As featured in last week’s SA Jewish Report issue, preparations are underway to commemorate 175 years of organised Jewish life in South Africa. The Cape Council of the SAJBD is already very active in this regard, given that Cape Town is the ‘Mother community’ of South African Jewry. A series of events – co-ordinated to engage the community, civil society and government – will take place throughout the year. Their purpose, as the Cape Council’s monthly bulletin to the community expresses it, will be to “showcase the Jewish community’s great commitment to and involvement in the development of South Africa”, while also using the occasion as an opportunity to “address how our community, together with fellow citizens, will continue to add to the growth of a free, democratic and prosperous South Africa”. Amongst the events being planned are a lecture series highlighting Jewish contributions to various aspects of South African life and an exhibition on the community’s history at the South African Jewish Museum. While the events will largely be Cape Town-based, we hope in the course of the year to ensure that this milestone is appropriately celebrated throughout the country as well.
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.