Following on its written proposals submitted earlier this year, the Board gave an oral presentation on the Films and Publications Amendment Bill to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications last week. Our National Director Wendy Kahn, assisted by Diplomatic Liaison Chaya Singer, made the presentation, which was well received by those present and also featured prominently in the subsequent media reports on the hearings. Primarily, our submission dealt with the pressing need for our media law to come to grips with the realities created by the electronic communications revolution, one of which is that anyone with a cell phone is effectively able to become his or her own publisher. Just as traditional media providers are regulated so should there be some order on how the Internet is used by members of the public. One of the most pressing problems we have come up against is dealing with threats and hate speech made against our community by people using false names or assuming other people’s identities. As Wendy stressed in her presentation, in order to prevent these abuses, law enforcement agencies need to be much more involved in efforts to confront cyberhate, and better equipped to work with the relevant Internet service providers in obtaining the information necessary to pursue such offenders .
Recent Articles
Above Board 27 August
Desperate Dangor’s antizionist rant
In recent weeks, the SAJBD has observed a rise in increasingly hostile efforts to challenge the perspectives of our community organisations and silence “mainstream” Jewish voices. In this case, “mainstream” Jewish refers to community members who are traditionally Jewish in observance (be it orthodox or progressive), and Zionist in orientation. Yet, the discourse has shifted, increasingly framing Zionism itself as beyond acceptable bounds, thereby deeming aligned groups inherently problematic. What stands out, however, is that the campaign against mainstream Jewry is increasingly desperate, incoherent, and too often driven by a quest for attention rather than substantive dialogue.
Unpacking Holocaust Inversion: A Deep Dive into Jewish Plurality and Ideological Battles
Unpacking Holocaust Inversion: A Deep Dive into Jewish Plurality and Ideological Battles
Above Board 21 August 2025
Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending and presenting at Limmud, an event that over the years has truly become a cornerstone of our communal calendar. It stands as the most invigorating platform we have for exploring the rich diversity of Jewish views and topics that shape our community, dealing with issues that simply aren’t addressed with such depth and openness in any other forum.