A gift of solidarity for the new year

For members of the community, an unexpected Rosh Hashanah gift carried a message that went far beyond the turning of the Jewish year. Calendars created and distributed by the movement Christians Against Antisemitism were a simple gesture of solidarity and friendship at a time when many Jews have felt increasingly isolated. 

Noreen Goetz, a member of a Jewish women’s choir in Cape Town who received a calendar after practice, said, “What a lovely surprise to receive the calendar and handwritten card. It is so heart-warming to know that some people in this world care about us.” 

The director of the Middle East Africa Research Institute, Benji Shulman, spent much of Rosh Hashanah at Johannesburg’s Chabad of Illovo, one of the shuls that received the calendars. He said many congregants were deeply moved by the gesture and curious about the people who had gone to such lengths to show their support. 

“I’m also very grateful to know that as a Jewish community, we don’t stand alone against this prejudice and discrimination that some people would like to subject us to. And the fact that ordinary South Africans are actually not prepared to put up with this stuff all the time. I think that gave great strength to the community during what has been a fairly difficult period,” said Shulman. 

The calendars form part of a broader effort that began in the aftermath of 7 October bringing Christians and Jews together through prayer gatherings, commemorations, and other acts of support. Working through personal networks and organisations, including the South African Friends of Israel (SAFI), those involved say they aim to stand alongside the Jewish community while strengthening ties between the two faith communities. 

Christians Against Antisemitism is a movement, not an organisation. It is an inter-denominational group of Christians across South Africa, an informal collection of churches, ministries, and individuals who believe in the word of G-d as contained in scripture. 

The response to the calendars was more profound than organisers anticipated. They said Jewish recipients’ surprise and gratitude reflected the importance of showing that there’s solidarity beyond the community itself. 

“There has been a bit of surprise from the Jewish community that there are people who are standing in support of them. And then obviously gratitude and thankfulness for what we are trying to do as well,” said a creative leader of the calendar project, who preferred to remain anonymous. 

Loshni Bassadien, one of the coordinators of this initiative, explained that since the horrific events of 7 October, a network of Christians across the country has come together to pray and show solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community. 

In their first year, the focus was on praying for the hostages. In 2024, while hostages were still being held in Gaza, they launched their first Rosh Hashanah initiative, handing out envelopes bearing the words “Let My People Go”, along with bracelets and messages of hope from Christians to Jews. 

“In 2025, we continued the initiative with traditional Rosh Hashanah items, including kosher honey, apples, and sweet treats, again accompanied by a message of support. This year, amid the rise in antisemitism worldwide, we decided to address it more directly through the calendars,” she said. 

“Our work is ongoing. We support initiatives involving the Embassy of Israel and SAFI, whether by helping to find venues, bringing Christian communities together, securing sponsorship, or raising awareness.” 

Volunteers distributed the calendars to shuls and other Jewish communal spaces. 

“It was all done through a network. I work closely with SAFI, which has connections with several shuls and Chabad communities. For the community close to where I live, I reached out directly because I wanted to create awareness and make it a more local initiative. We contacted the rabbis, received a very positive response, and personally delivered the calendars,” Bassadien said. 

“For the other shuls and Chabad communities, distribution was coordinated through SAFI. We dropped the calendars at their head office, and they assisted in distributing them to the different communities.” 

They also invited Christians who have Jewish friends or colleagues to give them calendars. Individuals and representatives from churches collected calendars and personally gave them to the Jewish people in their lives as a gesture of support.