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Tributes

Olga Meshoe Washington – an extraordinary activist and friend

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It’s not every day that a Christian born in South Africa and living in America is buried in Israel, but then Olga Meshoe Washington was certainly not ordinary and her relationship to Israel, the South African Jewish community, and world Jewry was unique and extraordinary.

On hearing of her passing, South African Zionist Federation spokesperson Rolene Marks said, “This isn’t just a loss for the community but for the whole world.”

Meshoe Washington, the chief executive of Defend Embrace Invest (in) Support Israel (DEISI) and chief operating officer of international Zionist youth organisation Club Z, died at the age of 43 on 6 January after a month-long battle with lupus.

She had been at Newark Airport on 26 December travelling back to South Africa with her brother, Joshua Meshoe, when she seemed to fall asleep while waiting to board the plane and wouldn’t wake up. She was rushed to hospital in New Jersey, and was immediately put into intensive care. The doctors said she had contracted pneumonia and had respiratory failure.

She was scheduled for surgery on 7 January to have a feeding tube inserted, but didn’t make it to see the sunrise. She passed away holding her husband, Joshua Washington’s, hand, and was surrounded by her family.

“I didn’t know she was about to transition, but I slept in the hospital room with her and was able to speak to and sing to her just about 30 minutes before she passed,” her husband wrote on social media on 7 January. “She always talked about the day when she would finally hear the applause of heaven for the life she lived. That day is today.”

The Israeli president’s office and various communal organisations enabled her to have her funeral on 22 January at the Tel Regev Cemetery in Rekhasim in Haifa. “This serves as a tribute to her and what she dedicated much if not most of her life to – being a strident voice on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people. A fund has also been set up to cover the expenses of the funeral,” said Jonathan Feldstein, the founder of the Genesis 123 Foundation and a respected bridge between Jews and Christians.

Meshoe Washington is the eldest daughter of Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, the parliamentary leader of the African Christian Democratic Party, and one of the staunchest supporters of Israel in South Africa’s legislature.

Meshoe Washington founded DEISI in 2013, and was chief executive of the organisation with co-chairperson Mark Hyman, of the South African Friends of Israel, and her father. Said Hyman, “From its inception on 5 December 2013, Olga’s leadership set the tone for what would become a transformative movement advocating for justice, faith, and reconciliation.”

Wendy Kahn, the national director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said, “In the early days, South African Jewry found itself alone in confronting Boycott Divestment Sanctions [BDS] hate. Olga dedicated her life to standing with us in fighting these bullies. Olga was a trailblazer, pioneering activism that grew even after she left South Africa to marry and start her family in America. She then took that battle globally in a way that has been emulated by so many on campuses and in communities worldwide.”

When she travelled to the United States (US) in 2015 to visit various Jewish organisations to promote DEISI, little did she think that she would never return to live in South Africa. This was because on this trip, she met Joshua Washington, the son of Dumisani and Valerie Washington. Dumisani is one of the most vocal black religious Christian supporters of Israel in the US. The pair wed in the dusty streets of Vosloorus on the East Rand in 2018, and have two sons, Judah, 6 and Ezra, 3.

Benji Shulman, the executive director of the Middle East Africa Research Institute, said Meshoe Washington showed unwavering support for Israel and the Jewish community. “Olga understood the importance of building bridges between communities. It wasn’t just the local Jewish community and the wider South African community. She understood why it was important not just to be worried about South Africa, and why we had to build relationships with the whole continent. She knew people in Israel, and she was connecting with Israelis. She was building bridges between the Jewish people and all the different people in Africa. That’s rare. There’s not a lot of people who understand that mission like she did, and can articulate it like she did.”

Other than continuing to advocate for Israel in her community and going on trips to Israel with her church, Meshoe Washington got involved with the South African Jewish community. Shulman said that she took a particular interest in supporting Jewish students during the annual Israeli Apartheid Weeks on campus, and making sure that they had the necessary tools to be on the frontline.

Said Hyman, “She fearlessly pursued justice and truth, even in the face of adversity. Her optimism and ability to inspire action were truly remarkable and left a lasting impression on all who worked with her.”

Similarly, Marks said that beyond their working relationship, she and Meshoe Washington had a deep friendship. “I don’t think anyone could meet Olga without just adoring her on sight.”

“Olga was an extraordinary blend of wisdom, compassion, and strength,” said Hyman, “She had a unique ability to connect with people, inspire them, and bring diverse voices together for a common cause. Her kindness and courage made her not just a leader, but a deeply beloved figure.”

“She was warm and engaging,” Marks said. “She would phone at any time that we’ve had stress here, and especially over the past year, would often phone just to check how I was coping. We would often share ideas. She was just a girl’s girl. She was brilliant at everything she did. It was impossible not to love her.”

Ben Swartz, the former chairperson of the South African Zionist Federation, said, “She just had this incredible energy. It wasn’t just her Israel activism that stood out. She was commercial, she could have been a great businessperson, she could have been a great leader, intellectual, and academic. She said she was just like this energizer bunny, and nothing would slow her down.”

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