April 30, 2026 By Karen Milner We are saddened to learn of the passing of Dr Edith Eger at the age of 98. Sent to Auschwitz at 16, she lost both her parents on the day of their arrival, and survived horrors that most of us cannot begin to fathom. And yet, what Dr Eger chose to do with that suffering is nothing short of extraordinary. She spent decades as a renowned clinical psychologist, devoting her life to helping others heal from trauma, and transforming the darkest of hu

April 23, 2026 By Karen Milner This past week began, once again, with news that no community should have to absorb as routine. The firebombing of Kenton United Synagogue in northwest London, the third suspected arson attack on a Jewish site in the British capital within three days, following earlier incidents in Finchley and Hendon/Golders Green. Let me be unambiguous: a synagogue is a house of worship. It is a place of prayer, of community, of children’s laughter on a Shabb

April 16, 2026 By Karen Milner This is a week of profound communal significance. On Tuesday evening, we gathered to mark Yom HaShoah and, in doing so, made history. For the first time, the Pretoria and Johannesburg communities came together as one in a unified act of remembrance. It was, in every sense, a deeply poignant occasion. That this year’s international Yom HaShoah theme was “The Family in the Holocaust” made the coming together of our two communities all the more re

March 26, 2026 By Karen Milner Ambulances aren’t political. They save lives, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. Hatzolah doesn’t discriminate. In fact, no organisation better demonstrates the positive impact of Jewish communities on their surroundings than Hatzolah, a volunteer organisation providing a critical service at life-or-death moments. The targeting of a Jewish ambulance service is an act of unremitting evil. Let’s call it what it plainly is: an antisemitic terror attack.

March 19, 2026 By Karen Milner This week, the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) hosted its once-vaunted Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW). Historically, IAW has been a source of hostility, intimidation, and even violence on campus, and a key driver in making Jewish students feel unsafe at this critically important South African university, which also happens to be my place of employment. Previous iterations were absolutely hostile:

March 12, 2026 By Karen Milner This week, I’m writing from Australia, where I’m visiting family. While here, I’ve had the privilege of meeting with Daniel Aghion KC, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Daniel and I spoke frankly about the well-being of the Jewish community in Australia following the horrific Bondi attacks. What struck me most was learning that there’s been a broad understanding in Australia that importing foreign conflicts into local disc

March 5, 2026 By Karen Milner How swiftly the world can shift. Just last week, as we prepared to welcome Purim, I reflected on the festival’s powerful examples of women’s leadership. I drew strength too from the extraordinary women of Iran who, at immense personal risk, continue to take to the streets demanding dignity and freedom. Like Esther, they embody what becomes possible when individuals choose to speak truth to power, refusing to be silenced. Now, as the world become

February 26, 2026 By Karen Milner Monday night marks the beginning of Purim, one of our most iconic and joyous festivals. Like so many of our holidays, Purim carries multiple layers of meaning and instruction. Among its central themes is one that resonates particularly in our current moment: women’s leadership, and the varied forms courage can take. The Purim story presents us with two female protagonists who embody distinct but equally important models of feminist leadershi

February 19, 2026 By Karen Milner I had the privilege last week of representing the Jewish community at the State of the Nation Address (SONA). I attend this annual event with a sense of profound gratitude for our democracy and, having witnessed the apartheid years, acute awareness of how far we have travelled as a nation. That we are invited every year and represented at SONA as the Jewish community carries deep significance. Our inclusion offers living proof, not that any

February 12, 2026 By Karen Milner The furore around the King David versus Roedean girls’ tennis match revealed so much about the nature of modern antisemitism, our experience of it, and our responsibilities as community members, leaders, parents, and students to tackle and confront it. King David has endured a painful history of overt antisemitism. Hitler salutes. Swastikas. Our students have faced these acts of intimidation and bigotry repeatedly during sports events over

February 5, 2026 By Karen Milner This has been a difficult week for South African Jewry. On Friday, 30 January, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) announced via social media that Ariel Seidman, Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, had been declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave the country. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies immediately mobilised, advocating its position across television, radio, and print media. This

29 January 2026 For the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli hostages in Gaza. This is a momentous inflection point, marked by emotions as complex as they are profound. While the instinct might be to celebrate, we carry with us the sobering reality that so many of those returned came home as mortal remains, their lives brutally cut short, their families forever incomplete. Yet there is undeniably relief and definitely a measure of joy at the conclusion of Israel’s long

Over the past few days, a great deal of concern has engulfed our community regarding a document referring to an “Apartheid Bill” put forward by the Al Jama-ah political party. I must reiterate that what exists at present is merely a notice of intention to introduce a private members’ Bill, together with an invitation for public comment. No draft text has been tabled, no wording released. We are under no illusions about the motives of this party, nor about the antisemitic agen

There are weeks when the soul of our country feels a little lighter, when the ties that bind us across faith and tradition grow visibly stronger. Last week was one such week. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) was privileged to take part in two significant interfaith gatherings: a conference co-hosted by the Institute for Global Engagement and the South African Council of Faith Based Fraternals; and a session of the Gauteng Ethics and Anti-Corruption Council.

The campaign 16 Days of Activism started on 25 November, a global drive to combat the devastating impact of gender-based violence and femicide (GBV) on women, children, and vulnerable groups. This is a cause so immediate and pressing in South Africa and within our community. Last Friday, 21 November, women from the South African Jewish Board of Deputies participated in the “national shutdown against GBV” at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. The gathering, which was timed to

A credible, united Jewish voice November 20, 2025 As we approach the South African Jewish Board of Deputies’ (SAJBD’s) national executive conference next weekend, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable origins of the Board. Established in 1912 through the amalgamation of the Jewish Board of Deputies for the Transvaal and Natal, founded in 1903; and its Cape counterpart, in 1904, the SAJBD emerged at a time when our community sought a unified platform to articulate its co

There are moments during the year when the vibrancy of our community is on display for all to see. Past weeks present such a moment. Starting with the Investec Jewish Achiever Awards on 2 November, which were so robustly supported, filling the Sandton Convention Centre, and highlighting the exceptional contributions of our community to the fabric of South African society. Hot on its heels came the Chevrah Kadisha Pillars event on 9 November, another gathering that drew our co

Over the past two weeks, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies has been involved in a Western Cape High Court case: Professor Adam Mendelsohn versus University of Cape Town (UCT) Council. The case centres on the alleged lack of correct process followed by the UCT Council in its decision to pass a boycott resolution against Israel. The resolution that was passed ultimately contained two key elements which are highly problematic for us as a community: a boycott of all co-o