Attention students: Make sure to check your university timetables. If any of your exams clash with Shabbat or Chagim, email us at sajbd@sajbd.org

Keeping an Eye on Things Reflections and stories from my experience as an election observer. Elections are a special time. They bring with them optimism, excitement, and new horizons. In our country they symbolise hard fought for and cherished free talking to fellow South Africans whom we would normally never meet, while waiting in a queue to vote. We laugh together, moan and commiserate about the long wait, but also reminisce about the magical 1994 election. It is a great le

Watch Irene Fainman, a survivor of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, when she testified to what she and other victims of Nazi tyranny experienced during the war - at Westpark Jewish Cemetery on Yom Hashoah.

Zev Krengel writes in the Sunday Independent. His piece is a response to Zane Dangor who questioned whether Jewish leadership were using criticism of Israel to silence debate. In this article Krengel applies the “Duck test” as an indication of antisemitism. It is pretty obvious why racism remains such a hot topic in this country. We acknowledge that it still exists and that it urgently needs to be dealt with. The nuance comes in with the definitions around racism. Things such

Standing on the piazza of the Wits University Great Hall during the annual Israel Apartheid Week, I often wondered whether equating anti-Zionism to anti-Semitism was, after all, no more than a clever tactic used by Israel advocates to defuse a difficult discussion. US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s recent series of comments and tweets have made me seriously reconsider my assumption. Her sentiments, which were once beyond the pale in our public discourse, are being heard with grea

Join in this year’s Great Debate and engage with leaders from five political parties as they discuss issues pertinent to the community. Make your voice heard by sending your questions to yanir@sajbd.org or tweet your questions using #MakeUsCount. 11 April7:30pm 11April7:30pmCyril Harris Community Centre, Great Park SynagogueQueries: 011 645 2504Limited spaces available Email yanir@sajbd.org with your name and ID number to book your seat.

This year, Human Rights Day coincides with the Jewish festival of Purim. While the two events appear to have little in common, in actuality, there are numerous interesting parallels between them. The Purim narrative, based on events recorded in the Book of Esther, abounds with human rights themes. The festival commemorates how a plot to massacre the entire Jewish population of the Persian Empire was thwarted through an extraordinary chain of events which in retrospect could o

Academic freedom should be embraced, defended and never be taken for granted. This was the consensus at a meeting between representatives from Stellenbosch University (SU) and the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) at the University on Friday, 25 January 2019. The meeting was convened following the withdrawal of several Israeli academics from a conference, entitled Recognition, Reparation, Reconciliation: The Light and Shadow of Historical Trauma, held at SU towards the end

This issue includes a special focus on Jewish culture and heritage. It includes contributions on music in the Bible and Judaism in general by Cecil Bloom, the Tu B’Shvat festival, past and present, by Henia Bryer and an overview of the Barmitzvah ceremony and how it has evolved over time by Lionel Slier. Closer to home, the indefatigable Gwynne Schrire has, with much relish investigated the origins, analysed the contents and considered the overall historical context of a late

In this issue, the distinguished journalist, author and editor Jeremy Gordin provides a perspective on the significance and continued relevance of the Rambam/Maimonides from both a personal and academic perspective. This is followed by the latest in veteran contributor Bernard Katz’s “A Brief Journey Through…” series looking at some of the main centres of Jewish life in Europe and the Near East from the earliest times until today. This time he focuses on the Jewish presence i

South African Jewry conveyed a rousing message of support to President Cyril Ramaphosa for his efforts to confront the legacy of corruption and state capture at last night’s SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) Gauteng Council conference. The well-attended gathering included Cabinet ministers, business leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and community members.  Former Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan was given an especially enthusiastic standing ovation by the capacity

“My experiences living amongst a Jewish community.  My first engagement with Jewish people began when the company I worked for merged with a Jewish family-owned-business and to whom I was then to report to as my new CEO.  My first encounter with my new Boss, Ronnie Norwitz, was on a Friday when he came down to my office at around 12 looked at his watch and said “Solly aren't you going to be late for your Friday prayer?”  Never before in all my years of working, had I ever had

At the biennial conference of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies Gauteng Council next week, Gauteng Jewry will have the first opportunity of engaging directly with President Ramaphosa since his assumption of the presidency earlier this year. Rather than delivering the traditional keynote address, Mr Ramaphosa will be exchanging views with eminent business leader Stephen Koseff on challenges currently facing South Africa, what the Jewish community is (or could be) doing to help a

Join us as we celebrate Mandela’s Centenary with President Ramaphosa and the Nelson Mandela Centenary programme. 25 November 201817:15 Click here to secure your seat.

Prince Buthelezi Birthday

This week, the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) unequivocally upheld a complaint against Ehrenreich lodged by the SAJBD. Ehrenreich was found guilty of prohibited hate speech, of harassment and of violating the complainants’ right both to dignity and to equality. He was directed to apologise in writing to the SAJBD and affirm his commitment to constitutional values.   In its 26-page ruling, the SAHRC observed that even if a clear distinction had been made between the SAJBD

Have you heard the joke where a Jew, an Afrikaner and an Indian walk into a Shebeen? It sounds like the kind of “witty” yarn that EFF leader Julius Malema would spin. Oh, wait, actually, he has already told tales about different minorities – singling them out for abuse. Most recently, he “cleverly” managed to insult two minority groups at the same time, when he said: “There’s a group of white right-wingers (read Afrikaners) who are being trained by Jews in Pretoria to be snip

We are pleased to announce that the Rosh Hashanah 2018 issue of Jewish Affairs has been posted on our  website. The printed version will be sent to subscribers shortly. As always, we ask that you assist us in widening the reach of the journal by forwarding this message to anyone who may be interested. In May this year, the State of Israel celebrated its 70th anniversary. To mark that memorable milestone, the Rosh Hashanah 2018 issue of Jewish Affairs is devoted almost entire

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies pays tribute to Zondeni Veronica Sobukwe, and extends its condolences to the Sobukwe family on her passing. Mrs Sobukwe will always have an honoured place in South African history for her loyal, steadfast support for her legendary husband, the great Pan-Africanist leader Robert Sobukwe, during the struggle against apartheid. She epitomised the courage, endurance and loyalty of the innumerable women whose husbands or partners were imp

On Mandela Day last week, sandwiches were made and handed out, blankets knitted and distributed and speeches given by impressive and inspiring world leaders. It is fitting then, that, on that auspicious day, I experienced what I believe was a profound ‘Mandela moment’, one that exemplified the Madiba values and spirit. Following some highly abusive and antisemitic commented posted on a Whatsapp group last month, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), together wit