The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) notes with contempt the attack on the South African Jewish community in Parliament by Al Jama-ah. On 4 March, Al Jama-ah tabled a Motion without Notice in which they accuse the SAJBD, the 121 year-old democratically elected representative body of the Jewish community, of curtailing freedom of speech. We note the irony of their statement, as it is the anti-Israel lobby that is doing whatever they can to threaten Jewish voices,

Over the past few days our National Director Wendy Kahn along with Adam Charnas and Simone Sulcas participated in this year’s @adl_national conference #NeverIsNow. Wendy Kahn represented the South African Jewish Community in a high level discussion with her counterparts from around the world. She has been among speakers such as Gal Gadot, David Schiller, Montana Tucker, Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, @capesajbd Jonathan Grennblatt, each sharing their insights into ways to combat the ha

Jews United in Anxiety writes Charisse Zeifert, deputy director of SAJBD, in Politicsweb. She says Jewish identity has strengthened post October 7th in face of increased antisemitism. Read article here

Our national director Wendy Kahn represented the South African Jewish community during the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations programme in Israel. It was an incredible opportunity to engage with top Jewish US communal leadership during this exceptional week visit. Together with them, she met with Israeli political and other leadership, traveling from the north to the South to gain important insights at this critical time.

Media coverage from our Bibas memorial - may your memories forever be a blessing. We will never forget the fight you fought and the light you bought #bringthemhomenow #bibas #orangeforbibas🧡

Please see an Open Letter to President Ramaphosa from SA Jewish Board of Deputies national chairperson Prof Karen Miller. The letter calls out President Ramaphosa for his signal failure to even acknowledge, let alone condemn and express empathy over the heinous murder of the Bibas children, their mother and another, elderly hostage by Hamas in his recent address to the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg. Dear President Ramaphosa We write to you as our President, h

My heart is broken. Ariel and Kfir crept into our hearts and felt like our precious little cousins. I remember first getting to know those little boys, days after October 7. I wore the Ariel t-shirt at times daily. I took Ariel to the Nelson Mandela bridge and to the beach in Durban as we raised awareness of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. He joined me at the solidarity events in our community in Johannesburg, at Wits university and at a Church event in Katlehong. H

The Palestinians need an FW De Klerk, not a Mandela. Opinion Greg Mills Read article here

500 days too long !! #bringthemhomenow

This year, Refugee Shabbat is coming to South Africa with HIAS South Africa and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies! Learn more about Refugee Shabbat here and let us know if you will be marking this special Shabbat in your community.

The 50th Annual Mission was honored to be hosted by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana - אמיר אוחנה at the beautiful Chagall Hall of the Knesset attended by national director Wendy Kahn.

We witnessed the release of three more hostages from Gaza with a mix of joy at their return and horror at their condition. Their emaciated bodies are a harrowing testament to the suffering they endured under Hamas and a grim reminder of the ongoing suffering of those who are yet to be freed. We are further outraged and disgusted by the repetition of a despicable Hamas staged propaganda display. In a particularly depraved act, they forced released hostage Eli Sharabi to read a

South Africa's Holocaust survivors and their families light candles to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz at the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre.

We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world, sharing in the relief and gratitude for the safe return of Emily, Romy and Doron to their families in Israel. We pray for their physical and emotional healing as they and their loved ones embark on the journey of recovery. We continue to call for the safe and immediate release of all remaining hostages.

As Holocaust Survivor Elie Wiesel said “For the dead and the living, we must bear witness”. Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, we honor the memory of the six million Jewish lives brutally murdered by the Nazis and the resilience of the survivors who ensure the Holocaust is never forgotten. Today, the SAJBD’s national Chairperson Prof Karen Milner and Vice President Mary Kluk stood with Holocaust survivor

The funeral of Olga Meshoe Washington took place in Haifa on January 22 at 13:00 South Africa time. While the funeral will took place in Israel, the Meshoe family arranged a memorial service for Olga which took place on Sunday, 26 January. All of the Jewish community were invited to attend with transport both to and from the memorial service. Olga continued to show up for the South African Jewish community, now was our time to show up for her and give comfort to the family. A

We are proud of Wendy Kahn for being recognised by the Algemeiner as one of the top 100 people influencing Jewish Life in the world today. Wendy was specifically mentioned for her contribution to safeguarding Jewish life post October 7, especially in light of our government's harsh stance to Israel. Algemeiner's top 100 people: SAJBD National Director, Wendy Kahn The first woman to hold the position when she was appointed as national director of the South African Board of Jew

The Board of Deputies is proud to be part of this wonderful initiative. A huge mazeltov and congratulations to our partners UJ and Hanyani School for the incredible improvement in the school’s matric results. Well done to all the successful matriculants, we look forward to many more successful outcomes in the coming years. Read Times article here

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies is heartbroken to learn of the untimely passing of Olga Meshoe Washington. A true friend of our community and Israel, we will forever remember Olga for her outstanding ability to communicate effectively even in the most challenging circumstances. Her hallmark was her intelligence, grace and poise. As CEO of DEISI (Defend, Embrace, Invest, Support Israel) International, she dedicated her life to strengthening ties between Africa and I

We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Melbourne following the deplorable arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue. Such acts of hatred and intimidation against Jewish communities, whether in Australia or globally, are utterly reprehensible and must be condemned in the strongest terms. We call on authorities to take swift and decisive action to bring those responsible to justice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured worshiper as well as the entire Aust