What all anti-Semites agree on is that Jews have excessive power that they use to secretly manipulate global events for their own nefarious purposes On November 1 2005 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing January 27 as international holocaust remembrance day. That date was chosen because it was on that day in 1945 that the Red Army liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest and most infamous of the death camps set up by the Nazis during World War 2. This y

“Mir zaynen do!”(We are here!) The defiant concluding words of the Partisan Song constitute a ringing declaration by the Jewish people that despite the unspeakable crimes of those seeking their destruction, Am Yisrael Chai - the Nation of Israel still lives. They remind us that when remembering those whose lives were so cruelly and unjustly extinguished, we are also testifying that for all the harm they were able to inflict on us, our enemies failed in their aim of eradicatin

The SAJBD: Always open for business While the Board’s work naturally slows down over the December break, it never stops altogether. There are always new issues that arise that cannot be put off but have to be dealt with there and then. These can range from renewed upsurges of violence in the Middle East, incidents of antisemitism and even natural disasters. Following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, for example, we became extensively involved in assisting members of our community

The Jewish community's political behaviour during the apartheid years has long been the subject of vociferous debate. 25 years after South Africa's transition to democracy, Jewish Affairs editor David Saks revisits the issue. David Saks is Associate Director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and editor of Jewish Affairs. This article is adapted from his presentation at Limmud in Johannesburg on 18 August 2019. Even before South Africa’s transition from white minor

#IM STAYINGInspired by the South African Jewish community Over the past few weeks, a new movement has emerged on social media: #ImStaying – with almost 800 000 members at this point. The Facebook Page provides daily inspiring and uplifting stories of fellow South Africans who have experienced the special and positive aspects of life in our country. I have my own #IMStaying story which I am choosing to share on this platform. On the 20th of September, my cousin, Adam Rabinovit

SAJBD KZN Council President Jeremy Droyman and Council member Mike Caminsky met with the editor of the Sunday Tribute, Mr Sandile...

SAJBD KZN Council President Jeremy Droyman and Council member Mike Caminsky met with the editor of the Sunday Tribute, Mr Sandile Mdadane, this morning to discuss the misleading street poster and newspaper headline that appeared in that paper earlier this week. The front-page read, “Rabbi lures youth to lair”. Mr Droyman shared that Mr Mdadane was extremely warm and receptive. He apologised for the error and will formally do so in print in the upcoming edition. He also offere

Pretoria Council hits the ‘Three-score-and-ten’ mark The recent SAJBD national conference marked the fiftieth such biennial gathering of the Jewish community leadership since the establishment of a united, nationally-based Board in 1912. At its AGM on Sunday, the SAJBD Pretoria Council likewise celebrated a significant milestone, namely its 70th anniversary as a distinct regional council of the Board. Prior to that, Pretoria had been considered part of the greater Johannesbur

Last week the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced the results of a survey it had conducted on attitudes toward Jews in 18 countries,...

Last week the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced the results of a survey it had conducted on attitudes toward Jews in 18 countries, including South Africa. The SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has analysed the report, considering its finding against its own research data, as well as that of other organisations such as the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Cape Town. The SAJBD has an excellent working relationship with the ADL, one of the world's old

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies is saddened by the passing earlier today of Sir Donald Gordon. For his phenomenal achievements in both the business and philanthropic fields, Donald Gordon was truly a living legend. As a business leader who founded the global insurance giant Liberty International, he was far-sighted, bold and innovative; as a philanthropist, his unstintingly generosity led to the establishment of a range of outstanding institutions and foundations that have be

Pretoria Council hits the ‘Three-score-and-ten’ mark The recent SAJBD national conference marked the fiftieth such biennial gathering of the Jewish community leadership since the establishment of a united, nationally-based Board in 1912. At its AGM on Sunday, the SAJBD Pretoria Council likewise celebrated a significant milestone, namely its 70th anniversary as a distinct regional council of the Board. Prior to that, Pretoria had been considered part of the greater Johannesbur

This Friday, the UCT Senate will once again meet to discuss the UCT Academic Freedom Committee (AFC) motion to impose an academic boycott...

On Sunday night, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) hosted its 50 th national conference in Johannesburg. Held every two years, these gatherings are an opportunity for the community to connect to honour members who had done so much either communally or for the greater South Africa – like the late Johnny Clegg, who we honoured this year – but also to take stock of where we are. This year we were fortunate to have a panel discussion comprising veteran business

This Friday, the UCT Senate will once again meet to discuss the UCT Academic Freedom Committee (AFC) motion to impose an academic boycott against Israel. This is an initiative of the Palestine Solidarity Forum at UCT and is linked with the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Israel (BDS) movement. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies, the democratically elected organisation that formally represents the overwhelming majority of Jews, categorically rejects this propo

Isaac Reznik (1936-2019), dubbed South African Jewry's 'Living Encyclopaedia' left a lasting mark in multiple areas of Jewish communal life. David Saks reflects on the varied, busy life of this unique personality. Isaac Reznik, who died on 25 October 2019 at the age of 83, was a unique figure on the Jewish communal scene. Whether as a journalist, editor, photographer, historian, radio host, Jewish communal professional, book dealer, political and social welfare activist, arch

'My Friend Joey' by Clark Zlotchew Dr Clarke Zlotchew is Distinguished Teaching Professor at State University of New York. He is the author of seventeen books, including anthologies of short fiction, translations from the Spanish of short stories and poetry by Nobel Laureates and literary criticism of Spanish and Latin American authors. His short stories have appeared in both his Spanish and English versions in the U.S. and Latin America, as well as in Jewish Affairs Joey Cla

Part of the legacy of the Anglo-Boer War are the innumerable artefacts made by Boer POWs in captivity. Gwynne Schrire looks at the Jewish background of one such item, along with those of other examples of memorabilia from the conflict. Gwynne Schrire, a veteran contributor to Jewish Affairs and a long-serving member of its editorial board, is Deputy Director of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies – Cape Council. She has authored, co-written and edited over twenty books on aspect

Acclaimed historian Richard Mendelsohn relates how immigrant Jewish storekeepers were also victims of the British 'scorched earth' tactics during the Anglo-Boer War. Richard Mendelsohn is Emeritus Associate Professor of History at the University of Cape Town. His books include the award-winning Sammy Marks: ‘The Uncrowned King of the Transvaal’ , The Jews in South Africa: An Illustrated History , the first major general history of South African Jewry in fifty years (co-author

COMICS View the glass case, of doughnuts and baguettes. Behind the cigarettes, of my father’s front store, stood a newsstand, with two comic types. English slim ones Sunny Story booklets. American ones piled high. Captain America on front side. His round shield, weighing a ton. Red stripes & stars, blazing like a sun. Simple paper pictures entertain Dad’s sons. America so far away, would protect everyone. One summer’s night, my brothers walked to a neighbour’s home. In their