World Jewish Congress and SA Jewish Board of Deputies Mandela Day: Opening of the Eco Communal Centre and classroom at the Harvest Centre of Education and Equality

On World Refugee Day 2023, celebrated on June 20th each year by the United Nations to commemorate the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the SAJBD stands in solidarity with the refugee, asylum seeker and migrant communities. We celebrate and honour the strength and courage of those who have fled their homes due to conflict or persecution, and commit to preventing and combating Afrophobia, xenophobia and all forms of bigotry in our society.

Happy Greek Easter to all our Greek friends

In a unique, path-blazing partnership, Hip-hop artists Westside Gravy (Noah Shufutinsky) and July 56 (Tanaka Jura) recently collaborated on a new song about shared roots & values and combating prejudice. Noah identifies as a Black Russian Jew, and lives in Israel. Tanaka is South African born with Zimbabwean heritage. Their song, entitled Never Shaken, is a powerful as well as inspiring voice against antisemitism, xenophobia and racism. Please enjoy .

University of Pretoria slams hostile, discriminatory statements against Jewish students Read article here

SAJBD statement on the passing of the Prevention and Combatting of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill in the National Assembly on Tuesday March 14 th 2023 Date: 15 February 2023 After over a decade of advocating for hate crimes legislation in our country, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies was delighted that the National Assembly passed the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill yesterday on Tuesday March 14 th 2023. This important milestone in t

On Human Rights Day the SAJBD will be partnering with the Alexandra Chamber of Commerce in arranging a Wellness Day for the children of Alexandra. The day will include measles vaccines, children’s wellness assessments administered by Workforce, hearing assessments conducted by the SA Association of Audiologists and the distribution of reusable sanitary pads by Fingertips of Africa. Please join us for this special event. View video

Offensive display of Anti-Jewish bigotry University of Pretoria (UP) For the past few weeks, the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) at UP have been subjected to a barrage of hostile and discriminatory statements and actions. This culminated today in a sit-in protest aimed to exclude the Jewish Student Representative body from working with the SRC. The SAUJS students partnered with the SRC to arrange a stationery drive to assist fellow students. This engagement so

A “Chief Rebbetzin” like no other. We were much saddened to learn of the passing in Jerusalem over the weekend of our dear friend, colleague and mentor Ann Harris, o”h. Much was written in tribute to Ann when she went on aliya last year, but even this only sketched some of the high points of the remarkable 35 years she spent in our country. Jewish communal leader, human rights campaigner, lawyer, social upliftment activist – these were just some of the areas in which she made

Prof Karen Milner comments on the shameful NFP resolution to downgrade the Israeli Embassy View video here

Today’s passing of the National Freedom Party’s (NFP) resolution to downgrade the South African Embassy in Israel, while framed as a human-rights motivated gesture, is in reality, driven by an obsessive enmity towards the world’s sole Jewish nation state and a desire to undermine and harm South Africa’s own best interests. The unreflecting virulence of the rhetoric against Israel, with all its multiple misrepresentations, falsifications, omissions and exaggerations, bears thi

We call on all political parties to reject NFP resolution Tomorrow is the festival of Purim, when Jews throughout the world remember how their forebears in Persia faced destruction at the hands of those who hated them and were saved from it. How very ironic therefore that on this very day Parliament will be devoting itself to discussing whether or not to downgrade the SA Embassy in Israel. The motion, brought forward by the National Freedom Party (NFP) calls on parties to bac

Offensive display of Anti-Jewish bigotry University of Pretoria (UP) For the past few weeks, the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) at UP have been subjected to a barrage of hostile and discriminatory statements and actions. This culminated today in a sit-in protest aimed to exclude the Jewish Student Representative body from working with the SRC. The SAUJS students partnered with the SRC to arrange a stationery drive to assist fellow students. This engagement so

SA Rugby shamefully capitulates to intimidation. The decision of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) to withdraw its Mzanzi Challenge invitation to the Tel Aviv Heats is disgraceful and frankly embarrassing. It is appalling that the governing body of SA rugby has caved in without a fight to those whose sole aim is to boycott Israel in every possible forum, even to the detriment of South Africa itself. Threats, bullying and intimidation have of course always been the modus op

The SAJBD and Angel Network continue to assist the people affected by the Boksburg disaster. Clive Mashishi has been working with builders and electricians to repair damages to the old age home caused by the explosion. In the coming days we will continue to assess and assist those impacted by this tragedy including providing counseling to families who lost loved ones in this tragedy.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) is committed to assisting the victims and families of the Boksburg tragedy as they start rebuilding their lives. Through the SAJBD Relief Fund, together with our partners on the ground, the Angel Network, the Clive Mashishi Foundation, the Sibambisene Foundation and Fingertips of Africa are working tirelessly to help those in need. The various organisations are assessing the needs and responding accordingly. Clive Mashishi ha

We were saddened to learn of the passing on Friday of our treasured friend and esteemed colleague Goldie Goldsmith. For over forty years, Goldie worked for the SAJBD in various capacities, primarily as administrative secretary of the Board’s journal Jewish Affairs as well as of its Afrikaans language publication Buurman which appeared during the 1970s and early 1980s. She was well into her eighties when, by her own choice, she decided to finally retire. Goldie Goldsmith, née

The SAJBD mourns the passing of Michael Schneider, a great Jewish South African who risked his life in the fight for justice in his country of birth and went on to render outstanding service to global Jewry. Schneider died in New York aged 83 last Shabbat from complications of diabetes. As one of the world’s foremost Jewish communal leaders and professionals at the time of his retirement in 2011, he was secretary general of the World Jewish Congress, although the greater part

Alana Baranov calls for condemnation on gender oppression in Iran and South Africa’s silence https://www.dailymaverick.co.z ...

We are aware of heightened emotions that have emerged as a result of the recent Dischem letter. Unfortunately we have noted that this outrage has manifested into blatant aggression towards Jewish South Africans, including comments referring to the `gassing of Jews’ and threats to boycott Jewish businesses. We condemn these vile social media posts.