Shevet
Yuval!
5
Segal
needs
As the chanichim readied
themselves to head off to
Bnei camp, the excitement
at the airport was palpable.
For some, it was to be their
very first time on an airplane!
These chanichim are warm,
sociable and looking to make
friends; so that is just what
Melissa Levy did! She went
up to greet a man who was
sitting waiting for his flight
and told him all about how excited she was
for camp and how great her madrichim are.
Barend Jansen of Fox Alarms was intrigued
and spoke to the mother of one of the
madrichim. Upon hearing more about this
exciting venture, he made a donation of
R10 000 on the spot which he gave to Melissa
for Shevet Yuval
AT THE HEART OF COMMUNITY WELFARE
LEADING THE WAY
TOWARDS HOME-BASED CARE FOR OLDER PERSONS
Late last year the
Chev’s
Community
Social Services division
convened a Think Tank
and invited professionals
and experts from Jewish
organisations in the
field of caring for older
persons to participate.
The aim was to network
and gain insight into what services are being
provided; to promote service coordination and
to investigate the possible need for expansion
of services.
The main issue under discussion was HomeBased Care for older persons. This involves
the provision of health and other services
through frequent visits by formal and
informal care givers to the
home. It promotes an older
person’s level of comfort,
functioning and health and
should ideally also facilitate
their use of
community
resources, like social activities.
Home-Based
care
is widely accepted
as
preferable
to
institutional living for the following
reasons:
• Accommodation in residential facilities is
limited – not all older persons needing care
can be accommodated in residential facilities
such as old age homes.
• Accommodation in a residential facility
imposes a greater financial burden on
families than Home-Based Care does.
•
Older people usually prefer to
remain in their own homes
•
It allows for them to remain
active in the community and retain
independence and decision-making
abilities for as long as possible
6
Hylton Marks with
Rabbi Jonathan Fox Hylton Marks, social worker
at the Chev and the man
responsible for organising
the Think Tank said, “It
was a very worthwhile effort.
Those who attended provided
valuable, informative and
beneficial input. The next
step is to develop and
implement Home-Based Care
in our community”.
Pesach • March 2013 • Volume 40
KEEPING UP
WITH THE JONESBERGS
Have you ever wondered about the huge
pressure young people are under today
to keep up with their peers?
Rob Zagey, our Fundraising Revenue
Manager, certainly has. Under the banner
of Helping Hands, Rob, who has a BCom
Honours in investment, has structured
an innovative course in sensible and
sustainable living that has been both an
eye-opener and inspiration to audiences.
Chevrah News interviewed Rob to find out
all about it.
What are you trying to achieve with your
Keeping up with the Jonesbergs course?
Rob: The Jewish version of Keeping up with the Jones’ is a critical issue in
our community and central to the way we live. It’s way past time for young
people to get real, to apply their minds
to the sustainability of their choices –
Here’s the thing: a
the homes they buy, cars they drive,
joint annual income of
schools they choose for their children.
R1 million is average
Social pressure to keep up is enormous
today, and doesn’t get
and getting worse. I’m trying to raise
you too far.
awareness about the need to ask
ourselves if this is really the way we
want to live? Do we always want to be slaves to our possessions - working
impossibly long hours just to keep up with the debt we have incurred? Are
these really the values we want to teach our kids?
So you’re saying young people should live more modestly, more
realistically. Can that lesson become fashionable? Is it practical?
Rob: It has to become trendy to save, rather than accumulate debt. If that
house is too expensive, we must learn to compromise – choose a smaller house
or a less expensive neighbourhood. We don’t have to have it all. Because
here’s the thing: a joint annual income of R1 million is average today, and
doesn’t get you too far. Many people who live beyond their means may expect
others to pick up the slack when they can’t keep up. That’s not fair. If we’re
not prepared to make sacrifices ourselves, we can’t expect others to sacrifice
for us.
