Jewish Students and the leaders

Arguably the most traumatic academic year in the history of higher education in this country is drawing to a close, with students around the country – how many, at this stage is uncertain - preparing to sit their exams. I wish all our Jewish students, as well as all other students who will be writing under less than ideal circumstances, success.  

The SA Union of Jewish Students – SAUJS – performs a crucial role in representing the Jewish student body on key university campuses and wherever necessary working with the respective administrations and the SAJBD in addressing problems that arise. I congratulate incoming SAUJS national chairman Gabi Zollman and his committee on their recent election and look forward to working with them in the coming year. I further congratulate and thank immediate past SAUJS chairperson Dani Hovsha for all her outstanding work, including the valuable input she has made at SAJBD Gauteng Council and National Executive Committee meetings.

In addition to broader safety and security challenges, one of the major concerns we have had, has been the potential for the racially-charged rhetoric of the FeesMustFall movement spilling over into overt antisemitism. To an extent, this has occurred on occasion, most recently with the plastering of antisemitic graffiti at Wits earlier this week. We have been in communication with the Wits administration to ensure that the graffiti was removed and steps taken to find the perpetrators and prosecute them. In a press statement, we condemned the racist invective that had often surfaced during the FeesMustFall protests and urged that legitimate causes such as this one not be sullied by hateful rhetoric against other South Africans.

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: