King David awaits apology over antisemitic snub

King David High School is still waiting for a much-anticipated apology from Roedean School after days of tense behind-the-scenes discussions. These culminated on Wednesday night with a Roedean School meeting where it was announced that Senior School Head Phuti Mogale had resigned. The SA Jewish Report has reliably learnt that she was in fact dismissed earlier this week.  

This comes after Roedean stood King David up in a scheduled inter-school tennis fixture because the opposing team was Jewish. 

At the time of going to press, it was understood that Roedean was putting the final touches to a statement of apology. “There’s a bit of a stalemate although there has been a lot of progress,” said Rabbi Ricky Seeff, the general director of the South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE). “The ball is now firmly in Roedean’s court. 

“Roedean is busy with an internal investigation to understand better exactly what transpired because there are different versions. King David has asked for a wholehearted, unreserved apology; for the school to own up to what has happened; and to commit to keep politics out of sport. So, we wait and see.” 

King David Head of School Lorraine Srage told the SA Jewish Report, “As head of school, I am deeply concerned by the recent events surrounding the refusal to play a scheduled tennis match due to pressure from a group of parents. There is no place in our schools for any form of antisemitism, discrimination, or disinformation. 

“Sport has always served as a powerful bridge between communities. It teaches respect, teamwork, and mutual understanding. Denying children the opportunity to compete based on race or religion is not only deplorable, but a profound missed opportunity to bring young people together in the true spirit of school sport. 

“We will always stand firmly in advocating for our learners. They have every right, like all children in South Africa, to participate fully in school activities, free from prejudice or exclusion. We hope for a sincere apology to our school community, and reaffirm our commitment to fostering an environment built on inclusivity, dignity, and respect for all.” 

This saga began on Tuesday, 3 February, when King David High School’s top two tennis teams, accompanied by senior staff and a CSO representative, were taken to Roedean to play. Their fixture had been confirmed despite earlier warnings of “possible issues”. 

The girls never stepped onto the court. They were left waiting, and ultimately turned away because they were Jewish. 

Roedean initially claimed that the fixture had been cancelled due to logistical or scheduling challenges. That explanation has since unravelled. 

An audio recording revealed that Roedean’s decision was driven by pressure from the school community not to play a Jewish school. Principal Phuti Mogale was heard to refer to the situation as “presenting as a Jewish day school issue”. 

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) condemned the decision as discriminatory, while the SABJE confirmed that the matter was under formal investigation. Urgent talks between the schools were convened under the mediation of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa. 

Roedean issued two public statements denying antisemitism, but these were marked by contradictions, alternately suggesting the fixture had been postponed, forfeited, or had simply “not proceeded as planned”. 

This crisis hasn’t unfolded entirely in isolation. In recent years, the school has faced public controversy, including a high-profile bullying scandal in 2020, and criticism over links to Ummah Heart madrassa, which has drawn scrutiny over alleged ideological associations. 

The school has also been the subject of debate around its anti-racism policies and approach to race and identity. Though none of these issues are directly linked to the tennis-fixture incident, commentators argue that they form part of a broader context in which tensions around ideology, governance, and values have increasingly surfaced. 

Education commentator Andrew Wilkinson, who has written critically about Roedean on several occasions, said the crisis didn’t arise in a vacuum. 

“This did not happen overnight,” Wilkinson said. “In my view, it is the consequence of years of ideological and governance capture.” He cautioned, however, against blaming pupils. 

“The learners are not responsible,” he said. “They are operating within an environment shaped by adults and institutional leadership. Responsibility should not be simplistically laid at the feet of students, nor solely with the current headmistress.” 

The SAJBD has been unequivocal in its assessment of the incident. 

“What occurred between Roedean School and King David High School constitutes antisemitism,” said National Director Wendy Kahn. 

“The tennis fixture didn’t fall away because of prior school commitments or academic workshops. It fell away because, in the words of Roedean’s principal, ‘It’s presenting itself as a Jewish day school issue’.” 

King David, she noted, is the largest Jewish day school in the country. Like other faith-based schools, its identity is shaped by the religious, cultural, and historical life of the community it serves. 

“Excluding a Jewish day school from a sporting fixture on the basis of religion constitutes an antisemitic act and discrimination on the basis of religion,” Kahn said. 

“This is how hatred begins – with exclusion, othering, with the message that one’s identity makes one unacceptable,” she said. “Why are children being taught that their religion makes them unacceptable?” 

The SAJBD also called on Roedean to issue an unconditional apology; to invite King David to the fixture that was denied; and to implement an educational programme to ensure that no pupil or institution is excluded on the basis of religious or cultural identity. 

“We believe this awful incident can be turned into a learning opportunity for inclusion, fairness, and equal treatment,” Kahn said.