Israeli labour strike scuppers Tzipi Livni`s S African visit

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Volume 15 Number 2
Israeli labour strike scuppers
Tzipi Livni’s S African visit
PAGE 3
BARAK QUITS
LABOUR:
BETRAYAL OR
SOMETHING
BIGGER?
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak announcing his intention to quit the Labour Party he heads to form a new faction, called
Independence on January 17, 2011. (PHOTO BY ABIR SULTAN/FLASH90) SEE PAGE 6
Tutu petition saga - more
Baal Shem Tov Shul Ivan May dies, leaves UCT doctorate for Janet
vehement reactions / 4, 6, 7 issue continues / 2 huge legacy behind / 5 Suzman, Antony Sher / 8
YOUTH / 12
SPORTS / 16
LETTERS / 10-11
CROSSWORD & SUDOKU / 14
COMMUNITY BUZZ / 4
WHAT’S ON / 14
2
SA JEWISH REPORT
21 - 28 January 2011
PARSHA OF THE WEEK
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WITH THE release of the recent
Matric results (even before the
remarkings) one can’t help but
take a silent sense of pride in the
100 per cent pass rate in almost all
of the Jewish schools across the
country.
The results are all the more
remarkable, seeing some of the
learners chalk up five, six or more
distinctions, when you take into
account that they achieve these
astounding marks, over and above
a well rounded Jewish education
from the basic to highly advanced
levels; Maths and Midrash are
studied side by side as B Com and
Bible complement each other.
The symmetry of these two different worlds seems to work
almost naturally, surprising to
some, but thankfully a reality
where world-class secular education can fit in with a thorough and
relevant Jewish study experience.
But it looks like a far cry from
the original Sinai, 3 300 years ago
that we read about in this week’s
Torah portion of Yitro. Then Sinai
didn’t seem as inviting - in fact
frightening would seem a more
accurate description.
Website
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IC-Creations
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stan Kaplan (Chairman)
Issie Kirsh (Deputy Chairman), Marlene
Bethlehem, Russell Gaddin, Norman
Lowenthal, Bertie Lubner,
Benjy Porter, Herby
Rosenberg, Howard
Sackstein, Jason Valkin.
KASHRUT
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advertisements and/or advertising features to indicate whether or not they are
kosher. Where no Kashrut mark appears
on an advert, the Jewish Report
assumes no responsibility for the
Kashrut status of that establishment or
advertiser:
WHISKY AND cigarettes are an
unusual gift for a pregnant woman.
But when Channa Rapoport travelled to Russia 27 years ago, those
items were part of a package she
gave to a young female Refusenik.
The woman was about to give
birth by Caesarean section, and the
whisky and cigarettes would be
used to bribe the gynaecologist in
the hope that she would receive
better care than was the norm.
Last month, at a ceremony at the
Knesset in Jerusalem to honour
activists from around the world
who had supported Russian Jews
during the Cold War, the women
renewed their acquaintance.
Channa says that moment was
particularly poignant, because she
herself was pregnant with her seventh child at the time.
Before the ceremony began,
guests were treated to a buffet
reception in one of the Knesset
halls. Dayan Boruch Rapoport said
that mingling with the guests, he
suddenly realised just how many
people had participated, in so
Where no symbols appear, consult the
Beth Din Kosher Guide or contact the
advertiser.
Advertisements and editorial copy from
outside sources do not neccessarily reflect
the views of the editors and staff.
The Midrash describes how after
each of the first two commandments uttered by G-d, the Jewish
people actually died from the revelation, only to be immediately
revived, by G-d Himself. So, the people begged Moshe: “You speak to us
instead of Hashem so that we don’t
die again!”
Not quite the kind of Jewish studies experience our kids are used to...
The obvious question, though, is
that this was obviously by direct of
G-d Himself. It was His words elevating them, and His will reviving
them. In fact, it was they themselves who requested, as Rashi
points out before the 10 commandments, that the words be spoken by
G-d Himself and not through Moshe
- so why are they complaining now?
They’ll be fine!
Perhaps, though, the paradox of
life and death in the Sinai experi-
many different ways, to help Soviet
Jewry.
One of the highlights of the day
for him was when someone shouted
“Mincha!” and half the people left
the hall to daven.
“It was astonishing. We went into
one of the shuls in the Knesset and
there were members of the Knesset,
Cabinet ministers, visitors and
security guards all coming together
to daven. The shaliach tsibur (person who led the service) was a security guard.”
The ceremony was held in the
main auditorium and was hosted by
Ruby Rivlin, the Knesset’s speaker.
“Channa and I were the only
South Africans, but every speaker
referred to the contributions made
by the US, South Africa, England
and Europe, in that order,” Rabbi
Rapoport said.
“Everyone
expressed
their
delight that we had come from
South Africa to be present at the
ceremony; we felt very proud.”
Lia Shemtov, a former Refusenik
and now an MK and chairman of
the
Knesset
Committee
for
Immigration, Absorption and
LESLIE HARRIS)
Baying for Livni’s blood
KADIMA PARTY Leader Tzipi
Livni, official leader of the
Opposition in the Knesset, at the
last moment cancelled her visit to
South Africa because of a host of
factors, including a world-wide
strike by the Israeli Ministry of
Foreign Affairs union.
The news that Livni was coming
to SA at the invitation of the SAJBD
caused a divide between pro-Israel
supporters and anti-Zionists.
Jews as a whole were delighted
for the opportunity to hear first
hand news of the Middle East situation. Predictably the Palestine
Rabbi Asher Deren
Chabad of the West Coast
Dayan and
Rebbetzen
Rapoport display the certificate awarded to
the rebbetzen
for her work
with Russian
Jewry. (PHOTO:
K Kosher
LIONEL SLIER
PARSHAT
YITRO
ence carries an important message.
While they knew that they would
survive through G-d’s continuous,
miraculous revival of them, that
ongoing break of nature would run
against the whole objective of Sinai
- to bring heaven down to earth,
down to Mount Sinai, down to the
people and down into the very character of their conscious natural
being.
True, the initial transcendence of
their “virtual deaths” was important. That face-to-face interaction
with G-d empowered the soul with
a measure of divinity to fulfil its
journey from Sinai onwards.
Otherwise, that out of body experience would serve no purpose. And
they knew they would survive.
But survival alone would not suffice. They had to transform, even if
it meant that for the duration of the
revelation, the words came through
Moshe. At least now they could
absorb the message consciously
and achieve its goal to be a part of,
and transform, the world.
The “Kiddush Hashem”, the
“sanctification of G-d’s name”
when our learners did well in the
transcendent spirituality of the
Rapoports fly SA flag in Refusenik tribute
LESLIE HARRIS
Design and layout
Frankie Matthysen
Nicole Cook
NK Non-Kosher
The Mount Sinai Matric results
Solidarity Alliance, and the Media
Review Network, started planning
to prevent the visit.
They dubbed Livni a “war criminal who committed crimes against
humanity” and instructed their
lawyers to approach the National
Prosecuting Authority to issue a
warrant of arrest in line with the
Rome Statutes to which South
Africa is a signatory, and which,
according to Iqbal Jasset of the
MRN “obligates all member states
to honour their responsibilities in
the prosecution of war criminals”.
The NPA then asked the Hawks,
the elite crime investigating unit of
the SAPS, whether Livni had diplo-
matic immunity. McIntosh Polela
of the Hawks said: “We have to
deliberate and see if we have justification to arrest her.”
There is no doubt that if the
Hawks had declined to arrest her,
demonstrations would have been
mounted when Livni spoke. Similar
demonstrations took place when
Shimon Peres was here some years
ago and in 2009 when Col David
Benjamin spoke at Limmud.
When Livni some years ago
planned to visit Britain, anti-Israel
activists got an arrest warrant
against her, but the government
stepped in to have it withdrawn.
A legal practitioner contacted by
the Jewish Report said he was not
persuaded that the application by
the NPA would have succeeded.
Diaspora Affairs, conceived the idea
of commemorating the 20th
anniversary of the Soviet Union’s
formal suspension of the ban on
emigration to Israel, with the ceremony to pay tribute to the activists
who had helped the Refuseniks.
Yuri Edelstein, minister of Public
Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs,
told the gathering: “Jews must
learn how to live in galut and must
know how freedom will come
about.” His speech was one of the
day’s highlights for Channa
Rapoport, because she had interacted with him and even attended a
clandestine chuppah with him in
Moscow 27 years earlier.
“He was an impressive young
man even then. He told me then that
he had just been released from a
mental institution where the communists had incarcerated him to
‘cure the meshugas of wanting to go
to Israel’.”
Yuli Kasharovsky, a former
Refusenik, said that in the 1980s
world Jewry worked together on
behalf of the Refuseniks, but there
were now new challenges. “Today
Jews worldwide should work
together to fight the West’s deligitimisation of the State of Israel.”
All those present were moved
when Richard Schifter, former US
ambassador to the UN Commission
on Human Rights, told of the first
meeting between US President
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail
Gorbachev. “There was a huge
demonstration in Washington DC
on behalf of the Refuseniks. The
president asked Gorbachev if he
SHABBAT TIMES
January 21/16 Shevat
January 22/17 Shevat
Yitro
Starts
18:15
18:31
18:15
18:20
18:02
18:15
Ends
19:38
20:35
19:34
19:52
20:07
19:55
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Durban
Bloemfontein
Port Elizabeth
East London
their rigorously academic Torah
studies while still achieving
nationally acclaimed results on
their secular studies is a modernday expression of the Sinai experience.
Sinai happened so that we,
body and soul together, could
harness the divinity of the G-dly
soul as the guiding light of the
human body and reality.
Our budding school on the
West Coast, the Sinai Academy
( w w w. S i n a i A c a d e m y. c o. z a )
aspires to continue the journey of
synchronising heaven and earth
that began at the foot of the
mountain.
Thank G-d 3 300 years later, the
Sinai experience, in both life and
death, continues to produce magnificent results.
was aware of the demonstration.
He did not answer.
“Again the president asked him
about the demonstration, and
again he didn’t answer. The third
time, the president said: ‘Mr
Gorbachev, I asked you if you are
aware of the demonstration outside.’ Finally he answered: ‘I am
aware.’
“Gorbachev wanted to discuss
disarmament, but the president
would not discuss anything until
he had a commitment from
Gorbachev to ease the restrictions
on Soviet Jews. Two months later
they could travel to Israel.”
Schifter, today a man of 84, fled
the Nazis but was unable to save his
parents, who died in the Holocaust.
“I failed my parents,” he told the
Refuseniks, “but I promised that I
would not fail you. Thank G-d I was
able to keep the promise.”
The activists received certificates
in honour of their work from Stas
Misezhnikov, the minister of
tourism. Misezhnikov’s parents
were Refuseniks, and he recalled
that he was largely unaware of
what was happening.
“My father was an academic, and
his picture hung in the corridor at
the university. Then one day his
picture was no longer there.
After the ceremony in the packed
auditorium and the awarding of
certificates, the activists entered
the debating chamber of the
Knesset where they were again formally welcomed by the Speaker.
“The whole event was memorable, inspiring, moving and joyous
and we are extremely grateful that
we were able to attend,” said the
South African honorees.
Shul’s future still in balance
STAFF REPORTER
THE FIGHT against the closure the
of the Baal Shem Tov Shul in
Eleventh Street, Orange Grove,
remains in abeyance.
The town planners who are assisting the shul, have put in a new application to the City of Johannesburg
for consent use but are waiting for
comment from the Johannesburg
Roads Agency.
Mothakge Kgatla, the town planner, said the new application was
being made on the grounds of
exemption from parking regulations.
“We are waiting for comment from
the Johannesburg Roads Agency
before we can resubmit the application,” he said.
The shul faces closure after the
City of Johannesburg’s member of
the mayoral committee, Christine
Walters, discovered that it was
operating without the proper consent use.
She objected to congregants
parking or even walking on her
side of the pavement.
She lodged an objection with the
city’s town planning department
which ordered the shul to close by
the beginning of January.
An extension of 60 days was
given for the new application to be
submitted.
21 - 28 January 2011
SA JEWISH REPORT
Israel’s Foreign Ministry Union
dispute scuppers the Livni visit
DAVID SAKS
COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA (PHOTOGRAPH: ANDY METTLER)
AN ONGOING labour dispute
within Israel’s Foreign Affairs
ministry has resulted in Kadima
Party leader Tzipi Livni’s scheduled visit to South Africa being
postponed at the eleventh hour.
Livni, former vice-prime minister and current leader of the
Opposition in the Knesset, was
due to arrive in South Africa
today (Friday) for a series of high
level meetings and public addresses in Johannesburg and Cape
Town. However, a strike by
Israel’s State Employees Union
resulted in the Israeli Embassy in
Pretoria refusing to make the necessary arrangements for the visit
(specifically relating to the security detail), making it impossible for
it to go ahead.
Wendy Kahn, national director
of the SAJBD, said that exhaustive efforts had been made by the
Board and the SAZF, co-organisers of the visit, to find a solution
to the impasse. There had been
continual communication with
the head of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Union, Hanan
Goder-Goldberger, and local
Israeli Ambassador Dov SegevSteinberg to try to get them to
shift their stance.
Among those approached for
assistance were Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Ministers of Finance and Diaspora
Affairs and a range of international Jewish organisations, including
the World Jewish Congress,
American Jewish Committee
(AJC), Congress of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organisations and the British Jewish
Leadership Council.
All the organisations contacted
had since written to the
Ambassador, urging him to
change his stance. The AJC letter
in particular emphasised the
strong Zionist commitment of
South African Jewry and how
much the latter valued and needed visits by Israeli leaders:
“Despite their sense of geographical remoteness and their
reduced number, we believe Israel
has had few advocates more eloquent, generous and committed
than South Africa’s Jews over the
decades.
“We have witnessed how much
of an impact a friendly speaker
from abroad - particularly an
Israeli public official - can have
on their morale in their often
embattled circumstances. In this
case, the community has been
expecting MK Livni’s visit with
growing anticipation and it
would be greatly disappointed
were she to be precluded from
travelling by, of all reasons,
impediments in Israel itself,” the
letter reads in part.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive
vice-president of the Congress of
Presidents, pointed out that the
South African Jewish community,
a very Zionistic one, was “on the
forefront of critical battles
regarding the delegitimisation of
Israel”.
Livni’s visit provided an important opportunity to communicate
with key officials, and notwithstanding
the
complications
involving the strike, he therefore
hope that an exception could be
made to allow the trip to go forward.
The Board has also contacted a
number of Israeli newspapers to
convey the community’s dismay
over the prospect of the imminent
cancellation of the visit, and a
report had subsequently appeared
in Haaretz. Ultimately, all had
come to nothing in the face of the
Union’s unbending position,
which the local Israeli ambassa-
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
condemns attack on ambassador
GEOFF SIFRIN
CONTACTED by the SA Jewish
Report, Israel’s Ambassador to
South Africa Dov Segev-Steinberg,
made it clear that he had to abide
by his union, the Department of
Foreign Affairs Union’s decision
to abstain from performing any
ambassadorial duties while the
world-wide Foreign Ministry
strike lasted. His stance was
backed by the Israeli Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
The Israeli Embassy in Pretoria
said it, “strongly condemns” the
“baseless attack” on the ambassador by the SAJBD. The Israeli
Foreign Ministry also echoed that
there was no justification for the
“baseless attack” on the ambassador.
Segev-Steinberg’s
response
comes in the wake of accusations
by the SAJBD that he would not
assist in the visit of Tzipi Livni.
“We at the embassy understand
the importance of the visit of Ms
Livni, even though we were not
part of the organisation of it. But
in any event the visit was cancelled due to several reasons,
among them concern about the
legal issue - the possible warrant
of arrest of her - the labour sanctions declared by the workers
association of
the Foreign
Ministry, and also the internal
political situation in Israel after
the resignation of Ehud Barak
from the Labour Party.
“We would like to emphasise
that the final decision to cancel the
visit was taken by Ms Livni herself.
“We at the embassy in Pretoria
and all Israeli diplomatic staff
around the world, are subject to
the sanctions.
“Having said that, in spite of the
restrictions of the situation, the
embassy has tried several times in
different way to assist the SAJBD
in the matter, according to their
requests.
“We would like to add that the
cancellation of the visit, as regrettable as it is, does not justify the
baseless accusations of the chairperson of the SAJBD against the
ambassador and the other diplomatic staff in the embassy in
Pretoria. His reckless conduct in
making these baseless accusations
is highly regrettable. “
Yossi Levy, the spokesman of
the ministry of the Department of
Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, told
the Jewish Report it “fully supported” Segev-Steinberg.
“We support fully the position of
Mr Steinberg. All Israeli ambassadors worldwide are subject to the
decisions of the workers association of the Foreign Ministry,
which decided to embark on a
strike regarding working conditions.
“We have nothing against the
Jews of South Africa. We are all
brothers and we must continue to
deepen and strengthen our relationship. But it is the duty of the
ambassador to adhere to his workers association. There is no basis
for any personal attacks on the
ambassador and we condemn it
strongly.
“We hope the labour situation in
the Foreign Ministry will be
resolved soon. We hope that the
relationship between the governments of Israel and South Africa
will become stronger and better.
