Window of opportunity in new political landscape

After so many months of negativity, bad-news stories and general disillusionment over the direction our country appeared to be taking, last week's local government elections were a welcome demonstration of the essential robustness of democracy in South Africa. The results have created a new fluidity in our politics, which hopefully will in turn generate a renewed sense of urgency and creativity on the part of the incoming leadership.

For our own part, we are extremely pleased with the success of our 'Make Us Count' campaign which, included voter registration drives, ‎pre-election debates and the heading up of the largest- multi-faith and multi-ethnic observer team to assist the IEC on polling day. As a community, however, our participation in South African politics needs to go beyond merely participating at election time. We need to be constantly interested and become more involved in the political affairs of our country, just as many members of our community were in the not too distant past. In this way, we empower ourselves while also following in the footsteps of the many South African Jews who have contributed to our political culture over the generations.

Recent Articles

SAUJS Western Cape aimed to speak honestly about the Israeli experience on Oct 7th

From the 18 – 20 March SAUJS Western Cape made its intentions clear: to engage in a meaningful dialogue about a way forward for both Jews and Palestinians in Israel and Gaza.

They aimed to speak honestly about the Israeli experience on Oct 7th,and create a safe space for the Jewish students on campus. Instead they were met with shouting, anger, vile rhetoric, hate and antisemitism.

SAJBD response to SABC’s decision to cancel an interview on Metro FM

SAJBD response to SABC’s decision to cancel an interview on Metro FM

Last week Thursday (21 March 2024), the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) found itself at the centre of a maelstrom of public discourse following the announcement of an interview with Millet Ben Haim, a survivor of the harrowing Nova Festival massacre. This interview, intended for SABC's Metro FM, was poised to offer listeners a poignant insight into the devastating impact of conflict on the lives of ordinary citizens in Israel and Palestine, underscoring the critical need for solidarity with all affected civilians.

Surviving Nova video

For those of you that missed our event on Thursday where Millet and Mazal, two survivors of The Nova Festival, shared their story of survival post October 7th, you can watch the full talk on Youtube here: