Op-eds

Righting a universal wrong

Jun 21, 2018 Go comment!

“Is there anything that we can do? But it was so long ago? We were little children when it happened. But, we have no money. He is very powerful, connected, dangerous. He still has access to children…”
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Global Cup keeps us glued to the box

Jun 21, 2018 Go comment!

The Soccer World Cup is a jamboree that takes over homes, living rooms, spouses, and children. And if you happen to be living in the country hosting the tournament (as we were in 2010), it can take over your emotional, retail, and work life as well. At the time, we also had to grin and bear the dulcet sounds of those midnight Vuvuzela festivities down the road – RIP SA World Cup 2010!
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Judaism: the 'Incredible' balancing act between rights and duty

Jun 21, 2018 Go comment!

There is a scene from the marvellous animation, The Incredibles, which is indelibly seared into my memory. We join the superhero, Mr Incredible, on a regular night of saving the world when suddenly, his attention is caught by a man, Oliver Sansweet, about to cast himself off the top of a building. We watch the attempted suicide tumble off the roof, and we witness that moment of decision on Mr. Incredible’s face, we see the conviction, “Not on my watch!”
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Threat to Indian community is a threat to Jews

Jun 21, 2018 Go comment!

No-one can say for sure who coined the aphorism “Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom”, but its fundamental message remains as relevant as ever. This is especially true of countries like our own, where democracy is of comparatively recent origin. Events on the local front this week underscored once more how the freedoms we all enjoy can never be taken for granted.
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Cry the beloved State Theatre

Jun 21, 2018 Go comment!

If an overseas visitor wanted to understand some of the reasons people want to leave South Africa for Israel, the United Kingdom, or other countries, he or she might visit Pretoria’s State Theatre.
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Assault on freedom of expression doesn’t end with Israel

Jun 21, 2018 Go comment!

Jewish South Africa are not the only ones feeling the pressure. South Africans across the rainbow are angry and intolerant, and no one is being spared the wrath of our frustration. Earlier this week, Ferial Haffajee, Editor-at-large of the South Africa Huffington Post, wrote a column about the pressure, intimidation, and death threats she has received as a result of expressing herself.
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A little Pride goes along way

Jun 14, 2018 1 Comment

June is Pride month and every year LGBT+ communities across the world celebrate with massive Pride Marches. Last Friday’s march in Tel Aviv attracted a truly historic 250 000 people. This is especially significant when you consider that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that can be said to be LGBT+ tolerant and hosts such Pride marches.
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Jewish Youth Day is about the revolutionary spirit

Jun 14, 2018 Go comment!

As we mark the anniversary of the June 16 Soweto youth uprising this weekend, it gives us pause to reflect on the ways in which youth in Jewish history have resisted authoritarianism and sparked revolutions.
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Human kindness helps to kill the suicide epidemic

Jun 14, 2018 Go comment!

I am driven to do something about the rising number of suicides.
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Finding the positive in an apparently horrible situation

Jun 14, 2018 Go comment!

Hear me out. Part of me feels that the anti-Israel vitriol this week might turn out to be positive. This is not because I am trying to find some liquid in a parched and empty glass, but because if hating Israel is a popular cause for every political party in South Africa, then it will probably not be used as a mechanism to lure voters to the polls next year.
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Vilification of supporters of Israel threatens SA democracy

Jun 14, 2018 Go comment!

Amidst all the negativity, it is uplifting to be reminded how much heartfelt support there is for the Jewish state beyond the confines of our own community. On Sunday, a rousing gathering of more than 700 Christian leaders took place at the Johannesburg City Hall under the auspices of the SA Friends of Israel.
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Fiddling with strangers: why do we think we can?

Jun 14, 2018 Go comment!

Do you remember a time in this country when people thought it was witty to call a man who seemed effeminate the derogatory term “moffie”? Such pejorative language made homosexual people frightened to be themselves.
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Does Judaism allow for abortion?

Jun 07, 2018 Go comment!

The referendum in Ireland to legalise abortion requires reflection through the prism of Torah. The question itself is a very weighty and onerous one that cannot be decided by populist view and societal norms.
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Throwing the book at anti-Semitic literature

Jun 07, 2018 Go comment!

It’s one thing to find that you relate to a book’s hero, or feel that his praiseworthy features are not unlike your own. It’s another thing altogether when you pick up a novel and find that the character with whom you share certain attributes is plotting a scheme, has committed murder, or is otherwise derided as villainous in some way.
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Empowerment brings hope in tough times

Jun 07, 2018 Go comment!

It’s been a busy few weeks in WIZO, and despite the many tough challenges Israel’s currently experiencing, there’s also been much to celebrate, especially in the sphere of women’s empowerment, one of WIZO’s main focuses.
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Labels and epithets: who are you calling ‘loony’?

Jun 07, 2018 Go comment!

There is a term which mainstream Jews use for Jews on the far left who show up at Israeli-oriented events and protest against Israel with pro-Palestinian supporters, condemning Israel for its “oppression” of the Palestinians. They are called the “loony left”. Do you endorse or take exception to this label? Among them are members of the group JVJP (Jewish Voices for a Just Peace) who have waved vitriolic anti-Israel banners at Israeli Independence Day celebrations and elsewhere.
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Israel boycott reveals its true face once again

Jun 07, 2018 Go comment!

The #Yallayebo Exhibition, described as “A Photographic Dialogue between South Africa and Israel”, had its official opening at FotoZA Gallery in the Rosebank Mall last Thursday. The event was attended by more than 100 art enthusiasts, dignitaries, community leaders, and members of the media.
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The answer to Jewish anxiety? Better leadership

Jun 07, 2018 Go comment!

We grew up insecure. I recall so clearly the conversations that my parents had when we were children. Their interactions were coded so that we wouldn’t understand what it was they were talking about. But we did understand, and we knew that many of their friends were leaving and that we had chosen to stay.
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Public figures taking sides (mostly) against Israel

May 31, 2018 1 Comment

The recent events in Israel and on the Gaza border have garnered the attention of South African public figures and personalities.
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Can South Africa still play a role in the Middle East peace process?

May 31, 2018 Go comment!

Over the past six months, much of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies’ (SAJBD) time and resources have been devoted to opposing the projected downgrade of the South African embassy in Israel.
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