MOIRA SCHNEIDER
This was the beginning of a relationship with the congregation that has served as a lifeline to him as he has travelled back and forth from his home in the United States to attend the various court hearings and now the trial that is underway.
Gaby was murdered in the boutique hotel across from the shul where Howdy has found solace and support. Her Guatemalan boyfriend Diego Dougherty Novella has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder, but is still in custody.
“The Jewish community of Cape Town has meant the world to me,” Howdy tells me emotionally when we meet at the beachfront hotel in the suburb that has taken on a terrible significance for him. “It’s given me a sense of home and community and an opportunity to reflect on the importance of family.
“We don’t feel lonely here. We’re a phone call away from people who really care about us.”
It has also, he says, given him an opportunity to reassess his own take on religion.
Howdy, who hails from a “very Reform Jewish” background in Malibu, California, has found the rituals of Orthodox Judaism a source of comfort. “Shabbat in an Orthodox synagogue has been very special,” he reflects.
“To meet with the rabbi and his wife and the people, has given me a much deeper sense of my own Judaism. As a young boy I used to attend shul with my dad and grandparents and it brings back a lot of memories… the food, the smells…
“Time has stopped here for us to take a deeper look at our own Judaism and we get to share this back home with our Reform community – I think it gives them pause to take a deeper look as well.”
One of the things that has impressed Howdy about the “huge outreach” that he has experienced, is the closeness of families here. “Even the young teenagers who are active in social media, stop time to celebrate Shabbat with the family.
“It amazed me. The young people seem so mature and so respectful. Judaism has been the key,” he ventures.
The main objective of the Justice4Gaby Support Group established here last year is to try and ensure that there is representation in court at every hearing. “Having their presence in the courtroom makes a huge difference for the family,” Howdy stresses.
“It shows the prosecution the support we have and clearly causes the defence to recognise that he (Novella) is not able to hide behind every legal corner; there are people watching and I think it causes the judge and the entire criminal justice system to know that people are watching.”
Also attending the trial from the United States are Howdy’s wife, Linda, Gaby’s mother Doris Weitz and her stepfather, Judge Alexander Williams.
Needless to say, the murder and its aftermath have taken a huge emotional, physical and financial toll on the family – Howdy has made six or seven trips to this country, having missed only one court hearing due to cost.
“The physical wear and tear is hard, especially travelling coach (economy),” he says, referring to the 30-hour journey.
“But,” he adds resolutely, “I have a job to do – getting justice for Gaby.” Once this has been achieved, he plans to build a new career and establish a foundation as a legacy for his only child.
Howdy owned a chain of restaurants across the United States but doubts he can return to that field. “My heart’s broken right now – I don’t know that I can bring the kind of passion and love to each and every customer and employee as I did before, so I’m exploring other opportunities.”
He only met the accused, Gaby’s boyfriend Diego Novella, once. “I didn’t have a great feeling,” he remembers.
“What she was doing with him, I don’t know. She was a grown woman and I chose to not interfere – I think about that a lot. Her first husband was an absolute mensch – he still feels like my son – for her to be with somebody so different… I can’t explain.”
Howdy, a former champion golfer who once played with Gary Player, gave evidence for the state last week Thursday after an agonising wait on a cold, hard bench outside court for the first three days of the trial. “When I finally got the opportunity to take the stand and seeing my wife and my friends from the shul in the gallery and looking at the defence attorney and seeing the accused, was something I’ll never forget,” he says.
“I was told that the judge would not allow me to share my feelings, but he clearly allowed me to. I was very open and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me – I expressed myself very forcefully.”
Media reports stated that Howdy resisted attempts by the judge to interrupt him, instead gripping the witness box and continuing his heartrending testimony, including the fact that he would never have grandchildren or anybody to say kaddish for him.
