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Jan Smuts – a visionary and a Zionist
Communal leader and entrepreneur Reeva Forman described former South African president Jan Smuts as a visionary in his support of Israel.
Forman represented the Jewish community at the annual General Jan C Smuts Memorial Parade, held on Sunday 24 May in the gardens of the Smuts House Museum in Irene near Pretoria, where the statesman lived from 1909 until his death in 1950.
She spoke about the establishment of Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan in northern Israel, built on land donated by the Jewish National Fund. The kibbutz was named in honour of Smuts for his role, as a member of the British Imperial War Cabinet during World War I, in helping draft and support the Balfour Declaration in 1917. He was also a close personal friend of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann.
Smuts, said Reeva, was way ahead of his time.
Forman thanked the Jan Smuts Foundation for keeping history alive. She likened it to the Jewish concept of L’dor v’dor (from generation to generation). Without strong roots, a tree will fall. With strong roots, it can branch outward. This was evident in the number of youth in the audience.
Errol Price
May 27, 2026 at 12:04 am
Jan Smuts was unquestionably the greatest South African of the 20th century.
Soldier , philosopher, scientist political leader he bestrode the world stage as no other.
Tragically his legacy is being forgotten because the new regime is intent on expunging from the history books what does not suit them.
The fact that Smuts was a keen Zionist is something that Jews who are worthy of being called Jews can note.
Congratulations to Reeva Forman and her colleagues for this effort.