“We are also aware of the special challenges in South Africa
from the attempt to compare
Israel and apartheid, and the special efforts which are needed to
explain to the South African population how wicked and unfounded
this comparison is.”
dor had rigidly adhered to.
SAJBD National Chairman Zev
Krengel expressed his extreme
disappointment over the fact that
Israel’s internal labour issues had
resulted in so positive an initiative
being sabotaged at the eleventh
hour.
Livni had an excellent track
record in working for a peaceful,
negotiated solution to the Middle
East conflict and having her in
South Africa would raise the profile of those who are committed to
this, he said.
Given the importance of
the visit, Ambassador SegevSteinberg’s blanket refusal to
assist was therefore difficult to
understand.
“The Ambassador ultimately
chose to put his labour issues
above what was best not just for
Israel-South Africa relations but
for the Jewish community and
Israel itself, this despite numerous appeals from by the Jewish
leadership and prominent community members to consider the
bigger picture,” he said.
Krengel stressed that the postponement had nothing whatever
to do with threats by local antiIsrael activists to call for Livni’s
arrest on her arrival in South
Africa, but rather was entirely
due to technical administrative
obstacles.
It was inevitable that certain
lobbies would resort to threats of
this nature in an effort to prevent
the visit, but the Board had been
confident that these had no real
legal basis.
Earlier this week, the strike
forced Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev to cancel an official
visit to Israel and German
Chancellor
Angela
Merkel’s
planned visit later this month has
also now been called off.
It is hoped that Livni’s visit can
be rescheduled to take place later
this year, and to this end the
SAJBD will be in contact with her
offices.
LIVNI EXPRESSES
REGRET OVER VISIT
CANCELLATION
In a letter to Zev Krengel, chairman of the SA Jewish Board of
Deputies, Tzipi Livni, leader of
the Opposition in the Knesset,
expressed her regret at not being
able to come to South Africa.
“I wish to extend to you my
most heartfelt gratitude and
thanks for the invitation you
extended me to visit the Republic
of South Africa as a guest of the
Jewish community.
“The many meetings you
arranged were designed to
strengthen the ties between our
two countries and serve as an
important component of that
relationship, one that is of great
significance to the State of
Israel, to the Republic of South
Africa, and to the South African
Jewish community.
“The South African Jewish
community is a paragon of
Zionism. You are devoted supporters and lovers of Israel and I
know how tirelessly you work to
defend Israel even today, when so
much criticism is directed at us.
“You are motivated by a firm
commitment to Israel’s values
and principles and I admire the
unwavering bond you have with
our homeland. I know how diligently you and others in the community’s leadership worked to
ensure that my visit would be
successful and I appreciate it
greatly.
“Unfortunately, the ongoing
strike at the Israeli Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has made it
impossible to carry out the visit
as planned and through mutual
consultation it was decided to
reschedule it to a later date.
Please convey my apologies to all
those who took part in arranging
the visit and to all those I was
scheduled to meet.
“I hope and pray that the
Jewish people will realise all its
aspirations and continue to
return to its homeland after 2 000
years in exile. May we go from
strength to strength and build on
the strong ties that we have
between us.”
3
4
SA JEWISH REPORT
COMMUNITY BUZZ
LIONEL SLIER
082-444-9832, fax: 011-440-0448,
[email protected]
21 - 28 January 2011
“When her very religious Jewish
mother-in-law heard about their
marriage she arranged for them,
(and sent them an invitation) to be
married at the Gardens Shul in Cape
Town.
“Jack died in 1956 and Esther in
1989.”
JOHANNESBURG
From Myra Felsher (nee Abramson):
“In 1995 my mother, my sister, Joan
Block, and I were visiting my father
Sydney (but known to all as Siki) at
the Milpark Hospital. He was in the
high care unit.
“While we were in the ward at my
father’s bedside, there seemed to be a
great deal of excitement in the corridor. We then heard that Nelson
Mandela was visiting Les Dishy, who
was a DA councillor
“We saw nurses and sisters and
others in the corridor passing my
Dad’s ward. Suddenly Mandela
accompanied by Tokyo Sexwale and
bodyguards, walked into the ward
where we were all standing and as he
walked towards my Dad’s bed, he
said: ‘Mr Abramson.’ We were all
dumbfounded as he took my Dad’s
hand and said: ‘Mr Abramson, I am
sorry to see you in such circumstances.’
“Then Mandela asked: ‘How long is
it that we have not seen each other?’
My Dad replied: ‘It must be 50 years.’
“Walking past the ward, Mandela
had unbelievably recognised my Dad
after all that time and came in to
greet him. They held hands and started reminiscing about the times that
they had had together. The encounter
was the most amazing experience for
all, including Sexwale, as nobody
knew of their past relationship.
“Mandela had been president at
that stage for a year and my Dad jokingly asked him: ‘Tell me, what have
you been doing all this time?’
Mandela, smiling, answered: ‘Well, I
have been in jail for 27 years.’
“My Dad had been an auditor for
the law firm of Lazar Sidelsky where
Mandela had been a clerk all those
years ago. My father had advised him
and they had built up a warm relationship.
“Mandela said: ‘You were very good
to me.’ My father replied: ‘Those were
very different times.’
“Then Mandela turned towards my
mother and said: ‘You are a very
beautiful woman’ and added, laughingly, to my Dad: ‘If I had met her
before you did, I would have married
her!’
“The two chatted for about half an
hour, and as Mandela left he said to
us: ‘Your father is a very special
man.’
“The experience was surreal. It
was as if time had stood still. There is
that amazing aura around Nelson
Mandela which permeated throughout the room.”
Siki Abramson passed away in
1996.
CAPE TOWN
The story of Esther Gilman sent in by
her daughter, Doreen Goldberg:
“Esther Gilman, an orphan, had
worked on Robben Island in a hospital for the incurably insane, but after
some years there she found a position
at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape
Town.
“When the patients were transferred from Robben Island to the
mainland, she assisted with the
transfer. The last patients were transferred in 1921 to Valkenberg Hospital
in Observatory, Cape Town.
“Esther met her husband, Jack
Shaer when she nursed his mother at
the Somerset Hospital. They were
married at the Magistrate’s Court in
Piketberg in 1922. She wore her wedding ring on a gold chain around her
neck as in those days nurses were not
allowed to marry and still be nurses.
“She was most upset when her
secret was discovered six months
later and she had to give up her nursing career.
This story first appeared in Die
Burger in July 2010.
KRUGERSDORP
From Marc Kopman:
“The story revolves around the early
days of the Krugersdorp Jewish
community, in all probability occurring during usage of its first synagogue from 1894.
“Apparently two gentlemen were
attending services over the Yomtovim, both being employed by proprietors of the (at the time) ‘native
eating houses’ or ‘native stores’ and
through such an occupation their
daily vernacular was generally
‘fanagalo’.
“The Gabbai at the time, wished to
bestow on them an aliyah after the
Torah reading and did so by way of
‘Hagbah’and ‘Gelilah’ (one gentleman to lift the Torah and the other to
dress it).
“So the story goes that after these
two were called to the bimah, the
Gabbai, to leave no doubt in their
minds as to what they were supposed
to do, said to them: ‘Whena pagamisa, whena si bopa’- or directly
translated: ‘You pick up and you tie
up!’ Being Africa, surely a first!
“Then further to my previous article surrounding Abner Cohen’s contributions and including one urban
legend, herewith another from Krugersdorp. This revolves around one
Morris Fainsinger who was interred
in
the
Krugersdorp
Jewish
Cemetery during late 1900 at the age
of 28.
“Apparently, at the time the Anglo
Boer War was in full swing and the
British military had a curfew in
Krugersdorp and Morris was spotted by a British sentry after dark.
However, it appeared to the sentry to
be a Boer commando with a floppy
type hat and shouldering a rifle when it was actually Morris sporting
the said hat and shouldering a violin.
“The warnings were apparently
not heard (by Morris) and the sentry
shot Morris dead on the spot! This
story (told with slightly different circumstances) also appears in David
Saks’ book ‘Jews in the Boer Armed
Forces 1899-1902’.”
A letter from a Jewish mother to her
son:
“Dear son. Just to let you know that
I got your letter. When you write
again don’t write so fast as I can only
read slowly. It is a long time since I
saw you, I’ve forgotten what you look
like, but your face is ever before me.
Every time I feed the dogs I think of
the last bite we had together.
“You won’t know the house when
you come home, we’ve moved, so
meet me at the old place on Sunday.
If I am there first I’ll put a chalk
mark on the wall. If you are there
first, rub it out.
“I went to the doctor’s on Monday.
He is the biggest specialist. He put a
tube in my mouth and told me to
keep quiet for five minutes. Your
father bought the tube from him.
Your sister had a baby this morning.
I’m not sure if it is a boy or a girl, so
I don’t know if you are an aunt or an
uncle.
“Your father’s got a new job at a
wine farm testing the wine. There is
a lot of overtime. In fact he hasn’t
been home for six weeks.
“The weather isn’t so bad this
week. It rained twice - first for three
days, then for four days.
“Your loving mother.
“PS, If you don’t receive this letter
let me know.”
(Source unknown).
We must uphold derech
eretz, Chief Rabbi urges
LESLIE HARRIS
LAST WEEK Chief Rabbi Dr
Warren Goldstein (pictured) reacted
to the petition calling for the
removal of Archbishop Emeritus
Desmond Tutu as a patron of the
Holocaust Centre in Cape Town:
“I believe it is wrong to call for the
resignation of Archbishop Desmond
Tutu as a patron of the Holocaust
Centre.
“In deference to Archbishop
Tutu’s widely recognised leadership
role in the struggle against apartheid and to his
revered position in South Africa, it would be an
act of disrespect to remove him as patron.
“The Holocaust Centre, of which I am also a
patron, is a vitally important institution in our
country. The centre honours the memory of the
six million Jewish martyrs, and also educates
thousands of South Africans in the vital lessons of
the Holocaust, lessons of the horrific consequences of hatred and racism.
“The centre teaches sensitivity and commitment to human rights, tolerance and the dignity
of all people, irrespective of race, colour or creed.
“For this holy work to be disrupted by the divisive politics of the Middle East would be a real
tragedy.
“The correct approach, I believe, to the
Archbishop’s unfair criticisms of Israel is not
through protest action of petitions, but rather to
engage with him in a dignified and respectful
manner on the substance of the real issues from a
rational, intellectual and historical point of view,
so that truth and peace can ultimately triumph.”
In a follow-up exclusive interview with the
Jewish Report the chief rabbi said it was crucial
that “we control our emotions and articulate
Israel’s case persuasively through rational, intellectual debate”.
Most South Africans were fair-minded and
found themselves swept along in the
tide of anti-Israel sentiment.
“Explaining the true facts can
have an impact, but only if we
engage people with dignity and
respect,” the chief rabbi said.
“One must speak the truth
because you never know who it will
reach or how much impact it will
have.”
Chief Rabbi Goldstein said it was
important to see this not as a dialogue with one individual, but with
the whole of South Africa and the
whole world.
Everyone who believed that Israel was being
unfairly criticised, had a duty to speak out against
the deligitimisation of Israel, but it was important
to focus on the issues and avoid demeaning people.
“Everything we do must be lesheim shamayim for the sake of heaven. We must always strive to
create an atmosphere of dignity that does not hurt
other people.”
He stressed that this was a good principle to follow in all areas of life, not only in the debate over
whether or not the archbishop should be a patron
of the centre.
“It’s a lesson on how to engage with other people, whether its at work or at home.
“One of the great things about South African
Jewry is our derech eretz. We’re known for that
internationally. We should uphold this tradition
in this matter and in all areas of our private and
communal lives,” the chief rabbi said.
Tali Nates, the director of the Johannesburg
Holocaust and Genocide Centre, said the centre
was taking note of all the articles and comments
around the petition.
“The trustees will be meeting with Archbishop
(Emeritus) Tutu in the next 10 days to discuss the
matter and we’ll issue a statement after the meeting,” she said.
Call to axe Tutu is not
the official SAZF policy
THE SA Zionist Federation has stressed that a
petition calling for the removal of Archbishop
Emeritus Desmond Tutu as a patron of the
Holocaust Museums in Cape Town and
Johannesburg, does not carry the SAZF’s official approval.
In a media release, issued under the name of
Avrom Krengel, chairman of the SAZF, the
SAZF says it “would like to clarify and confirm
that the views expressed in the petition calling
for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to be
‘axed’ as patron of the Holocaust Centres in
Cape Town and Johannesburg do not reflect
any statements which have been issued by official representatives of the South African
Zionist Federation.
“The petition was launched by certain indi-
viduals without prior consultation or approval
of the South African Zionist Federation and
represents their personal views alone.
“The Cape Town Holocaust Centre has been
an outstanding success in the 10 years it has
been in existence. It is an educational institution serving all citizens of the country as a
whole and is dedicated to creating a more caring and just society in which human rights and
diversity are respected and valued.
“The South African Zionist Federation recognises the Holocaust Centre as an autonomous
organisation and respects its leadership’s right
to respond in respect of the petition.
“The South African Zionist Federation
reserves the right to make an official response
at the appropriate time.”
Urgent appeal for O Negative blood
HATZOLAH Medical Rescue Johannesburg, has
asked the community to donate O Negative blood
“as soon as possible” for a Jewish woman patient,
Shirley Eliakim, who is in the Donald Gordon
Medical Centre in Johannesburg. Her ID number
is 4608080044080. The SA National Blood Service
will need these details to reserve the blood for her.
Hatzolah says the woman is urgently in need of
O Negative blood, and there are no supplies of it
at the moment.
“If you, or someone you know has an
O Negative blood type, we urge you to donate at
your nearest SA National Blood Service,”
Hatzolah says in its appeal. “The closest one to
the Glenhazel area is the Linksfield branch,
which is in the Linksfield Centre by the
Linksfield road offramp from the highway, a few
shops down from Woolworths.
AROUND THE WORLD
NEWS IN BRIEF
BALTIMORE JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL SHUTTING DOWN
BALTIMORE - A Baltimore Jewish day school
will close its high school division at the end of
the school year due to financial problems.
Yeshivat Rambam, which opened 10 years
ago, announced last Sunday that it would
close its high schools for boys and girls while
working to strengthen the enrolment and
retention of its middle and elementary schools,
as well as its kindergarten and early childhood
programmes, the Baltimore Jewish Times
reported.
Sixty-three learners are enrolled in the boys'
high school and 33 in the girls' school. The total
enrolment at Yeshivat Rambam is 350.
Working to keep the high school going could
jeopardise the entire school, school president
Abba David Poliakoff told the newspaper.
In recent years the school has suffered cash
flow and debt problems, the Baltimore Jewish
Times reported. (JTA)
21 - 28 January 2011
SA JEWISH REPORT
Ivan May’s death leaves
a void in many fields
STAFF REPORTER
WELL-KNOWN philanthropist,
environmentalist and marketing
fundi, Ivan May recently died
from cancer at the age of 63. He
leaves behind a huge legacy.
May was the recipient of the
Humanitarian Award at a SA
Jewish Report’s Achievers’
awards function some years ago.
Besides his general philanthropic work, May was active in
the Jewish community - a community he had an affinity for.
May was active in starting the
Jewish Arts and Culture Trust;
consulted to MaAfrika Tikkun
and instrumental in brining out
the Anne Frank exhibition.
Throughout his working years
he provided assistance and skills
to numerous non-governmental
and charitable organisations.
After graduating from the
University of the Witwatersrand
with a BSc, BSc honours,
Masters, PhD and MBA qualifications, May started his career
with a 10-year commitment to
academia in the biological sciences field at Wits and the
Agricultural University in the
Netherlands.
He then went on to serve as the
strategic, brand and marketing
consultant for several companies
in the private sector, including
Greatermans, Ogilvy Worldwide
and Nedcor Ltd from where he
retired in 2003.
He was chairman of the
Advisory Board of The Salvation
Army, chairman of Charities Aid
Foundation Southern Africa
(CAFSA), and a former vicechancellor of the Order of St
John, of which he was also a
knight. He was responsible for
bringing the CowParade to South
Africa, which substantially
raised money for the Childhood
Cancer Foundation South Africa.
At the time of his death, he was
chief executive of 1485 Radio
Today, a non-executive director
of the Vodacom Foundation, a
member of the Council of the
University of Witwatersrand, a
non-executive director of the
Advertising Standards Authority
of South Africa, and a member of
the King 3 Committee on
Corporate Governance.
May made a great contribution
in the field of marketing. He was
the creative mind and driving
force in the launch of a number
of affinity products. He was a
founder and board member of a
number of trusts established
concurrently with the green, arts
and culture and sports affinity
products in the 1990s.
Among others, May was a
founder of the Green Trust and a
member of its board from 1990 to
2003, a founder of the Arts and
Culture Trust and a member of
its board from 1995 to 2003, and a
founder and serving member of
the board of the Sports Trust
He received dozens of awards
and accolades during his lifetime.
He was a Fellow of the Institute
of Marketing Management, a
World Fellow of the Duke of
Edinburgh Award, and a Fellow
of the Royal Geographical
Society, among others.
His awards included a Gold
Medal from the Worldwide Fund
for Nature (WWF), the Captain
Scott Memorial Medal from the
South African Biological Society,
and the Exceptional Service
Award from the Advertising
Standards Authority.
