The Year Ahead – Challenges and Opportunities

We are now well into the lead-up to South Africa’s fifth municipal elections in the post-1994 era. For the 2014 national and provincial elections, the Board conducted a multifaceted election awareness campaign and volunteer drive for our community and, albeit on a smaller scale, we hope to do so again this time round. In general, I am firmly of the view that if we, as Jews, want to live in a successful South Africa, we need to start getting more involved in the fabric of South African society, be it in politics, social services, education, job creation, human rights activism or other such areas. We cannot stand back and wait for others to do what needs to be done; rather, we should try wherever possible to take the initiative and find ways in which to positively contribute to improving our country.

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.

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.