Afrikaner and Jew: an increasingly likely friendship

Kobus Johannes Hercules van Jaarsveld wasn’t joking when he said, “Jy lyk soos a Jood vandag.” To him, I did indeed look like a Jew that day. My eyes were sore, and I had arrived at university wearing glasses instead of my usual contact lenses.

That small change rendered me closer to the stereotype he held, closer to the image of a Jew he envisioned. Much like him arriving in veldskoene with a comb in his sock – which he never did.

We were “varsity” friends back then, yet the lines and limits of a cross-cultural friendship were unmistakable. We might have got along well, but it was still the 80s, and South Africa had enough to deal with without us complicating things.

Although, in many ways, we were natural allies, the “liberal” political stance of the Jewish community often clashed with the more conservative nature of the Afrikaans community.

Where our schools embraced chaotic learning, theirs were structured, disciplined, and, frankly, a bit intimidating. Where we ended up with asthma from running around in freshly mowed fields, they bore the scars of broken wrists from leaping off cliffs. Where we struggled with flat feet and orthopaedic inners, they rarely bothered with shoes at all. And while our mothers would threaten to tell dad about our mischief, theirs actually did. We questioned authority; they, on the other hand, aspired to be it.

Yet the 80s gave way to the 90s, and the new century dawned. Many Afrikaners, perhaps disillusioned by the church or seeking something different, discovered Judaism and embraced the faith. I recall a new convert telling my late mother that her biggest challenge during the process wasn’t learning Hebrew, it was learning English.

Setting aside the connection of faith, the shared perception of being under threat in South Africa and of being disregarded by the African National Congress (ANC) has naturally aligned Jews and Afrikaners.

It’s worth considering whether the international actions taken by AfriForum will bring these communities closer together or drive them further apart.

AfriForum’s mission to the United States has stirred considerable discomfort in South Africa. Meetings with senior members of the Trump administration and comments by Trump about our farmers and their challenges have only added to the outrage of the ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe. Charges of treason were even laid by an individual, an absurdity that nonetheless reflects the depth of their indignation.

But it’s not only the disdain of the ANC towards both communities that aligns us. Both have found friendship and support from figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Trump’s clear rejection of terror, his steadfast support for Israel, and his sympathy for the hostages have endeared him to many in the South African Jewish community, who, like AfriForum, have found a measure of solace in his leadership.

Differences remain, of course. While the Jewish community is, by nature, more liberal, the Afrikaans community is more conservative. We still have asthma, flat feet, and Jewish mothers; they still don’t.

But that doesn’t mean that if I were to meet Kobus Johannes Hercules van Jaarsveld today, we wouldn’t be firm friends. On the contrary, I predict that as both communities find their voice and realise the power of working together, we will see many a friendship between those in veldskoene and those who “Lyk soos a Jood vandag.”