May was born in Johannesburg on August 23 1947. He
attended the King Edward VII
School in Johannesburg before
going to the University of the
Witwatersrand.
At the time of his death, he was
president of the Convocation of
the University of the Witwatersrand.
Territorial commander of the
Salvation Army, Commissioner
Andre Cox, said: “Ivan May was a
truly remarkable man who
touched the lives and hearts of so
many people from all walks of
life. With his passing, South
Africa has lost one of its great
sons. We have lost a true friend
and great supporter.”
Chairman of the Vodacom
Foundation, Mthobi Tyamzashe,
said:
“To
the
Vodacom
Foundation, Ivan’s death means
more than just the loss of a fellow
trustee. His death also deprives
us of a hard worker, a thought
leader, problem-solver, con-
OSS tones down
blog content
MOIRA SCHNEIDER
CAPE TOWN
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY
www.wits.ac.za
science, and a brother whose generosity knew no bounds.”
Even up to the time of his death
on Friday December 31, May’s
diary had been choc-a-bloc with
appointments scheduled for 2011.
Ivan had a wide circle of
friends. “He was a man who,
through those friendships,
reached out to communities
wider than any of us will probably ever manage, and called
forth their own gifts to help
him as he spearheaded help for
others,” long-time friend Theo
Coggin said.
Then there was the domestic
Ivan, who looked after his home
in Observatory, Johannesburg,
filled as it was with books, paintings and other treasures.
Ivan was a no-nonsense man.
“My greatest admiration for
him was in the fact that he was a
man of action. He believed in getting on with life, doing so proficiently and with excellence. We
all know Ivan was a learned man
with many degrees, but fundamentally he was a humanist who,
in his business dealings wanted
all living things to benefit.
“That is why he was involved in
initiatives as divergent as the
environment and arts and culture,” said Coggin.
THE PUBLICATION of correspondence
on the Internet between Open Shuhada
Street (OSS) and SDV Pharmaceuticals
on the Writing Rights blog, has allegedly resulted in a “defamatory term”
being deleted from the site.
In November, OSS filed a complaint at
Cape Town’s central police station
against SDV Pharmaceuticals, importers of Ahava cosmetics, for selling
products under a “false trade description”, alleging the products are labelled
as being produced in Israel, but are produced in the occupied West Bank.
They say SDV Pharmaceuticals is violating section 7 of the Merchandise
Marks Act (17 of 1941) as amended.
In response to an earlier Notification
of Intent to Prosecute addressed to SDV
Pharmaceuticals, attorney Aubrey
Katzef wrote to OSS saying: “Our
clients do not intend to become involved
in a matter which is clearly a political
one and accordingly will only deal with
issues which relate to your allegations
that
our
client
violates
the
Merchandising Marks Act.”
Furthermore, he had advised his
clients, based on information supplied
by the manufacturer, that they were acting within the law in this regard..
In reaction, it was allegedly stated on
the website that the attorney acted “evasively and unethically”.
“I took umbrage at being accused of
acting unethically,” Katzef told JR. “I
forwarded the documentation to Adv
Geoff Budlender, who is connected with
them; I see that now they have edited
(the post) - they’ve left in ‘evasively’ and
taken out ‘unethically’.”
Trevor Stamelman: 082-608-0168
Geoff Lees: 082-551-9314
Tel: (011) 885-3742
[email protected]
www.stamelmanproperties.co.za
“Extraordinary Service Extraordinary Trust”
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5
6
SA JEWISH REPORT
21 - 28 January 2011
OPINION AND ANALYSIS
FORUM FOR DIVERSE VIEWS
Truth-tellers or
merely cynics?
THE YEAR 2011 has kicked off with a deluge of dramatic local and Israeli “Jewish” stories, which are
enough to make the head reel.
In our own backyard we have the ongoing Baal Shem
Tov Shul “parking” saga, generating vitriol from all
sides and antagonism towards the SAJBD leadership
as it tries defending its stance of “engaging” with complainant Christine Walters, rather than attacking her.
The two “Tutu petitions” - with David Hersch’s one
calling for his removal as a Holocaust Foundation
patron for alleged anti-Semitism, and the activist Open
Shuhada Street group’s petition defending Tutu as an
icon deserving profound respect from Jews and others
for his fight for human rights - have evoked frenetic
attempts by the SAZF to distance itself from damage
caused to the Jewish community’s image in broader
society.
The implosion of the once “squeaky clean” Wendy
Machanik property empire due to alleged financial
finagling, has shaken the Jewish community because
of her status as a high-profile, self-made Jewish businesswoman and the alleged involvement of an Israeli
“wheeler-dealer”; and threats to the planned South
African visit as the SAJBD’s guest of top-ranking
Israeli politician Tzipi Livni, leader of the Kadima
Party.
Problems around her trip were also exacerbated by
Israel’s foreign ministry employees’ strike - including
Israeli Ambassador Dov Segev-Steinberg in Pretoria who were refusing to facilitate her travels or any other
dignitaries’ worldwide, including the Russian president who had to cancel a proposed visit to Israel
because of the strike and a visit by German Chancellor
Angela Merkel.
In addition, Palestinian-orientated groups called for
Livni’s arrest as a war criminal if she were to set foot
in South Africa. The Palestinian Solidarity Alliance,
Amnesty International, Lawyers for Human Rights,
Cosatu and Amnesty International called on the
Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority to
arrest her as a war criminal if she were to arrive in
South Africa.
Events actually overtook Livni’s planned visit,
which she cancelled mainly due to the chaos in Israeli
politics evoked by the resignation of Ehud Barak as
chairman of the once powerful Labour Party, which
has been a member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
The result has been to strengthen the most rightwing government in Israeli history and has caused
massive confusion on the left about what to do next;
while the furore caused by the aggressive public
stances of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman, have strengthened anti-Arab and anti-leftist sentiments within Israel, cast doubt on the possibility of peace with the Palestinians and embarrassed
Israel internationally.
A common theme in several stories is the claim by
maverick individuals or groups that the Jewish and
Israeli “establishments” – whether the South African
Jewish community or the Israeli population - are so
intimidated by “political correctness” that they are
afraid to call a spade a spade regarding dangers facing
them, and that it is up to brave people like themselves
to do so.
Thus, in Johannesburg, the SAJBD is accused by
furious supporters of the Baal Shem Tov Shul in
Orange Grove of being too cowardly to denounce ANC
Councillor Christine Walters as an “anti-Semite”, even
though her actions clearly indicate this; and David
Hersch in Cape Town implies that South African
Jewry is so cowed by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond
Tutu’s iconic status that they are afraid to condemn
his alleged anti-Jewish and anti-Israel statements over
all the years since 1985 and to remove him as a patron
of the Holocaust Foundation, and that only “truthtelling” individuals like himself will say what needs to
be said.
In Israel, Lieberman’s supporters claim his controversial statements criticising Israeli Arabs, calling for
“loyalty oaths” towards the State of Israel, pushing for
investigation of leftist organisations for allegedly
working to undermine Israel and the IDF, and negative
statements about the peace process, are actually voicing the privately held sentiments of most Israelis, and
that only brave individuals like himself are willing to
sweep aside political correctness and “tell it like it is”.
The brashness and perceived irresponsibility of
these self-proclaimed “truth-tellers” cause embarrassment to the more cautious and idealistic elements of
society. But one of the roles they can also play is to
strengthen the resolve of these more idealistic elements to work harder towards making this a better
world, and proving the cynicism of the “truth-tellers’’
wrong.
A powerful trio: Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, meet with US President Obama, in this file photo 2009 in New York. (AVI OHAYON / GPO / FLASH 90 / JTA)
Ehud Barak quits Labour:
Political betrayal or precursor
to something bigger?
LESLIE SUSSER
JERUSALEM
WAS IT an act of political selfpreservation, a feat of political
destruction or a bid to stabilise
Israel’s government ahead of some
dramatic move?
And for Israel’s Labour Party, was
it another sign of the once-leading
party’s demise, or a precursor to a
revival and the ideals for which it
stands?
What’s certain is that Defence
Minister Ehud Barak’s decision this
week to quit Labour, which he had
headed until Monday, has sent
shock waves throughout the Israeli
political establishment.
Ironically, the split of Labour until this week a part of the Israeli
government but now in the opposition - may yet strengthen the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. Barak’s decision to quit
Labour and found a new political
party along with four other Labour
defectors, leaves Netanyahu with
eight fewer members in his coalition, but the 66 who remain are considered far more stable than the 74
he had pre-defection.
Before Barak’s dramatic announcement, Labour was threatening to withdraw all 13 of its Knesset
members unless Netanyahu could
show real progress in peacemaking
with the Palestinians. That would
have left the prime minister with
only 61 coalition members, the vast
majority right-wingers and the minimum necessary to stay prime minister in the 120-seat Knesset.
Such a narrow coalition would
have opened up Netanyahu to harsh
domestic and international criticism for leading a perceived hardline government.
Now, in what appears to have
been a co-ordinated move, Netanyahu and Barak have pulled the rug
out from under the feet of their
opponents. With a more stable coalition, Netanyahu almost certainly
has secured a full term in office,
until 2013.
Barak pre-empted attempts to
oust him as Labour leader and force
him to leave the Defence Ministry
by cutting a deal in which he can
stay on as defence minister after
leaving Labour.
Many Israelis on the left and right
viewed Barak’s move with deep
scepticism. The new party he heads,
called Atzmaut, which means
Independence, has a hazy future
other than the assurance of four
ministerial berths in Netanyahu’s
government and the chairmanship of a
Knesset committee.
The leader of Israel’s opposition,
Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni, called it
the “dirtiest and ugliest manoeuvre” in
Israel’s political history. Her own party
was a breakaway from Likud in
November 2005, when then-Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon led an exodus of
moderates, including Livni, from the
Likud.
The regional implications of the
upgraded Netanyahu-Barak partnership
could be far reaching.
It would appear that the peace process
with the Palestinians is over, as the more
dovish members of Netanyahu’s coalition have exited. Even if Netanyahu
wanted to cut a deal with the
Palestinians, his remaining coalition
partners likely would block it.
Barak and Netanyahu, however, put a
much different gloss on things. Until
now, the Palestinians had been hoping
for the Israeli government to fall and be
replaced by one more amenable to their
demands, representatives of the two men
argue, and this has kept the Palestinians
away from serious peace talks.
Now, with a more stable government,
the Palestinians will see this is who they
have to deal with for the foreseeable
future and may become more serious
about returning to the negotiating table.
Furthermore, Netanyahu and Barak
confidants have been dropping broad
hints that a new Israeli peace initiative is
in the offing, suggesting that this is the
part of the Netanyahu-Barak understanding.
There is another theory for Barak’s
move: that Netanyahu is seriously contemplating a pre-emptive strike against
Iran’s nuclear installations and believes
he needs Barak at his side.
According to this line of thinking, with
the Labour Party threatening to force
Barak to leave the government,
Netanyahu could have found himself
with a new defence minister who was less
inclined to attack Iran. The front-runner
would have been the Likud’s Moshe
(Boogie) Yaalon, a super-hawk on the
Palestinian issue but very cautious about
striking Iran.
It would be understandable, commentators said, if Barak’s decision was part
of a bid to revive peace talks with the
Palestinians or take action against Iran’s
drive toward nuclear weapons. But if not,
the move is nothing more than a cynical
act of political self-preservation.
In the media, Barak’s move was excoriated as a betrayal of those who voted for
him and the party that had given him his
chance in politics.
Barak’s leadership of Labour had
been under severe threat. Would-be successors had called for an early party
convention, expected to take place in
late February or early March, with two
issues on the agenda: deciding whether
or not to stay in the government and setting a date for new leadership primaries. Within the space of a few months,
Barak could have found himself out of
the Defence Ministry and supplanted as
party leader.
Barak says his new party will run in
the next elections. But many Israelis are
wondering if Barak really intends to
make an electoral pact with Netanyahu
and run on the Likud ticket.
Where does all this leave the Labour
Party?
Many had accused Barak of ruining
the party with his high-handed leadership style, lack of people skills and loss of
ideological direction - and now delivering
the coup de grace by splitting the party in
two.
Many Israelis believe that the party,
whose leaders founded and built the
state, holding uninterrupted power for
Israel’s first three decades, has run its
course and that a new left-centre constellation will rise from the ashes.
But the eight former ministers and
Knesset members who have remained in
the party insist that it could still be at the
heart of a centre-left revival.
One of the contenders for the party
leadership, Yitzhak Herzog, said Barak’s
departure has freed Labour of its biggest
obstacle in the way of rehabilitation, and
now the party could rebuild and recapture some of its former glory.
“Labour got rid of the hump on its
back,” he declared.
Party activists, especially the young
guard, say that with Barak gone, people
will rejoin in droves.
Labour overcame its first serious hurdle on the way to rehabilitation when
four Knesset members led by former
party boss Amir Peretz - who had been
considering a second split off from
Labour - decided to stay. But the four
have made it clear that unless there is a
modicum of co-operation with them,
they will leave at a later date, precipitating another major crisis.
Much will depend on who takes over as
Labour’s leader. Early polls showed that
Herzog enjoys 20 per cent public support,
with former party leader Amram Mitzna
and Knesset member Shelly Yacimovich
each with 18 per cent.
But these polls are largely irrelevant. It
is not clear who the final contenders for
the Labour leadership will be, what new
parties will emerge before the next elections and what the centre-left political
map will look like.
More important, the results of the next
election likely will be decided by how the
new Netanyahu-Barak partnership fares.
That has only just begun. (JTA)
21 - 28 January 2011
SA JEWISH REPORT
OPINION AND ANALYSIS
FORUM FOR DIVERSE VIEWS
Calling Tutu an anti-Semite
renders the term meaningless
DAVID HERSCH and his coorganisers of the petition
against Archbishop Emeritus
Desmond Tutu deserve a big
Yasher Kayach. They have
finally warned the community
of the dangers of a rampant
intolerance which brooks no
dissent against Israeli policy,
however carefully couched the
latter may be.
I must confess that when
approached to sign the petition
in favour of the Archbishop
remaining a trustee of the
Holocaust Centre, I thought
that all the usual suspects
would emerge in fierce denunciation of those who regard
Desmond Tutu as a great
human being and religious
leader.
Much to my amazement,
many of those who had so willingly excoriated Mr Justice
Richard Goldstone as well as
the most moderate of critics of
current Israeli government policy, headed for the hills, trying
to place as much distance
between themselves and the
Hersch petition.
Whereas previously no opposition from established quarters
was sounded to the labelling of
all critics of Israeli government
policy as anti-Semites or selfhaters, this time, to his great
credit Orthodox Chief Rabbi
Warren Goldstein issued a
statement of a kind that many
considered should always be the
initial default position - the
Archbishop is a man of great
moral stature and deservedly
so, but on this occasion (regarding his statement about the
opera company boycott) he is
wrong and should be told so in
the clearest of terms.
Of course, as I have argued
before in this column, there are
THE JURY
IS OUT
Dennis Davis
bigots and anti-Semites (plenty
of them) and they surely, by
their speech or conduct, place
themselves beyond the pale. But
many who have offered criticism of Israeli policy are of an
entirely different ilk.
Given his record, to label
Archbishop Tutu an antiSemite is to render the term
meaningless as it is to have
called the distinguished leader
of UK Jewry, Mick Davis an
enemy of his people.
The kind of discourse that
has prevailed within our community until the advent of this
petition against the continued
participation of a man who has
so steadfastly stood for nonracialism and against all forms
of oppression, has fuelled a disturbing level of hatred and even
worse, has sought to circumscribe the great body of Jewish
ethical teachings.
Instead of remembering that
we were once slaves in Egypt, a
line is drawn so that no ethical
critique can be raised against
any conduct of an Israeli government of the right.
By contrast, I may add, there
was no such ethical bar when a
moderate Israeli government
implements policy as both
Yitzhak Rabin and, in his latter
days in office, Arik Sharon,
found out.
Unfortunately neither the
Zionist Federation nor the
Board of Deputies saw fit to
deal with the situation by
E
L
A
S
S
N
L
O
I
T
A
C
U
N
D
I
E
R
F ER Wonderful
H
FURT
selection of
Tops, Skirts & Slax
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JANUARY 23, 10:00 – 13:00
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Parking outside store
immediately reacting to the
Hersch nonsense in the manner
of the Chief Rabbi by which
stage the damage had been
done.
Where has the ethical leadership been to say: You are wrong
for the following reasons, but
we will not descend into hatred
or bigotry.
It was absent during the
Goldstone saga and only
because of the majestic stature
of the Archbishop has some
glimmer
of
sanity
been
restored.
Next month Professor Alan
Dershowitz comes to these
shores. Having defamed the
Archbishop already and thus
intervened so chauvinistically
in our delicate affairs, one can
only shudder at the public relations disaster that awaits this
community.
We have already suffered the
embarrassment of Caroline
Glick, but that may prove but a
minor hiccup compared to what
now awaits. What we now need
is defence of Israel as a sovereign democratic nation within
the context of very differing
views as to its accommodation
with Palestinian rights as
opposed to the denigration of
all who refuse to agree with the
Hersches and Dershowitzes of
this world.