Common Cents
Our Bridal Support Services
There is no greater mitzvah of charity than providing the means for
a poor couple to get married. This mitzvah is called Hachnoseth
Kallah and was initiated over 80 years ago in Johannesburg by
the late Rabbi Aloy, z”tl. The Chev has been administrating the
Fund for the past decade, assisting local couples from this city.
We assist young couples in one of
two ways:
The initial costs of setting up their
home:
The costs involved in setting up a
basic home can be high and may
even cause a couple to delay their wedding indefinitely. In order
to alleviate the burden, our Bridal Services will consider onceoff assistance to enable a couple to purchase some of the basic
items needed for the home such as linen, crockery and cutlery,
appliances, furniture etc.
The costs of the wedding function:
How is the course structured?
Rob: It’s a one-hour course hosted by Sasfin aimed at educating the young
community about the realities of today’s costs of living through varying life
stages: when you’re single; getting married; having babies; when kids go to
school; when you buy a home or a car. We held a few courses in 2012 but this
year I would like to schedule one every few months, depending on demand. To
highlight the relevance, each course targets people experiencing a similar life
stage. Most salaries can’t keep up with rising costs.
So is it about financial planning?
Rob: Yes. But on a deeper, more important level it’s a paradigm shift. It’s about
making sustainable financial decisions and beating a system that is designed
to keep you spending for the rest of your life. The realisation that owning things
does not equate to success – that’s the conversation people should be having.
After that, it’s proactive financial planning and taking responsible steps before
landing in trouble. Optimism is one thing, recklessness, another.
What makes the Jonesbergs different from the Jones?
Rob: Our community is awesome. It’s not what everyone has. If a person is
really in need, there is a place to come to for help and many of our communal
structures will catch you if you fall. If you’re not Jewish, there’s no Organisation
like the Chev to sustain you through difficult times, no power of community.
We need to nurture and protect that. Not abuse it.
7
A wedding is incomplete without a celebratory function. Our
Hachnoseth Kallah fund will therefore assist young couples with
the finances towards this function.
As in all areas of financial assistance, Hachnoseth Kallah
has to ensure that the funds are used for couples in genuine
need. Therefore, certain conditions need to be met in order
for assistance to be approved. In providing towards a wedding
function, Hachnoseth Kallah requires that the function,
while being respectable, is modest and that it takes place in
Johannesburg. Special arrangements exist between the Chev
and certain venues.
Beautiful bridal and retinue outfits can be borrowed, free of
charge, by contacting 082 850 0003 to make an appointment.
If you are in need of assistance or wish to donate to this worthy
cause, please contact Shirley Resnick on 011 532 9710.
Bank details:
Hachnoseth Kalah FNB Acct 50390803226 Code 250455
AT THE HEART OF COMMUNITY WELFARE
Pesach • March 2013 • Volume 40
BRIXTON’S ENDURING LEGACY
As publicised recently
in the media, work
is well underway to
secure and maintain
Brixton
Cemetery.
The generosity of a
major
benefactor,
whose grandparents
Preeva Bat Yaakov and
Tzvi Ben Shlomo are
buried at Brixton, has
enabled us to rid the cemetery of vagrants
and protect the tombstones, fencing and
facilities from vandalism and theft.
Fencing has been installed all the way around
the Jewish section and security guards are
already in place 24/7. A major clean-up of
the area is in progress and lighting will soon
be connected. In a final phase we intend to
repair all broken tombstones and lay them
flat – a popular practice in Israel and other
countries - which preserves aging stones and
prevents their disintegration.
of whom continue to
visit. Although funerals
no longer take place
there, those buried at
Brixton form a rich
historic tapestry of
Jewish South Africa
and include pioneers,
community leaders and
Rabbinic luminaries.
A special section is set aside for Rabbonim
and those who served Jewish community
organisations like the Beth Din, Witwatersrand
Benevolent Association and Chevrah Kadisha.
