As previously reported, the Board’s Gauteng Council has introduced a special award in recognition of Jewish community members who have made significant contributions to social upliftment in the wider society. Fittingly the award, which will be presented biennially at the Gauteng Council conference, is named after the late Bertie Lubner, someone who – through the founding of Afrika Tikkun amongst many other initiatives - was truly a living legend in this area.
At our last Gauteng Council meeting, it was confirmed that the first recipient of the award would be Reeva Forman. The choice was a popular and unanimous one. Over many years, Reeva has been at the forefront of transforming Temple Israel in Hillbrow into a centre that in addition to fulfilling its role as a place of worship, acts as a place of outreach to the previously disadvantaged communities throughout the Hillbrow area. This is in addition to the outstanding work she has done and continues to do as a long- serving member of both the SAJBD and the SA Zionist Federation. I warmly congratulate Reeva on this well-deserved recognition of everything she has achieved not only for our community but for the wider SA society in general.