A cursory examination of the
Israeli press reveals the plethora of opinion in that democracy,
yet we have persisted in inviting
some of the most recalcitrant
and conservative speakers who
portray not the compelling
arguments in favour of our
inalienable right to an independent state, but the worst
kind of chauvinist xenophobia
which eats at the heart of all
that is best in our tradition.
A coherent reading of our tradition which seeks to place it in
the best moral light, reveals the
existence of a continued struggle against the prevailing status
quo. The foundational principles of tikkun olam and kvod
habriut, power a restless desire
to question all forms of prevailing positions, which in the contemporary context means that
for some, the present occupation of the West Bank should be
the subject of critical scrutiny.
Understandably there are
many in our community who
feel that in the present hostile
world, such criticism should be
placed on hold. But that does
make those who disagree selfhating Jews.
Speaking for myself, I respond from the position of a
reading of the Jewish tradition
that I was taught from childhood, for surely if a community
is to exist, some form of agreement which allows for respect
on both sides, is essential.
For me the only requirement
is that the “left” recognise the
right of Israel to exist peacefully as a sovereign state and the
“right” do not propagate the
idea that all critics are antiSemites or self-hating Jews.
Viewed in this light, the antiTutu petition exhibits no recognition of any “Other”. We are
right, all others are bigots. No
debate is allowed, no criticism
permitted.
Chief Rabbi Goldstein is correct - Archbishop Tutu is
deserving of respect and thus
there is an obligation to engage,
not simply defame.
But the principle of kvod
habriut is not restricted to iconic figures. We need to apply it to
all within our community and
beyond, no matter their station
in society. In this way, we may
gain consensus that Israel’s
sovereignty is sacrosanct even
though we disagree about critical issues of policy, including
the occupation which have been
formulated by transient governments.
AROUND
THE WORLD
NEWS IN BRIEF
JEWISH TALENT TAKES HOME GOLDEN
GLOBES
LOS ANGELES - Jewish talent won some
and lost some at the Golden Globe Award
ceremonies last weekend, auguring a
mixed outlook for the upcoming Oscar
nominations.
Israeli-born Natalie Portman waltzed
away from the Sunday evening awards
ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, as
best actress in the drama category for her
impressive turn as a tortured ballerina in
“The Black Swan”.
“The Social Network,” the gripping if
somewhat skewed story of Facebook
founder Mark Zuckerberg, won for best
drama picture, but its star, Jesse
Eisenberg, lost out as best actor to Colin
Firth, who portrayed England’s stuttering
George VI in “The King’s Speech”.
“Social Network” won additional honours for screenwriter Aaron Sorkin for
best screenplay. Sorkin beat out, among
others, Britain’s David Seidler, who provided the inspiration and script for “The
King’s Speech”. Seidler’s paternal grandparents perished in the Holocaust.
In the separate comedy or musical category, Paul Giamatti, who is not Jewish,
emerged as best actor for his portrayal of
the very Jewish producer Barney
Panofsky in “Barney’s Version”. The
movie is based on the novel of the same
title by Canadian-Jewish author Mordecai
Richler.
Denmark’s “In a Better World” won the
prize for best foreign-language film.
Israel’s Oscar entry, “The Human
Resources Manager”, did not place among
the five finalists.
For the first time since the end of the
Second World War, no movie or documentary dealing with the Holocaust or the
Nazi era was submitted for either Golden
Globe or Academy Award consideration.
The television musical show "Glee" was
named best television comedy show, and
cast members Jane Lynch, who plays
cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, and
Chris Cofer, who plays gay student Kurt,
won for best supporting actress and actor.
Brad Falchuk, son of national Hadassah
President Nancy Falchuk, is a co-creator,
producer, writer and director on the show.
(JTA)
7
8
SA JEWISH REPORT
21 - 28 January 2011
ARTS MATTERS
TAPESTRY
COMPILED BY
ROBYN SASSEN
ART, BOOKS, DANCE, FILM, THEATRE
Call 084-319-7844 or
[email protected] at least one
week prior to publication
Goodman Gallery,
Rosebank, Johannesburg:
An exhibition by Adam
Broomberg and Oliver
Chanarin, until February 12,
(011) 788-1113.
Joburg Theatre,
Braamfontein: “History:
this is it”, Michael Jackson
tribute concert, until
February 13, (011) 877-6800.
Little Theatre Complex,
UCT Campus, Cape Town:
“The Great Gatsby”, directed by Luke Ellenbogen,
January 28 - February 19,
(021) 480-7129.
Linder Auditorium,
Parktown: The
Johannesburg International
Mozart Festival opens
January 27. See www.joinmozart-festival.org for the
full programme, (011) 4479264.
Market, Newtown: In the
Barney Simon, “Sunjata” a
traditional African tale
directed by James Ngcobo,
until March 6. In the Laager,
Athol Fugard’s “Sizwe Banzi
is Dead”, directed by
Monageng Motshabi, until
February 20. In the main
theatre, “Songs of
Migration”; Gloria Bosman
reprises Sibongile
Khumalo’s role, until
February 13, (011) 832-1641.
Maynardeville Open Air
Theatre, Cape Town:
Shakespeare’s “Taming of
the Shrew”, directed by Roy
Sargent, until February 19,
(021) 451-7695.
Montecasino, Fourways:
In Parker’s Comedy & Jive,
the programme for stand up
comics includes Joe Parker
and Mark Banks (January
21) and Eddie Eckstein and
Barry Hilton (January 27 29), (011) 511-0081. In the
Pieter Toerien, “A Handful
of Keys”, with Jonathan
Roxmouth and Roelof
Colyn, until January 23;
from January 25,
“Fascinating Aida”,
Britain’s most popular comedy duo, and in the Studio
Theatre, Alan Swerdlow
directs “Mass Appeal”, from
January 23 (011) 511-1818. In
Teatro, the original
Riverdance, until February
20, (011) 510-7472.
Old Mutual Theatre on
the Square, Sandton:
Mitch Albom’s “Tuesdays
with Morrie” directed by
Alan Swerdlow, until
January 29. The Friday
lunch hour concerts feature
the Venato trio on January
21 and June Kraus showcasing child prodigies on
January 28, (011) 883-8606.
Resolution Gallery,
Rosebank, Johannesburg:
“Bos: Constructed Images
and the Memory of the SA
Bush War”, by Christo
Doherty, until March 12,
(011) 880-4054.
South African Jewish
Museum, Cape Town:
“Kith, Kin and Khaya”, photographs by David Goldblatt,
until February 11, (021) 4651546.
2011 Mozart Festival
puts emphasis on voice
PAUL BOEKKOOI
JOHANNESBURG’S FIRST serious
music activity in the new year has
over the past six years always been
the Mozart Festival, brainchild of
Richard Cock, the well-known, innovative conductor, impressario and
director of Apollo Music and
Richard Cock Enterprises.
Two years ago this festival moved
up in status. It became a fully fledged
international event, with the German pianist Florian Uhlig appointed
as director of the Johannesburg
International Music Festival (JIMF),
since last year.
According to Uhlig the main
theme of the 2011 festival is “On
Wings of Song”. The focus will be on
the voice, vocal music as well as
instrumental music inspired by various vocal genres.
One of the most exciting developments which has been implemented, is the JIMF’s exchange scheme
with the internationally renowned
Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival
(SHMF) in Germany.
Next week the SHMF choir will
visit South Africa to team up with
Cock’s Chanticleer Singers, Michael
Dingaan’s Chamber Choir of South
Africa and the Johannesburg
Festival Orchestra for a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, conducted by Rolf Beck, during the festival’s
opening on Thursday January 27 at
19:30 in the Linder Auditorium,
Parktown, Johannesburg.
This programme will also feature
the world première of South
African composer Mokale Koapeng’s Psalms. This acclaimed
musician, who is the director of the
Seventh Day Adventist Student
Association Chorale, has been
appointed as the first composer-inresidence of the JIMF.
Rolf Beck will also give masterclasses, while a concert with his students will follow the classes. While
in Johannesburg, he will also audition young local singers to participate in 2011’s Schleswig-Holstein
festival.
To give true international character to the festival, a great number of
prominent musicians and singers
have been sourced. They include the
young ‘cello virtuoso Gabriel
Schwabe, Slovakian soprano Lucia
Duchonova with a programme
inspired by Slavonic and South
American folk songs, German vocalist Eva Meier with a stimulating body
of cabaret-inspired works by Brecht,
Weill and Eisler entitled Café Berlin,
American pianist Bryan Wallick with
a programme of Mozart and Schubert transcriptions by Liszt, the
South African trained clarinettist
Robert Pickup now based in Switzerland, German star baritone Stephan
Loges in song recital and in a concert
with operatic arias, teaming up with
the young South African soprano
Magdaleen Minnaar.
As follow-up on 2010’s “Music in
Exile: North-South Narratives Symposium”, the JIMF will, in association
with the Goethe Institut and hosted
by them, present “Music in Exile:
Songs,
Styles
and
Sub-texts
Symposium” on February 4 - 5. The
emphasis is on the role of songs in
South African and global exile.
This year’s JIMF runs from
January 27 to February 13 and is presented in various venues. Apart from
the Linder, many of the smaller scale
concerts will be held at Northwards
in Parktown, and Wits’ Theatre,
Richard Cock, the originator of the
Johannesburg International
Mozart Festival. (PHOTOGRAPH
COURTESY WWW.SAPPIBRETT.CO.ZA)
German pianist Florian Uhlig, the
director of the JIMF. (PHOTOGRAPH:
FRIEDRUN REINHOLD)
Great Hall and Derek Lewis Room.
Tickets for all the Linder performances are available through Computicket, while those at Northwards
should be booked by phoning Apollo
Music at (011) 447-9264. For full festival details, visit www.join-mozartfestival.org.
UCT awards honorary doctorates to Suzman and Sher
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY
MOIRA SCHNEIDER
CAPE TOWN
TWO LEADING thespians who have
strode the world stage, Janet Suzman
and Sir Antony Sher, were feted by
the country of their birth last month
with the conferral of honorary doctorates by the University of Cape
Town and the holding of a luncheon
at the Baxter Theatre Centre.
Describing Sher as her “most longterm friend”, theatre personality
Janice Honeyman recalled at the
event that they had first become
aware of each other 57 years ago on
the beach “while our mothers
exchanged Sea Point gossip”. She
also reminisced about the Cape Town
Eisteddfod, where she said Sher
always got honours and distinction.
Speaking about different aspects of
his identity in the South Africa of the
‘50s and ‘60s, Sher listed being white,
which he termed “lucky”, Jewish,
which was “not quite so lucky - it was
fine in Sea Point, less so in the army
camps in Oudtshoorn and Walvis
Bay” - and gay - “this was not lucky at
all, it was off the scale, illegal and
unthinkable”.
In 1968 he left for England where
“it was okay to be gay, but you wouldn’t want to be ‘out’ publicly as an
actor. Strangely enough the same
applied to being Jewish.
“At first this was all overwhelming
Janet
Suzman and
Sir Antony
Sher, who
were awarded honorary
doctorates
by UCT, at a
luncheon
held in their
honour.
FELDMAN
ON FILM
Peter Feldman
Pick of the Week
Made in Dagenham
Cast: Sally Hawkins; Bob Hoskins; Miranda
Richardson; Geraldine James; Rosamund Pike
Director: Nigel Cole
“Made in Dagenham” is one of those films that at
the end of it you want to stand up and cheer.
Nigel Cole has adapted a true story for the
screen with sensitivity, vision and a keen eye for
detail, transporting his audience back to another,
more simpler time when things were not as hectic as our present era is.
His characters are clearly defined and the story
scoops you up and carries you along with it. It has
to me. I lost my South African accent,
kept ‘shtum’ about being Jewish, I
tried to be ‘straight’ - I was in so
many closets, I didn’t know which
key was which!”
He had come to realise, however,
that “in acting you have to know and
accept who you are”.
In more recent years, Sher said it
had been “such an honour” to bring
Primo - his play adaptation of
Primo Levi’s ordeal in a Nazi concentration camp - to the Baxter and
that he had felt so “bloody proud” of
the The Tempest production (a collaboration between the Royal
Shakespeare Company and the
Baxter Theatre Centre) that he had
taken to the UK.
Despite being based abroad, Cape
Town was his real home, he declared.
“The sounds, the smells, the light it’s in my blood, being Capetonian is
at the heart of my identity.”
He thanked Janet Suzman for
being “a shining example” ahead
when he had gone to England, “proving that South African acting could
rank among the best that there is”.
For her part, Suzman - described
by former Baxter director Mannie
Manim at the event as “one of the
world’s great classical actresses” said she had “been watching my boy
a powerful theme to which audiences can relate
and that’s half the film’s success.
The other half is the potent acting from a stellar English cast.
Set in Dagenham, England, in 1968, the film
chronicles the Ford Dagenham strike by 187
sewing-machinists which led to the advent of the
Equal Pay Act.
The main catalyst is Rita O’Grady (played with
vim and vigour by Sally Hawkins) who cannot
abide the impoverished conditions under which
they are forced to work.
Her employer, the giant Ford Motor Company,
has a work force of 55 000 of which the men have
the best jobs; working on the cars in a gleaming
new main plant.
The women, however, sew car seats and are
relegated to a dilapidated old 1920s river plant
with no air-conditioning, and holes in the corrugated iron roof where rain regularly falls
through. Because they made up such a small
percentage of the workforce, Ford kept ignoring
their requests.
From laughing in the face of these poor condi-
doing bloody brilliant stuff from the
moment he set foot in the UK”.
She described England as her
“adopted country - it’s not in the marrow of your bones”.
Nevertheless, she said her Anglican education in Johannesburg had
provided a soft landing, resulting in
her feeling extremely at home there
straightaway. “The English teachers
at Kingsmead (College) were wonderful and that’s where it began,” she
said of her career.
Suzman noted that she had done
something in this country every
decade. “Theatre can interpret the
times and I think that’s what I like
about it the most,” she commented.
As a student, Suzman spoke out
against the Extension of University
Education Bill, which paved the way
for the extension of apartheid into
higher education, leaving the country after its enactment in 1959.
She told the gathering that she had
big trouble with cultural boycotts,
saying proponents were liable to get
shot in the foot. Appealing for financial support for the theatre, she
warned: “A forum for free speech
(which the theatre is), an independent judiciary and a free press are the
only things that stand between us
and perdition.”
tions, Rita and her co-workers are forced to take
strike action when their jobs are re-graded to
“unskilled”.
Rita, who sees herself primarily as a wife and a
mother, is the film’s key motivator and helps
orchestrate the action. The excellent Sally
Hawkins makes her a fast-talking no-nonsense
individual with a fiery temper.
Her hilarious moments of unpredictability are
no match for any of her male opponents. Her
actions are echoed by Minister Barbara Castle,
whom she meets later, in her struggle in the
male-dominated House of Commons.
The effervescent Miranda Richardson is cast as
the indomitable politician and Bob Hoskins is the
likeable Albert, a fellow worker who believes in
the cause and is prepared to back Rita all the way.
Rosamund Pike has a smallish role as Lisa, the
attractive wife of the company head whose pampered life is awakened by the bold action of the
women.
“Made in Dagenham” is a terrific film that pays
handsome tribute to the initiative and courage of
those women who fought for equal pay.
21 - 28 January 2011
SA JEWISH REPORT
TAPESTRY
ART, BOOKS, DANCE, FILM, THEATRE
This divine comedy
deliciously wanton
The Infinities by John
Banville (Pan Macmillan,
R125)
REVIEWED BY
GWEN PODBREY
FOR THOSE who relegate
the gods to the pantheons
of classical history, it might
be time to think again.
This bristlingly intelligent,
darkly comic novel - narrated by
Hermes, son of Zeus and Maia the
cavewoman - is one of the most
exquisite marriages of imagination
and eloquence to have flowed from
Banville’s pen.
It is the 1950s in Arden, a little
town in a remote English county,
where Adam Godley - a celebrated
physicist-philosopher - is on his
deathbed in the attic of his dilapidated family homestead. Around
him, his kinsfolk have gathered: his
wife, Ursula; his son, Adam Jnr and
daughter-in-law, Helen, an attractive actress; his emaciated, embittered daughter Petra, disregarded
by her family as a basket case; the
housekeeper, Ivy Blount; and the
gardener-cum-handyman, Adrian
Duffy.
In addition, there are visitors:
Roddy Wagstaff, Petra’s cynical,
chain-smoking young suitor, up
from London and hating every
minute of this obligatory journey to
bid his future father-in-law farewell, and - in due course - an uninvited guest, Billy Grace, a rotund,
sweating homunculus with a perpetual smile on his face and an air
of entitlement to a share of this
family crisis, since he has been a
lifelong colleague and companion of
Godley’s.
Hanging overhead, unseen and
undetected, Hermes, his father and
their divine cohorts watch in
amusement as the Godleys - over
the course of a night and a day exchange forced pleasantries, swap
alliances, carefully avoid bringing
up old grudges, tread on each
other’s insecurities and
behave, in general, like a
restrained English family illpressed to observe decorum
and face their impending
bereavement with the requisite stiff upper lip.
