Dust settles around emotional KDVP closure

As King David Victory Park enters its final weeks and the community prepares to say goodbye, there’s a sense that the dust has settled, and people are optimistic. 

“The vision is exciting. It was brutal for everybody involved, myself included,” said Rabbi Ricky Seeff, the general director of the South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE). “I mean, I love Victory Park. I was the principal there for six years. I know the kids. Emotionally, it’s been hard,” he said. “What’s starting to happen is the community is coming together.” 

Though the campus hasn’t been sold yet, Seeff said there were a few prospective buyers, and the SABJE is exploring its options and is working with the shul to ensure that it finds a place that ensures its longevity. The future location of the shul depends on the sale of the campus. 

Seeff said a team of staff members and parents had come together to catalogue everything on campus so that nothing would be lost in the move. “There’s 60 years of history there, and we’re mindful about capturing and preserving it all,” he said. “We’re collating everything and planning how it will be presented and where it will be installed. We’re committed to ensuring that everything of value and nostalgia is recorded, kept, and displayed wherever possible. There’s so much meaning in those six decades, far more than anyone can truly quantify.” 

For weeks, Seeff and the SABJE faced a flood of concerns from KDVP parents trying to understand the decision. Many told him they had chosen the school deliberately for its small classes and unique culture, and feared closing it meant losing what made the school special. Others were second or third-generation Victory Park families who didn’t want their children to miss out on the school that had shaped their own lives. 

Seeff said a major concern was losing students altogether, as well as losing those who had moved from Linksfield to Victory Park. “For those children, we offered counselling and arranged external psychologists to support them,” he said. “Of that group, we’ve retained about 70%, who are now returning to Linksfield, largely because they’ll be going back with their friends.” 

Said Seeff, “There was an openness to giving it a chance. Linksfield has a bit of a bad rap, but not every child there is a bully. Bullying does happen everywhere, and we’ve even had children move from Victory Park to Linksfield. What’s been amazing is that even those who might have had good reasons for not returning are coming back.” 

Similarly, King David has been working with an organisation called The Guardian to completely overhaul the school’s bullying policies and conduct an audit on safeguarding in the school and the way bullying and other types of abuse are reported and managed. 

Seeff said King David had retained 90% of its students and 85% of its staff in this process. A handful of families had already given notice earlier in the year, so their departure wasn’t triggered by the announcement. In total, about eight students were planning to leave regardless. The rest are dispersing to a mix of remedial, private, or geographically closer schools. Only two students from that group are transferring to other Jewish schools, with the majority leaving the Jewish school system altogether. 

For King David Ariel students, it’s an easier adjustment, as they will have the same teaching staff and principal, the only thing changing is the school’s location. It has even led Ariel to add three more classes, as people are more interested in sending their children there because of the new location. 

Seeff said that though staff members were initially concerned about the change, after some staff integration days, many are feeling more positive and are excited to get on the ground and to see what this new school year will bring. 

Brandon Haberfield, who has four children spread across four campuses, said that though his children are mourning their school, they are looking forward to being on the same campus next year. 

“Though there was deep sadness and nostalgia about the closure in the past, we have finished grieving and have fully embraced the new reality,” he said. “There is constant conversation about the new campus life and their sibling camaraderie, and all are excited to be part of this new and happening campus life with all its facilities and opportunities. There is natural trepidation about the exact transport plans, traffic, and class placements, but that will calm as the weeks progress.” 

Similarly, Lara Price said that though her child had a lovely experience at KDVP in primary school, she’s excited for what’s to come with their move to King David Linksfield as “it will be a great opportunity for my kids to meet new friends, experience new things, and grow and flourish.” 

Seeff said that though it may feel like a squeeze next year, there are plans for a new foundation phase building at King David Linksfield, and in the interim, there will be modular classrooms. He said the high school campus had enough classrooms for 930 students, with teachers having to share classrooms. 

Though many parents have accepted the change, some remain upset. Lea Glass, a primary school parent, said that though she wants her child to go to a Jewish school, she can’t bring herself to send them to King David Linksfield and will move elsewhere. 

“Not everyone fits the Linksfield mould,” she said. “Some children don’t want a massive school where they feel lost. I’m comfortable with our decision to leave, it’s a better fit than the limited choices we were left with.” 

Similarly, KDVP parent and lawyer Jason Morris said that although his children would attend King David Sandton next year, he plans to move his daughters out of the system altogether. “We’re actively looking for other schools,” he said. “The frustrating part is that the board made this decision in September, when enrolments elsewhere were already closed.” 

Seeff asserts that in this transitional period, the principals of the different schools have met more than 300 families to ensure that this transition will be as smooth as possible. 

“It’s focused on culture and people. With many Victory Park teachers and leaders involved, there will be an infusion of their culture, though it won’t replace Linksfield’s, since most students and staff are from there. It will be a merging of culture, guided by staff and student leadership. The student leaders are working with Linksfield peers to introduce elements of Victory Park’s traditions. It’s a process, but the goal is to keep aspects of the Victory Park culture alive. 

“We held extensive parent sessions, met students, and brought in outside emotional support,” said Seeff. “We worked hard to show that this wasn’t a harsh business move but a decision we believed was best for the community. Parents and staff were deeply engaged, and I think families saw our sincerity. We believed in the choice, and parents ultimately wanted their children to stay in the Jewish school system.”