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Jewish supporters’ cup runneth over

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

The closest thing to being in the Yokohama Stadium when the Springboks lifted that Rugby World Cup (RWC) trophy on Saturday is hearing about it from those who were there. South African Jews were well represented, making their way across the world to witness this historic moment.
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Remembering 1995

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

I remember the 1995 Rugby World Cup final like it was nine years ago. Matt Damon lifting the Webb Ellis Cup while Morgan Freeman smiled on benevolently, and a crowd of computer-generated extras going wild, uniting a nation, and signalling the beginning of Clint Eastwood’s inevitable decline.
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Reeva gets highest Zionist accolade

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Community leader and makeup icon Reeva Forman was honoured last week for her commitment to the Jewish people and Jewish state.
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SA expat helps Arab-Israeli family after daughter’s murder in Australia

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Arab-Israeli exchange student Aiia Maasarwe was walking down the street in one of the safest cities on earth – Melbourne – in January this year, when she was attacked, brutally raped, and murdered by a homeless man with a troubled past.
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Sky’s the limit for Captain Scully

Nov 07, 2019 1 Comment

Captain Selwyn “Scully” Levin, 73, is arguably the best known pilot in South Africa, his name synonymous with flying in the country. Levin was recently awarded a Master Air Pilot Certificate by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in recognition of long service and consistently high standards in professional flying.
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Sobukwe book recognises maverick leader, lost to history

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Robert Sobukwe is South African history’s forgotten man. A deeply ethical, principled, selfless leader of the Pan-Africanist Congress, he has been airbrushed out of the liberation narrative, especially since 1994. Veteran journalist, author, and activist, Benjamin Pogrund, one of Sobukwe’s closest friends, has produced a book that seeks to recapture his ideas and ideals.
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If my steak could talk

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

With a linen napkin draped across my lap and a glass of fruit infused water in hand, I sat and wondered what the steak on the plate in front of me would say if it could speak.
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Shabbos Project – what’s on at shul?

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Events are happening at more than 50 shuls around the country. Here’s a taste of some highlights:
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Ritalin ‘not always the answer to ADHD’

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Traditional treatment for children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) must be reassessed, says Ilana Gerschlowitz, the founding director of the Star Academy for Autism and Catch Up Kids which caters for the needs of students with ADHD or learning challenges.
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The little-known Jewish link to Fawlty Towers

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

At first glance, a Torquay hotel, a cantankerous British couple, and a Spanish waiter whose English is almost non-existent don’t seem to have anything remotely to do with being Jewish. However, the iconic British comedy of Fawlty Towers possesses a uniquely Jewish connection, one which may elicit a loud “Que?!” of incredulity.
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The August House of artistic possibility

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Five and a half years ago, Johannesburg property developer David Mayers arrived at August House in End Street, Doornfontein, to buy a painting from the then relatively unknown artist, Nelson Makamo.
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JJMC sings praises of long-time chazzan

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Jewish choirs are considered by some to be old-fashioned and uninspiring. However, the Johannesburg Jewish Male Choir (JJMC) this week proved that choral music continues to inspire cheering and toe-tapping, even a tear or two.
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An extraordinary play about two remarkable women

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Gertrude Stein helped to change the literary and artistic landscape at a time when American conservative attitudes prevailed. She was an extraordinarily creative Jewish soul.
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Super Springboks show the way forward

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

One didn’t have to be a rugby fan to be thrilled by the Springboks’ memorable victory in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. In purely sporting terms, winning rugby’s premier crown for the third time was itself a great achievement, but there was a great deal more to it than that. What we and the world at large saw was an epic display of pride, passion, commitment and, above all, unstinting teamwork on the part of 15 South Africans totally focused on achieving their common goal. And, who could not be deeply moved by how the Springbok emblem, once the reviled symbol of exclusive white supremacy, has become so powerful a uniting force? It’s a timely reminder of how far our country has progressed since those bleak times, even if much work still needs to be done to recapture the spirit of national unity and optimism that characterised the years immediately following the democratic transition.
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Are the phoenixes rising?

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Can we yet be bold enough to celebrate South Africa? Amidst our thirst for good news after the depressing news of the past decade, green shoots are visible. Not yet on the economic front, which remains dire, as finance minister Tito Mboweni outlined in his mid-term budget, but elsewhere, vigour is gingerly starting to show itself.
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United by rugby

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

Ever since the security guard at our complex drew his weapon and pointed it at Fred, we haven’t been friends. It’s not to say that he was completely without justification, and not to say that there haven’t been times that I too could have acted aggressively towards him. But I was bothered by the incident nevertheless, primarily because being a Yorkshire Terrier, Fred had no idea what a weapon was. Which meant that it wasn’t a smart thing to do.
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Go and do something you believe in

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

According to the Torah portion this Shabbat, Lech Lecha, “The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’” (Genesis 12:1) Abraham got up and went.
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Zille didn’t say colonialism was positive

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

The article on the future of the Democratic Alliance by Steven Gruzd in the 1 November edition of the SA Jewish Report is excellent, but it must be pointed out that Helen Zille never said that colonialism was positive. What she did say was “its legacy is not only negative”. It must be understood that this is a big difference to what was written in the article. We must all remember that we are all entitled to our own opinion, but not our own facts.
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Atheism and moral bankruptcy

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

From time to time, questions arise about atheism. One of the most prominent attackers of religion, particularly Christianity, was Bertrand Russell.
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Carnival atmosphere on Yom Tov defies the naysayers

Nov 07, 2019 Go comment!

The Torah says we are a stiff-necked people who complain a lot. Furthermore, our often difficult history has influenced many of us to believe that it was virtually always bad, even though there were also good times – even golden eras.
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