Their already complicated
relationships are further
strained by the persistent
interference of salacious
Zeus, whose predilection for
sexual enjoyment cannot be suppressed for long (he has a habit of
inhabiting the bodies of men and
women and propelling them into outrageously outré encounters), and the
brazen, often heartless mischiefmaking of Hermes.
As the gods bicker over who gets to
pull which strings from above, Adam
Godley - lying mumchance in his bed
in the attic, paralysed from the stroke
that seems set to claim his life peruses the mysteries of the universe
which he believes he has unravelled.
The mystery of time, in particular,
and the context in which its infinities
can be choately organised into one
enduring principle.
But these elevated thoughts are
boring to Hermes - as, indeed, is most
of the agonising of mortals trying to
navigate a world not of their creating. A world, in fact, in which human
beings, in their hubris, have long
abandoned homage to the gods, preferring instead “the pale Galilean”
and other figures onto whom they
have thrust the horrid burden of
redemption.
“Why in such times as these would
the gods come back to be among
men? But the fact is, we never left you only stopped entertaining us. For
how should we leave, we who cannot
but be everywhere? We merely made
it seem that we had withdrawn, for a
decent interval, as if to say we know
when we are not wanted. All the
same, we cannot resist revealing ourselves to you once in a while… You
should have stuck with us.”
As befits a divine comedy, the
novel is deliciously wanton: but the
gods derive more than bland entertainment from watching human
shenanigans. In fact, they envy us
too: we are finite creatures, who can
look forward to an end, a summation
of our lives on this earth. They, on
the other hand, must live forever,
watching and manipulating the same
travesties again and again.
Then there is love: a passion not
even the gods, in their wisdom, can
really fathom. Eroticism they understand only too well; anger and
despair also. But the impetus which
makes a man and a woman stay
together - despite all the disappointments and betrayals which marriage
can present - or the tenderness of a
stricken daughter towards a dying
father: these are sentiments that
bemuse old Zeus himself, and cause a
thrill of jealousy in the watchful
beings above and among us.
Yet it is not only the cleverness of
the novel that makes it a delight. It is
also achingly, luminously beautiful.
Banville’s writing is faultless, his
prose flowing freely and effortlessly
in language that often verges on
poetry in its insight and rhythm. And
there is darkness too, as both gods
and humans battle to make sense of
both living and dying.
Ursula Godley uses alcohol as a
way into (or out of) meaning; Helen
Godley uses her physical allure;
Petra Godley compulsively records
all the known illnesses to afflict
humankind and secretly lacerates
her body with a razor blade in order
to feel real; and Adam Godley, dying
upstairs, reviews his years revelling
in his intellectual deftness.
Ultimately, even Hermes must concede that the exhausting experience
of being human deserves a benison,
reflecting that this, after all, “is the
mortal world. It is a world where
nothing is lost, where all is accounted for while yet the mystery of things
is preserved; a world where (mortals)
may live, however briefly, however
tenuously, in the failing evening of
the self, solitary and at the same time
together somehow here in this place,
dying as they may be and yet fixed
forever in a luminous, unending
instant”.
There can be few better ways to
begin 2011 - and gather inspiration
for the endeavours ahead - than with
this unforgettable novel.
New energy injected into vintage ‘Sizwe Banzi’
Show: “Sizwe Banzi is Dead”
(Laager Theatre, Market, Newtown,
(011) 832-1641)
Cast: Arthur Molepo and Omphile
Molusi
Director: Monageng “Vice”
Motshabi
Playwrights: Athol Fugard, John
Kani and Winston Ntshona (1972)
Design: Michael Maxwell (lighting), Onthatile Matshidiso (set),
Noluthando Lobese (costumes)
Until: February 20
REVIEWED BY ROBYN SASSEN
THE MARKET Theatre begins 2011
with a great deal of heart and enormous talent in this inspired production. Injected with a fresh boost of
directorial and performance energy, the almost 40-year-old play,
Sizwe Banzi is Dead, is brought to a
profoundly moving universality
that supersedes even the efforts of
its original cast, five years ago in a
revival production.
The three collaborators, Athol
Fugard, John Kani and Winston
Ntshona, make the work sing with
an authenticity and intelligence
that will make you cry and laugh.
The tribute revival of Sizwe Banzi
in 2006, performed by Kani and
Ntshona, was about the beauty of
older performers celebrating
their younger selves. This version
is not impervious to nostalgia; it
PHOTOGRAPH: RUPHIN COUDYZER
pays respectful tribute to the
play’s history.
There’s a moment when Banzi
(Molepo) poses for the photographer
Styles (Molusi) that could fit into
Ruphin Coudyzer’s photographic
record of the play’s debut in the
1970s. But this version of the play
has its own voice, too.
Set in 1972 with the madness of
apartheid at full tilt, the story is cast
around the Kafkaesque rules defining the dompas, as the Pass book
was colloquially (and pejoratively)
known.
Sizwe Banzi is an earnest lawabiding bloke, a husband and father
of four in King Williamstown.
Unskilled jobs in Port Elizabeth
pay more. He elects to move to the
big city. Being in the wrong place at
the wrong time lands him with dompas woes with the immediate
prospect of an escorted one way trip
back to the backwaters. Misery,
street fights and booze reveal a
dizzyingly chutzpahdik solution.
The play is difficult: over two
hours long, it’s text-heavy. The cast
of two must carry stories within stories with sufficient levity to hold
audience focus. It starts with a long
monologue, which, in the hands of a
less able performer could make it
collapse before it begins.
Beautifully cast as Styles the photographer and Buntu the guy whose
street savvy and bladder save the
day, Molusi, the first winner of the
Brett Goldin Bursary in 2008, lends
the layers sparkle. He will grab you
from the get-go and not let go, once,
keeping you on the edge of your seat
and emotions throughout.
Molepo, trained in the 1970s,
draws from his own dompas experiences; he paints his character with
such humble dignity you will cast
aside political stereotypes and
immediately empathise, as a human
being, with the dreadful Catch-22
nature of his predicament: his
scared unfamiliarity of the big city,
but his need for dignity and selfbelief in his life.
It’s about choice between the
potency of a name and staying relevant in a world unable to allow the
stranger to forget his status, and it’s
about the courage to be. Motshabi
debuts directorially; his astute touch
lends the work distinction.
9
10
SA JEWISH REPORT
21 - 28 January 2011
LETTERS
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given topic to be expressed. Opinions articulated in the letters are those of the writers and do not
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QUESTION MARK OVER SAZF’S TUTU STATEMENT
TELFED IS ALWAYS THERE FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS TO ISRAEL
ACCEPTING THE “delicate situation” of the SAZF
(which has to protect its relationship with the authorities for understandable reasons vis-à-vis Israel) when
dealing with an internationally-high profile, publically-recognised “icon of virtue”, Nobel prize-winner/
Truth and Reconciliation Commission chairman like
Desmond Tutu, I understand the need for a formal
SAZF statement in this controversial matter.
However, I think the SAZF statement could simply
have expressed the view that it was not involved; and
the matter was one concerning only the autonomous
Holocaust Centres and Tutu, without indicating
approval or disapproval – especially as there is significant support in the Jewish community for the sentiments expressed in the petition (which, incidentally, I
personally support as well).
Quite clearly, when the “average Jew in the street” is
made aware of Tutu’s behaviour (regarding Jews and
Israel over the years), he/she cannot but become infuriated, knowing that such an individual is a patron of
A LETTER was published in the
Jewish Report shortly after the horrific fires here in Israel with
regards to the help, or in the case of
that letter, the lack of help Telfed
gives to olim chadashim (new immigrants).
I was very surprised at the content of the letter claiming that
Telfed is not helpful, because that is
definitely not my experience with
Telfed at all.
I arrived in Israel at the end of
April 2010 and the first people to
greet me here were Telfed representatives. We (myself and other new
olim) were taken through every
step of the immigration process by
Telfed,
from
opening
bank
accounts, arranging medical aid,
getting a cell phone and Internet
contracts, getting our ID documents, etc, within the first two days
of being in Israel and that was without having to leave the hotel we
were staying in. In my opinion that
was a huge help.
I am now living in Be’er Sheva
which is about 100 km south of
Jerusalem, along with a few other
South Africans. When I arrived in
Be’er Sheva I was contacted almost
immediately by the Telfed representative, who introduced himself,
asked how everything was going, if
I was happy and if there was any-
an organisation dedicated to commemorating the
memory of the Holocaust victims.
Of course, a case could be made that the matter
should have been handled quietly behind the scenes,
but I believe the Holocaust Centre trustees have sidestepped the issue up until now.
So, unpleasant as it is – having to publically expose
a perceived untouchable “paragon of virtue” who
some call a “modern saint” – perhaps some good will
come out of the petition in that the Holocaust Centre
has now been forced to take the matter up with Tutu
and Tutu is getting some comeuppance for his
remarks and actions.
Hopefully, the Holocaust Centres will take into
account not only the petition, but also the statements
by Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein and Prof Alan
Dershowitz.
David Abel
George
S AFRICANS MUST USE FREEDOM OF SPEECH WHILE THEY STILL CAN
I WOULD like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Susan Tucker for enabling me to follow in the
footsteps of two great men.
Zev Jabotinsky travelled around Poland during the
late ‘30s urging the Jews to leave the country and emigrate to Israel. As a reward for his efforts he was
viciously excoriated by the Jewish establishment there.
In fact, shortly before his death in 1940, they were still
blaming him for the plight of the Jews in Poland,
instead of the Nazis.
Arthur Suzman QC (a member of the Jewish Board
of Deputies during the ‘70s) did not actually tell the
Jews to leave South Africa - he told them to make their
children exportable. He was excoriated by none other
than Balthazar John Vorster, who was prime minister
at the time.
With regard to the allegation of bias, I have to inform
Ms Tucker that all political speech is by its very nature
biased. You do not see the Democratic Party extolling
the great virtues of the ANC. Fairness and balance is
achieved by giving both parties equal time and opportunity to present their views.
The opposing view to Caroline Glick’s and my own,
has been in the public domain for more than 20 years. It
has been aggressively marketed by the Board of
Deputies throughout this period and has even been rig-
orously preached from the pulpit, originally by
Rabbis (Cyril) Harris and (Yossy) Goldman and subsequently by many others.
That view has had at least 10 times more exposure
than my own and anyone who has been reading the
SA Jewish Report is fully aware of it.
The intelligent person reads both views carefully,
checks the veracity of the points raised, then makes
an educated decision based on the balance of probabilities as to which scenario is most likely to occur.
The bigot on the other hand, can not tolerate the
mere existence of a different opinion to his own, so he
starts screaming and shouting, hoping to intimidate
the opinion holder into changing his mind.
Ms Tucker’s claim that criticism of South Africa
amounts to anti-Semitism is pure outright nonsense,
but if it makes her happy to say things like this, she is
most welcome.
I am a firm believer in freedom of speech USA
style, so Ms Tucker can say whatever she wants to. In
fact, I would advise all S Africans to use their freedom
of speech rights quickly, before the ANC decides to
curtail that as you saw with the proposed Press bill.
Irwin Gutkin
Jerusalem
FOND (REFORM) MEMORIES OF BAAL SHEM TOV SHUL
I’VE BEEN following the saga of the Baal Shem Tov
Shul in Orange Grove with interest and sadness.
The house in question is a lovely little shul, with a
lot of care evident in the artwork, stone decorations
and mechitza.
I was fortunate to attend a few services there in
2010, and although I am a Reform Jew by choice, I
was never made to feel unaccepted or inferior. It is
not often that one can cross the Reform/Orthodox
divide in South Africa with dignity and peace.
The shul is just two blocks away from where I currently live, but I drove there on Friday evenings
because as a single woman I didn’t feel I would be
safe on the return walk.
There is one particular house in between me and
the shul which is problematic in this otherwise very
peaceful neighbourhood. It’s ironic that this house
continues to operate unhindered, while the peaceful
little Besht shul is being closed down. The lack of
safety for me as a woman walking alone at night,
was a major factor in my driving to shul, but Ms
Christine Walters wouldn’t want my car parked outside her house!
Rabbi Michal’s sermons were always insightful
and inspiring, and I loved hearing Hebrew in the
Ashkenazi style. I only stopped attending the Besht
Shul because the tensions between Reform and
Orthodoxy had escalated to a point where I felt I had
to align myself with one side or the other.
If it weren’t for that, I’d still be attending both the
Besht and Reform Shuls on alternate weeks. I believe
that in Israel you can do that sort of thing, but here in
South Africa it’s difficult and painful to cross those
lines. So it was with sadness that I decided to distance
myself from the Besht Shul.
Orthodox rabbis refuse to address Reform rabbis by
their title, and as a congregant in a shul where Rabbi
Jacobs is much loved and highly respected, I found
this unacceptable. Naturally it was not Rabbi Michal
who stooped to such pettiness, but still, his congregation is Orthodox.
I anticipated that at some point down the line I
would get myself into trouble for not playing the sectarian game. It was best to leave things on the wonderful, harmonious note I had experienced up until then.
I wept over my decision, and I have been even more
saddened to hear of the troubles of the Besht Shul.
Sue Randall
Orange Grove, Johannesburg
PEACE PRIZE FUNCTION: SHAME ON YOU BAN AND PILLAY
THE NOBEL Peace Prize awarded last month, has
aroused much controversy - all for the wrong reasons.
This year’s recipient, imprisoned Chinese dissident
Liu Xiaobo, one of millions Chinese citizens denied
basic guarantees of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, was forced to receive his prize in
absentia (as he and his closest family were not
allowed to leave China) but also absent from the prizegiving ceremony were UN Human Rights
Commissioner Navi Pillay as well as UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon.
For two such high profile bastions of human rights
not to attend this ceremony, must speak volumes for
their commitment to such a noble (excuse the pun)
cause. However, one can but only speculate what the
reasons were and one doesn’t need much of an imagination to come up with the answer.
More astonishing is that SA, a country boasting
some of the highest number of this prize-winners in
history, only condescended at the last minute to
attend the ceremony but refused to congratulate Liu
Xiaobo - again let your imagination run wild!
Pillay, one of the members of the infamous
Goldstone Commission into Operation Cast Lead in
Gaza, could find not even one day to devote to the prizegiving, but some weeks were taken out of her very
busy schedule for the workings of the Goldstone
Commission Yet, alas, she could not spare a single day
to attend a ceremony that had such immense implications for the cause that she is charged to defend.
Her boss should hang his head in shame for his
actions, as should SA for its refusal to congratulate this
worthy recipient. Most conspicuous by its absence
from the ceremony was non other than the Palestinian
Authority. Yet has Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter,
Mary Robinson et al, murmured just one faint criticism of the Palestinian stay-away (let’s not forget who
from this body was a previous recipient of this prize).
Oh but what a politically correct world we live in
where China has occupied Tibet for almost 50 years,
not to mention its abysmal human rights record and
these great defenders and institutions of human rights
are too afraid to criticise the mighty.
Allan Wolman
Rosebank, Johannesburg
thing he could help me with.
He insisted that I’d join him and
his family for Shabbat dinner,
which I did, and we are still in contact with each other at least once a
week. And whenever I have needed
help or advice, he is more than
happy to give it
By the way, the other South
Africans living in Be’er Sheva have
also had the same phone call, invitation, and help from the Telfed
representative here.
Telfed has people working for it
to help olim chadashim with all
aspects of life in Israel, from work,
accommodation, financial advice,
counselling, etc, the list goes on.
When asking immigrants from
other countries what support
base or organization they have, to
help them get an easy start in a
tough country, you would be
shocked to hear how many say
that they don’t have any support
base whatsoever!
South Africans living in Israel,
regardless how long they have
been living here, are blessed to
have Telfed here helping whenever
help is needed. To say that Telfed is
not helpful, is simply not true!
Quentin Queit
Ye’elim Absorption Centre
Be’er Sheva
LESLIE HARRIS ENCOURAGES A MORE OPEN DEBATE
I WOULD like to comment on your
article dated December 3 2010 by
Leslie Harris, regarding the Baal
Shem Tov Shul in Orange Grove,
Johannesburg.
Firstly, I would like to say good
Yomtov to him as he encouraged
me to write my letter earlier than I
intended, regarding this matter.
The Jewish people who are supposed to be linguists, should be
able to stand up and answer to any
anti-Semitic comments made
undercover or any criticism of
Israel which carry incorrect information.
The Baal Shem Tov Shul has
been operating for 16 years and if
there is any underlying reason for
Ms Christine Walters wanting to
close the shul down, then, the
community must leave no stone
unturned to unearth the truth.
Harris’ article encouraged me
to say that a more open forum
should be established within the
Jewish community to comment
on many subjects which bother
the general community as a whole
and they should not be side
tracked by anyone.
Noreen Olshewsky
Cape Town
SA HAS TERRIBLE UN VOTING RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS
IT’S QUITE evident that the ANC
and its alliance partners actively
support Palestinian-based and Al
Qaida-sponsored terrorism against
Israel and that they further support
boycotts against Israel.
Columnist Michael Gerson of the
Washington Post says: “South Africa
(the ANC) has actively blocked
United Nations discussions about
human rights abuses in Zimbabwe
and in Belarus, Cuba, North Korea
and Uzbekistan.
