Partnerships build strength

Our hearts were shattered once again last week when we received the bodies of Shlomo Mansour, 86; Ohad Yahalomi, 50; Tsachi Idan, 50; and Itzik Elgarat, 69. It’s horrific to think that with the exception of Shlomo Mansour, who was murdered on 7 October and had his body taken into Gaza, the other three were kidnapped alive, and were thus murdered in Gaza. This marks the last exchange in the six-week ceasefire deal, and we hope and pray that a further deal may be reached that will result in the release of the remaining 59 hostages, who have suffered in captivity for far too long.

The unity of global Jewry through this period has been inspirational, and while the reason for this coming together is gut wrenching, the images of Israelis and Jews around the world uniting has given us some strength.

This week, South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) National Director Wendy Kahn is attending the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) “Never is Now” summit in New York. This is yet another example of the work the Board has done in maintaining connections and relationships with its counterpart organisations around the world and the stellar regard in which the Board is held the world over.

The ADL, founded in 1913 – making it our younger cousin – is a New York-based international non-governmental organisation that was founded to combat antisemitism as well as other forms of bigotry and discrimination. It’s thus an important international partner of the SAJBD, which is itself tasked with combating antisemitism in the South African context. In fact, at the summit, Kahn will be representing the Board and South Africa Jewry at a roundtable discussion on what can be learnt from the fight against antisemitism around the world. I cannot stress how much our international partnerships and this type of knowledge sharing helps us to combat the complex and nuanced challenges to our community.

Last weekend, in conjunction with HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), a nonprofit organisation that provides aid to refugees, we hosted the annual Refugee Shabbat. The event is a moment to reflect on the work that is being done in supporting asylum seekers and refugees, not only in South Africa but across the world. The Board has a long and proud history of providing support for the refugee community in this country, and it is proud to be associated with this meaningful event. It is so important that as Jewry, we don’t forget that we have been refugees and asylum seekers. We cannot forgo the awareness that there exist so many displaced people among us who are in need of assistance and support. I congratulate Alana Pugh-Jones Baranov, who is the country director of HIAS South Africa and a former professional here at the Board, for her continued efforts to protect this vulnerable population and for the success of the Refugee Shabbat this year.

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