Welcome to our new Cape Director

Last month, the SAJBD – Cape Council appointed Joshua Hovsha as its new executive director. Joshua has very much hit the ground running, and we have already had the opportunity of working with him on issues of national concern. I wish him all success in his new position, while knowing that he has an excellent team of lay leaders and professionals to back him up. 

The Cape Council can look back on another successful year, despite having to deal with various complex challenges.  The latter included having to address the sensitive question of women singing solo at Yom Hashoah, and here, thankfully, it was possible to come to a mutually acceptable solution for all those concerned. As in previous years, the Council continued to be active in the interfaith arena and broader social outreach, was much involved in making this year's commemoration of 175 years of Jewish life in South Africa such a success and in general played a key role in fostering unity and cooperation within the Cape Town Jewish community. Kudos to all those concerned, and especially to Cape Council chairman Eric Marx for his dedicated and hands-on leadership.

Recent Articles

SAJBD Responds to DIRCO's Abandonment of South Africans stuck in Israel

The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on Sunday issued a travel advisory urging South African citizens in Iran to exercise caution and register with the South African Embassy in Tehran. It is outrageous that DIRCO did not offer similar assistance or services to its citizens in Israel. With the Advisory the Government and DIRCO have clearly shown disinterest and abandoned the many South Africans, be they Christian, Jewish or Muslim who are stranded in Israel. The Government's stance on this current situation confirms once again its lack of concern for not only the citizens of Israel, but its own citizens in Israel.

​DIRCO supports terror regime once again

DIRCO supports terror regime once again

South Africa’s expression of concern and condolences for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran serves once again to show their decision to always side with dictators, terror organisations and human-rights abusers. DIRCO supported the Assad regime in Syria, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir in Sudan, Sadam Hussein in Iraq, Hamas in Gaza and now Ali Hosseini Khamenei in Iran. All these dictators have a strong history of oppressing their own people and exporting terror.