“South Africa was the only real
democracy to vote against a resolution demanding that the Burmese
junta stop ethnic cleansing and free
jailed dissident Aung San Suu Kyi.
When Iranian nuclear proliferation
was debated in the Security Council,
South Africa dragged out discussions and demanded watered-down
language in the resolution.
South Africa opposed a resolution
condemning rape and attacks on
civilians in Darfur - and rolled out
the red carpet for a visit from
Sudan’s genocidal leader. In the
General Assembly, South Africa
fought against a resolution condemning the use of rape as a weapon
of war, because the resolution was
not sufficiently anti-American.
When confronted by international
human rights organisations such as
Human Rights Watch about their
apparent indifference to all rights
but their own, South African officials responded by attacking the
groups themselves - which, they conspiratorially (and falsely) claim, are
funded by “major Western powers”.
Gerson continues: “Whatever the
reasons, South Africa increasingly
requires a new foreign policy category: the rogue democracy. Along with
China and Russia, South Africa
makes the United Nations impotent.
“Along with Saudi Arabia and
Sudan, it undermines the global
human rights movement. South
Africa remains an example of freedom - while devaluing and undermining the freedom of others. It is
the product of a conscience it does
not display. So far, South Africa - of
all places - sides with the despots.”
The scenario is well-known: a
democratic sovereign country, no
larger than Kruger Park, is surrounded by states actively calling
for its elimination, is frequently
showered by rockets and is continually on the defence against suicide
bombers.
Its neighbours are intolerant and
bigoted, and they’re at the forefront
of this terrorism, a campaign of violent terror that stretches from the
Far East, through Eastern and
Central Europe, to the United States
and whose random targets include
innocent women and children.
Yet, with such overwhelming evidence that our country is being
ruled by a government sympathetic
to this global jihad, this begs the
question: Why do our community
leaders find it necessary to “engage”
with people with such a despicable
agenda? Would it not be more pertinent to actively condemn this support?
Mark Wade
Johannesburg
21 - 28 January 2011
SA JEWISH REPORT
LETTERS
The Editor, Suite 175, Postnet X10039, Randburg, 2125 email: [email protected]
COMMUNITY COLUMNS
BAAL SHEM TOV SHUL: BOARD’S RESPONSE DISMALLY INADEQUATE
JOHANNESBURG’S Jewish community is rocked by a petty government official’s attack on a small synagogue opposite her home.
Christine Walters drives her attack…
but does not reckon on the community’s resolve to defend its synagogue.
The “Chosen People” no longer helplessly watch their temples fall.
We observe a historical turning
point. Directly or indirectly, the community has learned from the past. The
people stand together to defend their
Temple.
So staunch is the resistance that key
participants in the attack are stunned.
In the face of such voracious defence,
they quickly change tack. Pro-shul
flags suddenly fly up their flagpoles.
The community closes ranks and
stands united behind the shul.
Yet a shoot of opposition emerges
from deep within. This time it is
not the odd disaffected Jew trying to
buy approval by “proving” themselves cured of their embarrassing
Jewishness.
Not this time. This time, it is no less
than the SAJBD.
The Board assumes the role of
spokes-entity for the community, and
goes on to point an accusing finger at
the shul. This shul, pronounces the
Board, is making trouble. The shul is
contravening procedures.
All that is needed is a revision of
compliance measures. Then all the
problems will go away.
In the public arena, the Board publicises its findings: “There is no assault
on the shul. The problem arose only
because the shul failed to follow the
Board’s advice in the first place.”
Congregants’ tempers flare at pronouncements that the Board “has
found no evidence” of anti-Semitism
(nobody from the Board has actually
visited the shul).
The Board goes on to dispense
advice: Turn the other cheek. Send the
aggressor flowers. “Be the bigger
man.” (And have a bigger coffin
handy.) All the strategies that failed so
spectacularly in 1933-‘45.
Calamitous policy failures of which
the community is so acutely aware,
and the Board so determinedly ignorant.
An irate community contemptuously dismisses the Board’s “procedural
issue” argument.
Congregants who were nearly
rammed by a car driven by the aggressor’s allies, seethe. And congregants at
whom the aggressor hissed “child
killer”, despair at the Board’s denial.
Had the Board members visited the
shul to see for themselves, they could
have placed themselves in some distinguished company - Chief Rabbi Warren
Goldstein, to name one; Rabbis
Abrahams and Frankel, among others.
The Board opts to persist with its
“merely procedural issues” insistence,
ignoring the fact that since the resolving of the parking issue - ostensibly the
main complaint - the attacks on the
shul have not abated.
The congregants of the Baal Shem
Tov Shul repeat the call upon the Board
to visit the shul and see the situation at
first hand before making any further
public pronouncements.
A former South African president
famously said of Mugabe’s Zimbabwe:
“Crisis? What crisis?”
But the community will not allow
anyone to say of an attack on a Jewish
temple of worship: “Crisis? What crisis?”
Stanley Luntz
Observatory, Johannesburg
DON’T BADMOUTH SA EXPATS FOR DISLOYALTY
I THINK Susan Tucker (SAJR letters
January 14) has totally misread Irwin
Gutkin’s letter which I don’t believe
was an attempt to berate South
African Jewry, but was merely alluding to that “South Africa is the most
virulently anti-Israel of all the countries who have substantive Jewish
populations”.
Personally, I find her innuendo that
expats wish “bad things” for South
Africa or South Africans, reprehensible. Many of us (expats) living outside
South Africa, still have family and
friends within the country and certainly do not treat South Africa with
“utter contempt”.
Yes, of course many of us miss
“home” and that’s the reason why so
many journey back to South Africa
when they can. Instead of the pillory,
a retraction of her disparaging
remarks to “people like Gutkin” et al,
would be in order.
Barry Bloch
Toronto, Canada
SA DIFFERS WIDELY FROM GENERAL-HELD PERCEPTIONS
WHILE I was preparing to travel to
South Africa for the first time earlier
this year, I heard a common question
from concerned friends: “Is it safe
there?” “Are you scared?” “Is the country anti-Semitic?”
The concern was understandable.
Here in the United States, where most
people have not followed news of your
country since the immediate years after
the end of apartheid in 1994, we still
have a vision of a nation under siege, of
marauding gangs, of black dislike of
Jews.
The country is not like that, I assured
my friends before I left. I had read the
latest reports, and was sure that conditions had changed in the last decade,
that I needn’t fear for my life.
After nine wonderful days in South
Africa, I can offer those assurances,
first-hand, with more conviction.
I have read the critical books and
heard the critical statements about the
direction that South Africa is taking;
I’m aware of the unabated corruption,
of the still-too-high crime rate, of the
barbed-wire gates that surround every
home I saw in Cape Town and
Johannesburg.
As a journalist, I wrote about the
anti-Israel animus that colours part of
the Jewish community’s dealings with
the government and the media.
I also saw the good works that members of the Jewish community - often
prominently identified as “Jewish”
South Africans - are doing for the people who are still carrying the legacy of
apartheid’s hateful policies.
But I came away, on balance, very
impressed by your society, by how
whites and blacks, Jews and
Christians and Muslims, are working
together for the common good.
Despite the words of other visiting
journalists who saw the walls collapsing on the Jewish community, who
saw imminent danger there and
advised South African Jews to leave as
LIKE A LAMB WALKING TO AUSCHWITZ...
THE COMMENTS from The UN’s
Goldstone Report, question Israel’s
right to self-defence. Mr Justice
Richard Goldstone’ is walking like
a lamb to another Auschwitz.
Mario Rocha Pires
Bedfordview
FACTS CONTRADICT ANDREWS ON CHRISTIAN BURIAL
I REFER to the letter by Eddie
Andrews challenging my claim
that within the Christian faith it is
an honour for the dead to be
buried within the confines of the
church (or in the catacombs lying
beneath it, or the garden adjacent
to it).
“The bodies of Christians were
long held to be holy relics meriting burial within the confines of
the church itself. Mediaeval
Christians preferred their bodies
to remain near the saints or the
altar.
“In England and Europe,
corpses were typically buried
under the church floor... When
burial within the church became
physically impossible (due to
space and health considerations,
for instance smell, transmission
of disease, etc), parishioners had
to be content with graves in the
Churchyard. . .” (The Corpse: A
History by Christine Quigley,
pages 91-92.
As a former devout Roman
Catholic, surely Mr Andrews
must realise that most deceased
Popes, including most recently,
John Paul II, have been buried in
the Tomb of the Popes, located in
the catacombs under St Peter’s
Basilica.
Robert Sussman
Johannesburg
HIRSCH ICHILCHECK, THE FATHER OF BANDLEADER DAN HILL
YOUR ARTICLE on Sarah
Aaronson refers.
As a matter of interest, Sarah’s
music teacher, Hirsch Ichilcheck,
was the father of Dan Hill, the
well-known band leader and
musical director of Gallo Africa.
Harry Epstein
Port Elizabeth
soon as possible, I did not sense
impending doom among any of the
many Jews, prominent and regular
members of the community, whom I
met.
Unless every South African Jew I
spoke with was numbingly naïve and
wore intellectual blinders, the community is not sitting on its suitcases - and
need not.
Today, when my friends ask me:
“How was South Africa?” I have nothing but warm stories and favourable
impressions to tell them. I felt as safe, I
say, as in any US city where one knows
where and when to wander around.
I was not scared, even walking in
townships. I did not feel threatened as
a kippa-wearing Jew.
South Africa, I tell my friends, is a
wonderful place to travel.
Steve Lipman
Staff writer
The Jewish Week, New York
ABOVE BOARD
Zev Krengel,
National Chairman
A column of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies
Activist hot air will
not deter the Board
AS ANTICIPATED, local anti-Israel activists
responded to the then imminent visit of Tzipi Livni
- now, unfortunately, postponed due to the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Union strike in Israel - by playing
the “lawfare” card, noisily declaring their intention
of having her arrested as a “war criminal” on her
arrival in South Africa.
Such misuse of the principles of international
law has unfortunately become a standard tactic by
such lobbies, not just locally, but overseas as well.
On being approached for comment by the media, we
roundly dismissed the call as hot air and petty political gamesmanship. We further stressed Livni’s
impressive credentials as a political leader who has
been at the forefront of peacemaking efforts in the
Middle East over the past few years and questioned
the motives of those seeking to silence her.
I elaborated on the Board’s stance when interviewed by ChaiFM earlier this week. Firstly, I
stressed the importance of the visit from the point
of view of our Jewish community, noting Livni’s
standing as a well-respected, experienced and very
senior Israeli leader. I then went on to denounce the
attempts to keep her away through threats and
intimidation.
Anti-Livni activists had every right to speak out
against the visit if they chose, but they were going
beyond this, using ill-founded legal scare tactics to
try to shut down debate altogether.
This went directly against the ethos of South
Africa, which was a society where there is an openness towards hearing, and debating, a range of
viewpoints. Moreover, it was also out of synch with
what was happening in the Middle East itself. Livni
was meeting on a constant basis with Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, not to mention with other important Arab leaders in the
region.
Among other things, she had recently become the
first senior Israeli leader to officially visit Qatar. If
even states traditionally hostile to Israel were willing to meet with her, why should South Africa shut
her out?
In the end, for all the noise they made, the radical
anti-Israel lobby did not succeed in preventing the
Livni visit from taking place. Ironically, it was a dispute within the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
itself that brought this about in the end.
Nevertheless, we remain committed to bringing
Ms. Livni to this country as soon as circumstances
permit.
This column is paid for by the SAJBD
11
12
SA JEWISH REPORT
21 - 28 January 2011
YOUTH TALK
Alison Goldberg [email protected]
YC young still good What the two brightest
at check mate
Jewish kids intend to do
OWN CORRESPONDENT
PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED
ALISON GOLDBERG
THE SENIOR chess team of Yeshiva College in Johannesburg placed
second in the 2010 Gauteng Chess League, the premier league in the
province.
This is the same competition Yeshiva College won in 2009 “and we are
very proud that we were able to maintain a level of excellence in 2010
through the change of players.
“We hope to maintain our dominance into 2011 and beyond.”
Back: Joshua Bloom; Ariel Bartkunsky; Yair Nochumson; Batya Kahn;
and Asher Levin. Front: Liat Shear; Aaron Shrock; Saul Black; and
Gabriel Riesenburg.
An extra distinction for
Yaakov, Nechama, Adam
YAAKOV HODES and Nechama Carno got four distinctions in Torah
Academy’s 2010 matric results and not three as stated in the matric supplement. The results were supplied by the school.
Hodes got distinctions in English, Maths Literacy, Life Orientation and
History; Carno in English, Maths Literacy, Life Orientation and History.
Adam Maserow from St John’s College achieved seven distinctions,
not six as stated in the matric supplement. He got distinctions in English,
Maths, Maths Paper 3, Ad Maths, Art, Science and Life Orientation.
Hirsch Lyons School wrote the IEB and not the NSC examination.
IN THE playout of matric results since early January,
two Jewish learners in South Africa achieved an astonishing nine distinctions each.
The first of these was in the Western Cape: Herzlia’s
Kyle Levin placed 11th among the top 20 matriculants
in the province, with an average of 93,5 per cent.
He received two prestigious awards at the Western
Cape Education Department’s awards ceremony held
at the Premier’s Leeuwenhof residence. He was also
named one of the top 10 outstanding mathematics
pupils in the Western Cape.
This award is given for exceptional performance in
mathematics – for which Kyle attained 100 per cent.
Over and above his seven distinctions for matric English, Afrikaans, Maths, Life Orientation, Information Technology, Physical Science and Economics,
Kyle achieved distinctions in Advanced Programme
Maths and Maths Paper 3, thus achieving nine distinctions in total.
Kyle is planning to study Computer Engineering at
UCT, a four year course. The university has granted
him a R12 000 scholarship and he has received a R5 000
prize from the Western Cape Education Department.
Honours achieved at school in matric were numerous. In the Computer Olympiad he was placed first
among the grade 12 entrants; he achieved academic
internal honours; and gold externally in the De Beers’
English Olympiad.
He furthermore received the Yach Award for the top
academic student at Herzlia and a UCT 2010 merit
award in maths (the university holds a Maths Olympiad
every year). At school, there were also the
F Lamm Prize for Economics, the Arthur Kaplan
Award for IT and the Subject Prize for Advanced Maths.
In addition he won the Rossouw Van Zyl Memorial
Trophy, a shared award for marks attained across the
board between December 2009 and April 2010. In the
National Science Olympiad he was placed 13 out of
20 000 participants.
Finally, he also received the David Miller Prize for
Maths, a shared award, and another shared award in
matric, namely the Rachel Goldschmidt Cup for
Debating. Though Kyle swims and plays tennis, his
focus is on academics.
In Gauteng, King David High School Linksfield
matriculant Caylen Cane achieved his nine distinctions in Accounting, Afrikaans, English, Hebrew, Life
Orientation, Maths, Maths Paper 3, Physical Science
and Advanced Programme Maths.
He is planning to study actuarial science at the
University of the Witwatersand and has been accepted
at every faculty that he applied to – he wasn’t initially
sure in 2010 what he was going to study. He will begin
with a B Sc degree, graduating into actuarial science.
He is also keen to do an honours degree afterwards.
The university has granted him a R24 000 bursary.
Caylen was the only learner at KDHL who achieved
five academic badges throughout his high school
career. In matric he received two cups, one for maths,
where he achieved 97 per cent and another for Hebrew
where he got 88 per cent.
He was also acknowledged for his 11 handicap golf
ability and received colours for it, along with a white
blazer for academic honours (only five pupils at KDHL
won these blazers).
A son of a single parent, Caylen from the age of 16
worked on weekends and every school holiday to earn
extra money, even though exams were around the corner.
He takes a keen interest in the stock market and is
very much au fait with the day-to-day buying and selling of numerous shares – one of the reasons he wants to
study actuarial science. He started investing whatever
spare change he had in the market from the age of 15.
Kyle Levin.
Caylen Cane.
Rapper’s message will spread into general consciousness
ROBYN SASSEN
IN THE wake of the devastating
Carmel forest fire last December,
Israeli rapper Shai Haddad, also
known as SHI360 wrote a song,
“Hopeful” in which he speaks of
his childhood bond with the forest
and the sense of trauma he experienced in seeing it up in flames.
But this is not just a simple song.
The message it has will spread into
general consciousness and open
pockets via the Israeli advocacy
company Nu Campaign.
Of Moroccan parentage, Haddad
was born and raised in Haifa, but
emigrated with his family to
Canada at the age of 10, returning
to Israel in the late 1990s on a
Birthright trip, which seduced him
into making aliyah.
In collaboration with Nu
Campaign, SHI360 is bringing hope
for the destroyed Carmel forest,
through a video and a T-shirt.
The fire consumed much of the
Mediterranean forest covering the
region, claimed 44 lives, and
destroyed countless pieces of property. It was the worst forest fire in
Israeli history.
According to Nu Campaign,
“Officials say it could take dozens of
years to rehabilitate the area.
Nu campaign is also partnering
the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in
this mission. Fifty per cent of each
T-shirt sold (they cost $19 via
www.nucampaign.org) goes to the
JNF. The remainder goes to growing
this campaign so focused on making
the world sit up and be aware of
Israeli realities.