Amongst the many notable names is that of Rabbi
Moshe Friedman, a Dayan of the Beth Din and a
distinguished, beloved scholar whose funeral in
1925 was attended by 10,000 people. Brixton
is the final resting place of the Tzaddik, Rav
Mordechai Slom, who resettled his community
from Chelm in Lithuania to Oudeshoorn many still come to pray at his graveside;
The giving of charity, which brings
sustenance to a needy individual, is a
life-sustaining act - one that effectively
allows us to imitate G-d, ‘the animator
of the living,’ and provides each person
with the noblest direction in life - to ‘walk
in His ways’
Notice Board
WANT TO VOLUNTEER?
GOT GOODS TO DONATE?
Contact Laurie on 011 532 9758 or
laurie@thechev.org.za
Our Details
NUMBERS TO KNOW:
• Main Switchboard (011) 532 9600
• Residential Services (011) 532 9600 ext 9669
• Donations (011) 532 9752/9644/9625/9622
• Gift Certificates (011) 532 9752/31
• Westpark Cemetery (011) 673 2057/8
• Healthcare Services Outpatients Department
(011) 640 5187 ext 212
• Community Social Services (011) 532 9616
• E-cards and Gift Cards (011) 532 9698
Rebbe Menachem Schneerson
Biblical Bytes with Rabbi Fox
Must We Look After Our Parents?
Rebbi Tarfon had an elderly
mother. Whenever she wanted to
climb into bed, he would bend
down so that she could climb
on him to get into the bed and
whenever she got out of bed,
she would climb onto him to get
down. The other Sages told Rebbi
Tarfon that he had not demonstrated even half
of the honour that is due to one’s parents.
Emergency Services:
• 24-hour Helpline 082 499 1010
• Burial Services 24-hour standby
(011) 321 0000 code 4284 or 083 704 3994
• Trauma Response 082 441 7859 or Helpline
WEBSITES
www.jhbchev.co.za
www.helpinghands.co.za
Interested in a tour of the cemetery? Please
let us know on: feedback@thechev.org.za
Famous Quote
Now 100 years old, Brixton still has a special
place in the hearts of our community, many
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO US?
feedback@thechev.org.za
Sir Harry Graumann, first Jewish mayor of
Johannesburg in 1909; Annie Slovo, mother
of Joe Slovo; Joseph Ratzker, a President and
Honorary Life President of the Witwatersrand
Hebrew Benevolent Association; Jacques
Klisser, President of the Chevrah Kadisha
in 1898, as well as many other prominent
people too numerous to mention here.
Ensuring that our parents’ needs are taken
care of is a fulfillment of the Commandment
to honour one’s parents. The Sages tell us that
for this Mitzvah a person receives reward in this
world - specifically that of long life – as well as
in the world to come. It is worth noting that
this is the only one of the 10 Commandments
for which a reward is promised in this life.
Our basic instruction is to
ensure that our parents
have food, drink, clothing
and shelter. We are also
obligated to take our
parents from place to place
as is necessary. All of
this should, of course, be
carried out in a pleasant and loving manner.
As demonstrated by the story about Rebbi
Tarfon, there are no limits to the amount of
honour and care that is due to our parents.
If parents have the financial means to
provide for their own needs, children are
not obligated to spend their own money. If,
however, they do not have means, children
are indeed obligated to spend their own
money to provide for them.
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The basis for this Mitzvah is that we should
demonstrate gratitude to those who brought
us into the world and raised us. Although the
Mitzvah is applicable at all stages of life, it is
most applicable when our parents are weak,
elderly or sickly.
In fact, if children can only afford to
support their parents from tzedoka money,
they can and should do so as this is the
highest priority in disbursing one’s tzedoka.
It fulfills both the mitzvah of charity as well
as that of honouring parents.
Editor: Tzivia Grauman, Head of Group Communications. chevrahgroup@jhbchev.co.za
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