At its inception in 2009, South
African-born Israeli educator David
Kramer, instrumental in developing
Nu Campaign, described the T-shirts
as “fashion items, fundraisers and
spokesperson creators”.
They are designed, marketed and
worn telling Israeli stories (designs
are printed on the front of the
T-shirt and the back story of each
issue is printed inside, close to the
wearer’s heart).
Printed on forest green, this
T-shirt’s design features the word
“hope” - “Tikvah” in Hebrew. “It
expresses not only our strong desire
for the rebuilding of the Carmel,”
says Kramer, “but as a message to
family and friends of the victims,
commemorating their bravery.”
The campaign has thus far been
extremely successful. “We have
been
overwhelmed
by
the
response,” Kramer said. “Beyond
selling the T-shirts online, we have
presented the campaign to thou-
AROUND THE WORLD
NEWS IN BRIEF
RABBINIC GROUP REJECTS PROPOSAL TO ADMIT WOMEN
NEW YORK - A liberal
Orthodox rabbinic fellowship
in the United States has voted
down a proposal to admit
women members.
The International Rabbinic
Fellowship,
founded
by
Rabbis Avi Weiss and Marc
Angel of New York,, voted
down by what is being called
"a close vote" a proposal to
admit women as full or limited members, The New York
Jewish Week reported.
The December 20 vote came
after what the president of
the
organisation,
Rabbi
Barry Gelman of Houston,
told The Jewish Week was a
“wonderfully healthy and
passionate discussion.”
The three-year-old IRF,
which has 140 member rabbis, is considered the most
liberal Orthodox Jewish rabbinic organisation in the
United States.
Weiss has been pushing for
increased synagogue roles
for women, trained a woman
as a rabbi - Rabba Sara
Hurwitz -- and gave her a rabbinic role in his Hebrew
Institute of Riverdale amid
great controversy in January
2010. (JTA)
Israeli rap artist SHI360, bearing
a gag labelled “Kulam Rotsim
Ha’Emeth” (Everyone wants the
truth). (PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY
HACHIBUR.BLOGSPOT.COM)
sands of incoming students in
Israel. By the end of February,” he
predicts, “we will have met 5 000
young Jewish adults from abroad.”
RECORD NUMBERS VISIT
AUSCHWITZ
WARSAW - The Auschwitz-Birkenau
death camp attracted a record number
of visitors in 2010.
Some 1,38 million people visited the
site in southern Poland, up from 1,3
million in 2009, the Auschwitz memorial museum announced last week.
More than half a million Poles visited the site, as well as some 84 000
British citizens, 74 000 Italians, 68 000
Germans and 63 000 French nationals,
according to a statement released by
the museum. About 59 000 Israeli visitors came to the site.
Some 850 000 of the visitors ranged
from schoolchildren to university students.
About one million Jews were killed
in Auschwitz during the Holocaust.
(JTA)
21 - 28 January 2011
SA JEWISH REPORT
SOCIAL SCENE
Rita Lewis [email protected]
A group of
“performers” wearing blue
MaAfrika
Tikkun
shirts
enjoying
their party.
Organisers
and volunteers from
WIZO
together
with Wits
students
and visitors,
gather for a
photograph.
Right: Franc
Nxumalo
holds a
rabbit.
WIZO brings joy to the
hearts of needy kids
RITA LEWIS
THE IDEA of what children from poor or
deprived homes need, depends on the perspective you are looking from. However,
everyone – especially the WIZO women –
know that all kids love presents, sweets, cookies, cold drinks and the like at all times.
And so, every year WIZO women sponsor
and organise a Christmas party second to
none for MaAfrika Tikkun’s Temple Israel
Pre-School in Hillbrow.
The WIZO team persuaded someone to
dress up as Father Christmas to give out presents to each of the more than 100 children
present. They also supplied a petting zoo with
animals, rides etc, as well as, of course, plenty of snacks, presents and games.
The children look forward to this party
from around November each year and will no
doubt remember the 2010 party for the rest of
their lives.
Under the direction of Joyce Chodos and
her team, much time is spent begging and
borrowing to get gifts, sweets and the like to
make up into packets for the children to take
home.
Most gifts were, however, opened before the
party ended and toys, the contents of lucky
packets were played with or eaten by the time
the cleaners came in to clear up the myriad
wrappings, used crackers, gift wrap etc, that
covered the floor.
Even “Father Christmas” had fun, chatting
to the kids, many of whom didn’t really
understand a word he was saying but had
their little eyes glued to the sack of toys
waiting to be opened.
Even for the sheep and goats brought in
for the occasion, the end of the year is special, as they feel the children’s excitement
(and fear) as they try to pet them.
They, together with the donkey who
patiently walked around the quadrangle
with various kids on its back, knew that
there was a mound of food waiting to be
eaten at the end of the day.
Looking at the smiling, satisfied faces of
the WIZO women, it was hard to see who was
enjoying themselves more - the 20 or so
women and volunteers “kleibing nachas” or
the 100 children being spoilt.
One thing the WIZO women and MaAfrika
Tikkun know and that is the adage that “satisfaction is in the giving”.
Left: Organiser of the
event, Joyce
Chodos with
one of the
visitors.
“Who needs a car?” Anthony Mazumbula
seems to be thinking as he enjoys a ride
on a pony.
Macloud Ndlovu
keeps his distance from the
lamb he is feeding, watched by
Reabetswe
Tshinyege;
Sindiso Muige;
Rethabile
Kamnyane; and
Siphamandla
Ndlovu.
Chevrah Kadisha offers
group work programmes
THE CHEVRAH Kadisha is offering
a range of group work programmes
throughout 2011, aimed at community members who may benefit
from support, information and/or
skills in certain areas of their lives.
In a media release the Chev says
the first of these programmes is an
eight week structured group on
parenting skills - for single parents
of teenagers. It runs from Sunday
January 23 to Sunday March 13.
JEAN BERNSTEIN who died
recently at the age of 90, embraced
the spirit of the Union of Jewish
Women as few other people have
done. During her association with
the organisation she worked in
every section with both competence and modesty.
It was the need to help others
and to right the wrong of the systems existing in South Africa
through the past years that was
the focus of her life.
She was an active member of the
Black Sash throughout the
apartheid years and spent much
time assisting and advising victims of the pass laws which separated children, parents and families throughout South Africa.
As Jean was not content to
spend time just listening to lectures, preferring to be active helping the progress of others’ lives,
she started the Centre of Concern
for disadvantaged women of the
neighbourhood. This offered literacy classes plus a programme
which included instructions for a
thorough knowledge of knitting,
sewing and cooking.
Moving on from this, with the
help of Shirley Ancer and Lorna
Woolf, Bernstein started the
Riverlea Coloured Women’s Club
which aimed at getting uneducated women out of their houses to
attend lectures, see films and discuss the topics of the day with
members of the UJW.
The disadvantaged women loved
the opportunities given them and
attended the following AGM of the
UJW – and did so for many years
afterwards.
It was not Bernstein’s intention
to patronise these women, but to
make them independent. She
therefore suggested that they run
the club themselves and if they
needed speakers or films etc, the
UJW would supply them.
Volunteer Ryan with one of the children.
Bulisani
Siyamthanda;
Sean Moyo;
Felicity
Mncube; and
Masechaba
Masoga,
enjoy the animals in the
crate,
watched by a
volunteer.
“Plotting a course through the
seemingly unmanageable terrains
of adolescence with your child, can
be a daunting task, particularly for
a single parent who often feels
quite alone. This eight week
course, facilitated by a social worker, offers a chance for parents to get
together to learn, share, grow and
provide support to each another.”
Contact the Chevrah Kadisha for
more details.
Jean really embraced the spirit of the UJW
RITA LEWIS
13
Jean Bernstein
who passed
away recently
after a lifetime
of helping
others.
As a result of this opportunity,
they became totally self-reliant
and said so at the following
AGM of the Adult Education
Department.
On a personal level, Bernstein
devoted her time to looking after
her sick husband for the last five
years. He was over 90 when he
died.
During her lifetime she had a
lively interest in everything
around her and lived a life filled
with energy, humour and courage.
She leaves three children, a
daughter Ann and two sons: Eric
in South Africa and Richard in the
UK. There are also three grandchildren.
14
SA JEWISH REPORT
21 - 28 January 2011
WHAT’S ON
• HOD - Hebrew Order of David International, HOD Centre Oaklands Road,
Orchards. Office, (011) 640 3017 or [email protected]
• JAFFA - Jewish Accommodation for Fellow Aged, tel (012) 346-2007/8, 42
Mackie St, Bailey’s Muckleneuck.
• Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre (JHGC), tel (011) 640-3100,
e-mail: [email protected]
• KDSF - King David Schools’ Foundation. King David Alumni
[email protected], (011) 480-4723.
• Nechama Bereavement Counselling Centre - Room A304, 3rd Floor,
Hospital Wing, Sandringham Gardens, 85 George Ave, Sandringham.
Contact (011) 640-1322.
• New Friendship Ladies’ Group - a group for single women. Contact Lucille
(011) 791-5226 or 082-927-5786.
• ORT and ORT JET South Africa - 44 Central Street, Cnr 10th Ave,
Houghton, contact (011) 728-7154.
• Preview Theatre - 9 Valerie Crescent, Bagleyston, (011) 640-1061.
• Rabbi Cyril Harris Community Centre (RCHCC) and Great Park Shul, Jhb.
Contact Hazel, (011) 728-8088 or Rene Sidley (011) 728-8378. Cost usually R50, including refreshments.
• SAIJE - Sandton Adult Institute of Jewish Education, Sandton Shul, e-mail:
ORGANISATIONS, VENUES, CONTACT DETAILS, COST
• Beit Emanuel Progressive Synagogue, 38 Oxford Road, Parktown.
• JJRC - Johannesburg Jewish Resource Centre (Formerly Beyachad
Resource Centre/Library), 2 Elray St, Raedene. Norma Shulman, (011)
645-2567, e-mail: [email protected]
• Bikkur Cholim - Jewish Society for Visiting the Sick, 7A Chester Road,
Greenside East, Jhb. Joy Gafin (011) 447-6689.
• CAJE - College of Adult Jewish Education, Sydenham Highlands North
Shul, (011) 640-5021.
• CARE (Chabad Addiction Rehabilitation Centre) Cell: 079-882-6776.Fax:
086 551 4485, e-mail: [email protected], hotline: 0861 111 770.
• CSO - Emergency phone number 086 18 000 18.
• ELBM - Emunah Ladies Beit Midrash, 60 Mejon St Glenhazel, (011) 8872910. “Lessons of our Lives” course on Wednesdays at 10:00. R350 for
the course or R50 per shiur.
• FFHS - Friendship Forum for Holocaust Survivors, Second Generation
and Members of the Community Affected by the Holocaust.
Presentations held at the Gerald Horwitz Lounge, Golden Acres, 85
George Ave, Sandringham.
NOTE: Deadline for all entries is 12:00 on the Friday
prior to publication.
lor, motivational speaker and psychologist Dr Gerrie
van Wyk, will talk on depression and ways of dealing with it. People with Parkinson’s Disease, their
families, friends and caregivers are welcome.
Contact Rosemary Burke on (011) 640-3919 or
[email protected]
Today Friday (January 21)
• UZLC presents Benji Shulman of the JNF on “The
Environmental Issues of 2011”.
• CKCS Substance abusers support group. Contact
Tania Leibowitz on (011) 532 9719 for an
interview.
• Former headmasters of King David - Elliott and
Jeffrey Wolf are celebrating their 75th birthday. Send
a greeting online at www.kdsf.org. Contact Ronel on
(011) 480-4710 for more information.
Thursday (January 27)
Sunday (January 23)
• Isaac Reznik presents “Bobba’s Kitchen” - a Jewish
traditional dinner at the HOD Orchard Room at 19:00
for 19:30. Cost R200 including drinks and entertainment. Book on [email protected] or SMS to
083-463-9047.
• Second Innings presents Libbie du Toit and
Russel Stirling: “Concert on Violin and Guitar”.
Cost R50.
• CKCS Parenting Skills Group - for single parents of
teenagers. Contact Lara Noik on (011) 532-9793 to
arrange an interview.
Friday (January 28)
• JWBS book sale at Norwood Mall from 09:30.
• Preview Theatre presents a Glenn Miller double feature at 14:30 - “Orchestra Wives” and “Sun Valley
Serenade”.
Sunday (January 30)
• Second Innings presents David Fleminger on
“Pride Of Place – The World Heritage Sites of
South Africa”.
Wednesday (January 26)
• Balfour Park Parkinson’s Disease Support Group
meeting in the Boardroom, Randjes Estate,
Highlands North, at 10:00. Psychologist, counsel-
• Society of Israel Philately meeting at 10:00 in the
boardroom of the Waverley Synagogue. All welcome.
Sudoku Puzzle 25
Barry Bilewitz [email protected]
[email protected], tel (011) 883-4210.
• Second Innings, Jhb - Jewish Community Services - Donald Gordon
Centre, 85 George Ave Sandringham. At the Gerald Horwitz Lounge,
Golden Acres, every Sunday morning for tea at 10:00, followed by the
meeting at 10:30. Contact Grecia Gabriel (011) 532-9718. Cost: R20
members, R40 non-members.
• SA Friends of Beit Halochem: Beyachad, 2 Elray St,Raedene. Contact
Leanne tel (011) 645 2553, e-mail: [email protected]
• South African Jewish Board of Deputies (Johannesburg) - Beyachad, 2
Elray St, Raedene. Contact (011) 645-2500 or (011) 645-2523.
• SA Zionist Federation (SAZF), Johannesburg - Beyachad, 2 Elray St,
Raedene. Contact Froma, (011) 645-2505.
• Israel Centre. Contact Debbie (011) 645-2560.
• Jewish National Fund (JNF), Beyachad, 2 Elray St, Raedene. Contact
Crystal Kaplan, 083-376-5999.
• Jewish Outlook. Contact Ryan Cane, e-mail [email protected].
Support line: 27 76 215 8600, website www.jewishoutlook.org.za.
• Jewish Women’s Benevolent Society (JWBS) - Sandringham Gardens, 85
George Ave Sandringham. Contact Carolyn Sabbagh, (011) 485-5232.
• Simcha Friendship and Cultural Circle (SFCC), Johannesburg - Sandton
Shul. Contact Sylvia Shull, (011) 783-5600. Meetings on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd
Wednesday each month at Sandton Shul at 10:00 unless stated otherwise.
• United Sisterhood, 38 Oxford Rd Parktown. Contact Marian (011) 6462409. Website: www.unitedsisterhood.co.za.
• Tiyulim (Jewish Outdoor Club). Contact Martin 082-965-7419 or Greg
082-959-9026.
• Union of Jewish Women (UJW), Jhb, 1 Oak Street Houghton. Contact
(011) 648-1053, fax 086 273-3044. Cost R15 for the Friendship Luncheon
Club and a R20 donation for lectures unless otherwise stated.
• Union of Jewish Women (UJW), CT, (021) 434-9555, or e-mail info@ujw
cape.co.za
• UJW CT AED Programme at Stonehaven, Albany Road, Sea Point, 10:00
for 10:30. Entrance: R20 (incl refreshments).
• United Zionist Luncheon Club (UZLC), Jhb - Our Parents Home. Contact
Gloria, (011) 485-4851 or 072-127-9421.
• UOS - Union of Orthodox Synagogues, (011) 485-4865, e-mail:
[email protected], fax 086-610-3442.
• WIZO Jhb - Beyachad, 2 Elray St Raedene,e-mail: wizopublicrelations@bey
achad.co.za. Contact Joyce Chodos (011) 645-2548 or Sandy Kramer
(011) 645-2515.
Refreshments. Free entry. Contact M Daniels on 082385-9736.
Tuesday (February 1)
• UJW Johannesburg is having their UJW Linksfield
North Garden Meander from 10:30 – 17:00. Venue: 4
magnificent gardens in Linksfield. For more information tel (011) 648-1053.
• Preview Theatre presents a Glenn Miller double feature at 14:30 - “Orchestra Wives” and “Sun Valley
Serenade”.
Monday (January 31)
• UJW Johannesburg presents Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft
on “The Jews of Zimbabwe” at 09:30.
• UJW House & Garden Circle meeting at 09:30 sharp.
Contact office for details: (011) 648-1053.
4
1
5
8
7
6
8
1
2
8
6
6
4
2
7
3
6
7
7
4
* Answer to follow
with next puzzle
Note to readers: Our bridge
column and our Sudoku
puzzle alternate week by week.
9
5
Answer - Puzzle 24
7
• UJW Cape Town presents Tali Barnett on “Jews, News
& Views: A Discussion with the New Editor of the Cape
Jewish Chronicle”.
Sunday (February 6)
• Second Innings presents Gaye Turiel on “What is an
Addict? Could anyone be an Addict?”
Monday (February 7)
• UJW Johannesburg presents David Shapiro on
“Understanding the Global Economy” at 09:30.
• Morris Rutstein and SAZF Ulpan Course registration. Venue: Yeshiva College at 18:30. Every
Tuesday from February 1 to May 17 at Yeshiva
College. Time: 19:00 to 21:15. Enquiries: (011)
645-2531 (office hours).
• Second Innings Men’s Group presents Bernie Fanaroff
on “The Wonders of our Planet” at 14:15 for 14:30.
Venue: Our Parents Home.
Tuesday (February 8)
• CKCS Abused Men Support Group. Call Hylton Marks
on (011) 532-9726 for an interview.
BY LEAH SIMON
ACROSS:
1. Registry Office initially gives me capital (4)
3. Southern blow to some French as one slowly drags
one’s feet (8)
8. Hen produces songs (4)
9. In the drink find musical instrument (8)
11. What you’d find on a pig with wanderlust? (5, 7)
13. Contract to give medical attention to youth leader
(6)
14. Turn about in bath for inspiration (6)
17. Swine colludes with layer to
2
produce traditional breakfast 1
(5, 3, 4)
20. Ideas give scent to cop (8)
21. Encourage in four gestures (4)
22. Rate broken, but certain to find 8
highly prized item (8)
23. Modestly hides poems (4)
2
2
3
5
8
• SFCC presents the Japanese Ladies Choir.
CROSSWORD NO 194
1
9
Wednesday (February 2)
• UJW Cape Town’s Constantia Group will hold a
fundraising “Breakfast in a Rose Garden” in Sparrman
Street, Constantia. Entrance: R100. For enquiries:
083-446-2535. Time: 09:45 for 10:00.
(Hard, difficulty rating 0.61)
2
• UJW Johannesburg: Estelle Sher presents Mozart’s
Symphony No 36 (Linz). Venue: 301 Eton Place,
Kernick Avenue, Melrose North. Time: 09:45 – 12:00.
Donation: R30.
2
3
6
4
7
9
8
1
5
8
5
1
6
3
2
9
7
4
4
9
7
5
1
8
2
3
6
1
7
2
9
5
3
6
4
8
5
8
9
1
4
6
3
2
7
6
4
3
2
8
7
5
9
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3
1
4
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2
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7
6
9
9
2
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4
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5
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7
6
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9
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4
8
2
DOWN:
1 Reel around entrance and move
to position of importance (8)
2. Could find post – but with
strings attached (7)
4. ——— Swank, actress (7)
5. Top condition of bottom class (5,
5)
6. Clean, but upset by spear (5)
7. Satisfy overturned seat (4)
10. They’re pretty ruinous, in the
main (10)
12. Wishes PR could turn to
hushed voices (8)
15. Agreed about northerner, but
annoyed (7)
16. Not the French hill for the clergyman (6)
18. “——- Get Your Gun”, western
movie (5)
19. Break up cost of Glaswegian (4)
SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD NO 193
ACROSS: Gape; 3. Hathaway; 8. Aids; 9. Germanic;
11. Pillar to post; 13. Strict; 14. Postal; 17. Ghost writers; 20. Harriers; 21. Able; 22. Contessa; 23. Mews.
DOWN: 1. Goal post; 2. Peddler; 4. Alerts; 5.
Homophobic; 6. Wings; 7. Yack; 10. Lancashire; 12.
Blisters; 15. Tremble; 16. Twirls; 18. Heron; 19.
Chic.
3
6
5
4
7
9
10
11
12
15
14
13
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
21 - 28 January 2011
SA JEWISH REPORT 15
LIFTS
GENERAL
Classifieds
To book your classified notice or advert contact: Tel (011) 023-8160, Fax 086-634-7935, email: [email protected]
IMPORTANT NOTICE - THE JEWISH REPORT RUNS ADVERTS IN THE CLASSIFIED SECTION
IN GOOD FAITH, HOWEVER WE WOULD LIKE OUR READERS TO KNOW WE CANNOT BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QUALITY OF SERVICES OFFERED AND CLAIMS MADE.
HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED ADVERT: 1. Only adverts sent via email to [email protected] will be accepted.
2. You will be advised on cost & payment details. 3. Payment is prior to the advert appearing.
4. DEADLINE for BOOKING and PAYMENT is Tuesday 12pm. If deadline is missed the advert
will appear (when payment is received) in the next edition. Our banking details: SA Jewish Report,
Nedbank Randburg, Account Number: 1984 514 865, Branch Code: 198405
NOTICES
COMMUNITY NOTICES
NECHAMA
ORGANISATION
Will be offering a growth
and skills course in
bereavement starting in
mid February 2011
The course will run over six
consecutive weeks at a set
time for 3 hours per session.
Selected applicants, who
wish to continue with the
bereavement counselling
course, will be invited to
participate in this course
later in the year.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE CALL
LINDA (011) 640-1322
TO FIND OUT MORE
AND COMPLETE AN
APPLICATION FORM.
CONSECRATIONS
PERSONAL
HEALTH & BEAUTY
SOULMATES
(COUNTRYWIDE – MANY
GAUTENG AND CAPE
MEMBERS) RESULTS: 183
COUPLES MARRIED! 400
COUPLES MATCHED!
Beautiful blonde teacher 30yr;
handsome CA 26yr; handsome
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handsome grad (bus owner)
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38yr; stunning models 28 &
51yr; handsome successful gent
likes overseas travel (retired)
63yr; glamorous exec 56yr;
good looking doctor 29yr; pretty
teacher 33yr; handsome
plumber 40yr; beautiful librarian
23yr; handsome successful
attorney 37yr; handsome podiatrist 32yr; pretty beautician 36yr;
pretty estate agent 40yr; advocates 31, 45, 58yr; handsome
pilots 62, 36yr; handsome surgeon 59yr; pretty hairdressers
26, 34, 58yr; handsome estate
agent (own bus) 60yr; handsome engineer (own bus) 42yr;
pretty financial consultant 48yr;
good looking BSc (pharmacy)
53yr; good looking grad (own
huge co) 36yr; pretty vet 43yr;
charismatic handsome (co
owner) 49yr; pretty grad 40yr;
stunnning doctors 28, 30, 35,
43, 49, 58, 62yr; handsome
attorneys 29, 33, 38, 46, 56,
68yr – etc, etc, etc.
MANY OTHER SINCERE
PRETTY/HANDSOME
PROF/EXEC/BUSINESS/
TRADE SINGLES ARE
WAITING TO MEET YOU!
SANDY (011) 485-4034/
082-357-3616
CHIROPODY/PEDICURES/
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Call Ruth now
(011) 616-4305
SERVICES
HEALTH & BEAUTY
CONSECRATIONS
EXCLUSIVE
INTRODUCTIONS
We offer a very personal and
discreet service. Meet the right
person for you.
Wally (011) 782-8295
HOME VISITS
For chronically/ terminally ill &
elderly. Hourly rates. Counselling
& listening, companionship &
stimulation, therapeutic touch &
Reiki
Sue: 074-104-2394
(MA psychology)
LIFTS
Reliable,
Reasonable Rates!
Contact Arnold,
082-447-0185
011-454-1193
Airport
Shuttle
Tranfers
from R150
Reasonable, Reliable
SAM
(011) 728-5219
083-627-8516
A-TAXI SERVICE
Let Warren Pogorelsky chauffeur
you to your destination in Jo’burg
and back only R100 round trip.
Tel: 082-399-6187
BEST SERVICE
Airport transfers.
All transport from A to B.
Tourist tours. Modern
spacious vehicle. Pax 6.
Contact Pip Friedman
083-267-3281
email:
[email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY
REPAIRS
DALES PHOTOGRAPHIC
Let me capture your special
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Any Simcha - Bar/Batmitzvahs
Call 072-144-7088
HANDY MITCH
General household cupboards,
wood work & repairs etc.
PHONE 072-196-1939
TUITION & EDUCATION
LIFTS
AIRPORT SERVICE
JHB
SMILE-LEE'S LIFTS
A reliable lift service.
Specialising in lifts to and from
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Call Charna 083-391-6612
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082-336-9780
LEARNING SUPPORT FOR
GRADES 1 TO 9
Professional tutoring in:
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Call: 082-253-6850
or email:
[email protected]
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Offers lifts to airport and
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Don’t drink and drive.
ALL HOURS!
Call Neil 072-050-9927
IRENE'S SCHLEP
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I will take you anywhere:
School, Shops, Doctor, Friends
and Airport. Honest and
Trustworthy
Schlepped by Irene
072-356-0282
Not on Shabbat
OFFICE & SHOPS
FOR SALE
OFFICE SPACE TO RENT
IN NORWOOD
The space is modern, warm and
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Please contact Carmel on
084-548-4209
VACANCIES
EMPLOYMENT AVAILABLE
CHELSEA EXECUTIVE
CHAUFFEUR
Legal, with permit from the
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Reasonable rates.
FOR A QUOTE CALL
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Call Joshua
072-482-6843
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ONSITE
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PROPERTY
ACCOMMODATION TO LET/SHARE
HOME SERVICES
GENERAL
COTTAGE GLENHAZEL
FROM FEB 1, 2011.
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incl. bath and shower. R5 000
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082-443-9932
PRETORIA KOSHER
ACCOMMODATION
Available immed.
Suitable for a student.
Call 083-564-2561
HAZELWOOD
Nice, 2 bed, with balcony,
at the entrance to Hazelwood.
Immediate occupation,
R6 500 INCLUSIVE.
Contact 083-517-7119
AN OPPORTUNITY
Exists for a young man interested in the motor industry, to be
trained in all aspects of a fitment
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brakes etc. with a view to buying
into a share / partnership basis
for the right candidate.
Interested persons can
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HOUSEKEEPER /
DOMESTIC WANTED
Live in. Saxonwold, Jhb. Ref’s
essential. Pref long experience
with one family.
Please contact Ms.
Forman 083-228-7777
(011) 726-2704
Trustworthy Domestic
Helper Required.
Must be good with small
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References essential.
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adjustable seats, leather
seats, power assisted steering, radio. Trade-ins welcome.
Bank finance available.
R129 750
Contact Michael
082-463-1300,
Don 082-458-3984
Green Dot Cars
Tel: (011) 791-5521
WANTED
IF YOU WANT TO
BUY OR SELL
A VEHICLE
Contact:
Solly Kramer
082-922-3597
ARE YOU
IMMIGRATING
OVERSEAS AND
WANT TO SELL
YOUR VEHICLE?
VEHICLES
FOR SALE
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[email protected]
PERFECT FAMILY
VEHICLE FOR SALE
2006 Renault Grand Scenic
7-seater. Silver, only 49 000 km,
One owner. Full service history.
Excellent Condition.
Price: R109 000
Call Cliff on 0823257496.
Please Contact
Solly Kramer
082-922-3597
anytime
EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE
Seeking reception, filing, faxing and assisting
at a nursery school. Available immediately.
Contact Ingrid Milner
Tel: 072-226-1276 urgently
Looking for work, Extended experience in steel &
timber manufacturing. Available 24/7.
Call Dennis 071-413-0608
Mature Secretary with legal experience seeks morning or full day
position. (011) 640-4782 or 073-145-0123
Mature lady seeking secretary / receptionist position. Computer
skills & driver's license - 20 plus years' exp.
Tel: 083-341-7597, Sheila
Mature Accountant seeks full or part time position.
(011) 640-4782 or 073-194-4123
Extensive experience and success as chemical
manufacturer's rep, marketing, training.
Please call Benson 082-377-3600 [email protected]
People seeking employment may place a free advert of 20 words maximum. Send wording to
britt@sajewishreport or fax: 086-634-7935
16
SA JEWISH REPORT
21 - 28 January 2011
Sullivan ensures Grant Table tennis ace
backing at West Ham Gila Barit makes
Avram Grant apparently
has the full backing of
the West Ham board.
CO-OWNER David Sullivan has insisted the
entire West Ham board are "100 per cent"
behind manager Avram Grant, despite the
club having actively tried to replace him.
The Hammers were forced into an embarrassing climbdown as they finally decided
to give Grant a formal vote of confidence
after reportedly being snubbed in their
efforts to lure Martin O'Neill to Upton Park.
A statement on the club's official website,
www.whufc.com, read: "The club is com-
mitted to retaining Avram Grant as manager and has identified potential transfer targets to give us the best possible chance of
retaining Premier League status."
Sullivan added on ESPNsoccernet: "The
entire board is 100 per cent behind Avram.
He is a really decent person who deserves
our support.
"West Ham United is a club that does the
right thing and the right thing at this time
is to support the manager.
"We will do all we can to bring in players
over the next 12 days and, once we have
achieved that, we hope it will keep us up. I
urge all supporters to rally behind the club
at this difficult time."
Tuesday's statement should appease supporters to a certain extent after they urged
the Hammers board to either back or sack
Grant, with former West Ham captain
Julian Dicks warning the club earlier this
week that they were in danger of turning
into a "laughing stock" by not providing
clarity over the manager's position.
The 31-year-old, who has been used 17
times as a substitute in league action by
PSG this season, admitted he would be
tempted by a move, telling Le Parisien: "To
say otherwise would be wrong. West Ham is
London, and I have half my family in
London. In football, nothing is impossible.
"If a club offers something that PSG cannot refuse, I will leave it with my agent. I
feel good in Paris; the next six months can
be wonderful and I think I have a part to
play in that. There may be something really
good at the end." – Press Association
Frankel elected to International
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
LEGENDARY HORSE trainer
York State YMCA judo champiRobert “Bobby” Frankel was
onship but had to return her
among seven athletes and sports
medal after officials discovered
figures elected to the International
her true gender.
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame for
Sports columnist Leonard
2011.
Koppett, Moscow-born but
Frankel, who died in November
New York-bred, is the only
2009, scored 3 654 first-place victojournalist elected to both the
ries and his almost $228 million in
baseball and basketball halls of
career earnings made him the secfame. In New York, “Koppy”
ond highest stakes earner trainer in
wrote for the Herald Tribune,
horseracing history. He was a fivePost and Times, in addition to
time recipient of the Eclipse Award
authoring 16 sports books.
for Outstanding Trainer.
Alfred Kuchevsky played a
Trainer Bobby
Among this year’s seven hon- Frankel has been
major role as a defender in the
orees are five Americans, one posthumously
Soviet Union’s domination of
Briton and one Russian. They will
international ice hockey in the
elected
to
the
be inducted into the IJSHOF
1950s. He was named three
Museum, on the campus of Israel’s International Jewish times to the Soviet Hockey
Hall of Fame.
Wingate Institute, in July 2013.
League All-Stars and is
In addition to Frankel, the new
believed to live in Moscow.
inductees are: London-born Samuel Elias,
The National Handball Association
aka “Dutch Sam”, “The Terrible Jew” and named Fred Lewis, a three- and four-wall
“Star of the East”, who had to wait almost handball champion, the 1970s “Player of the
two centuries after his death in 1816 to make Decade”. He now lives in Arizona.
the Hall of Fame.
The International Pool Tour described bilStanding 5 feet-6 inches tall and peaking at liards champ Michael Sigel as the “greatest
135 pounds, Elias is regarded as the greatest living player of the 20th century”. He is the
small man in bare-knuckles ring history. He winner of 10 world titles and six US Opens,
fought in 100 bouts, many lasting 35 to 60 including the World 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Straight
rounds, and lost only one - his last, four Pool and Open championships. He now lives
years and 15 000 glasses of gin after his sup- in Florida.
posed retirement.
Los Angeles TV producer and writer
Judo pioneer Rena Kanokogi, the former Joseph Siegman, who currently chairs the
Rusty Glickman of Brooklyn, known as the organisation’s selection committee, founded
“mother of women’s judo”, almost single- the International Jewish Sports Hall of
handedly forced the Olympic Committee to Fame in 1979.
recognise women’s judo. She coached the US
Since its beginning, the IJSHOF has
team in the 1988 Olympic Games.
inducted 350 sportsmen and sportswomen
In 1959, posing as a man, she won the New from 24 countries.
a clean sweep
JACK MILNER
GILA BARIT made a clean sweep of the
women’s section at the 2010 South
African Universities Table Tennis
Championships in Kimberley during
December. With many of South Africa’s
top players university students, the tournament attracted a strong field.
Gila, who was the defending women’s
singles champion, won the singles title,
with a three sets to nil victory in a hard
fought final match. The 19-year-old
Pretoria University student also took the
girls doubles title, playing with fellow
Pretoria University student teammate
Stacey Bester.
In the mixed doubles Gila teamed up
with fellow University of Pretoria student Luke Abrahams and she added
another title to her other two successes.
In the team section, Gila led the
Pretoria University’s women’s team to a
gold medal.
This meant that in all Gila took every
Gila Barit hits a forehand during a
match at the 2010 South African
Universities Table Tennis
Championships at Kimberley in
December.
women’s title on offer at the tournament.
In addition she remained unbeaten in singles matches throughout the event.
Gila’s brother, Avi, also a student at
Pretoria University, was part of the men’s
team. Pretoria University succeeded in
winning the men’s team title. The game
that clinched this title was the men’s doubles in which Avi and Luke Abrahams
beat a doubles combination consisting of
two South African international players.
In addition, Avi and his men’s double
partner, Abrahams, reached the finals of
the men’s doubles, where they were beaten into the runner-up position.
Pretoria University made a clean sweep
of the team events and with virtually
every South African university being represented at the tournament, the success
of Pretoria University was a significant
achievement.
Both Gila and Avi are former learners
at King David High School Linksfield.
Gila has represented South Africa while
Avi has achieved provincial selection.