Proudly Jewish on the streets of Joburg

Imagine walking through the centre of almost any major city in the diaspora in 2026 wearing a T-shirt celebrating your Jewish identity. For many Jews, that would feel like an act of courage. 

Yet on Sunday, 26 July, a team of Johannesburg Jews did exactly that. 

As part of 702’s Walk the Talk, our team proudly wore shirts emblazoned with the words “Jews 4 Jozi”. We weren’t simply taking part in a walk. We were making a statement: Jews belong in Johannesburg, and we are proud to be part of its story. 

The day began with a Gautrain ride, a walk through the upgraded Park Station, and a spotless Metrorail journey to Ellis Park, alongside thousands of fellow Joburgers. Before setting off on the 8km route, our group gathered for a minyan so that one participant could recite kaddish. As Raphy Da Costa reflected, “Feeling completely safe while putting on tefillin in front of thousands of people is something you can’t take for granted in today’s world.” That sentiment captured what made the day so remarkable. 

Across the world, Jews have become accustomed to questioning whether it’s safe to wear a kippah, a Magen David, or clothing identifying them as Jewish. The atmosphere of fear experienced by Jewish communities internationally inevitably affects us too. It can make us hesitant to step beyond the boundaries of our neighbourhoods or to participate fully in public life. 

But Sunday reminded us that Johannesburg tells a different story. 

Michelle Blumenau admitted that her family had discussed over Shabbat dinner whether she should wear a shirt openly identifying her as Jewish. “The only reaction I got,” she said, “was from a woman who tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘I love your shirt!’ What a blessing to come from special Joburg.” Along the route, Amira Cohen heard strangers calling out, “Jozi for Jews!”, “Keep going, Jewish people”, and “We love Jewish people!”. 

Our team ranged in age from two to 83, walking, laughing, and sharing memories while soaking up the warmth of a Johannesburg winter morning. As Shelli Strous observed, “Ubuntu and oy veys merged seamlessly with participants helping one another with prams, wheelchairs, and encouragement.” 

The city’s renewal mirrored the pride many of us felt simply walking openly as Jews through its streets. 

At the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), we often speak about growing attempts around the world to push Jews out of public spaces and make them unwelcome. But there’s another danger: that we begin to withdraw ourselves. If fear prevents us from venturing beyond the familiar confines of the “bagel belt’”, we risk losing something precious. 

Johannesburg belongs to all of us. 

We strengthen both our community and our city when we participate in civic life, whether commemorating 16 June in Soweto or joining thousands of fellow citizens for events like Walk the Talk. That is why the SAJBD and the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) created the Jews 4 Jozi team. 

As SAUJS national chairperson Sasha Said explained, “Wearing our Jews 4 Jozi T-shirts was a conscious affirmation that our Jewish identity and our place in Johannesburg are inseparable. We weren’t simply representing a community; we were participating in a city we love and in which we are invested. Visibility isn’t just about being seen, it’s about belonging.” 

For Steven Lowenstein, who completed the walk with his family of six, the experience was equally meaningful. “We never once encountered any antisemitic responses,” he said. “In fact, I felt very much part of the Rainbow Nation every step of the way.” His children delighted in discovering a mezuzah on the gate of Nando’s Central Kitchen in Lorentzville, a reminder of the many Jewish threads woven into Johannesburg’s history. 

The walk itself became a journey through memory. Every block evoked stories of Jewish Johannesburg, from the Carlton Centre to Small Street and countless family milestones that unfolded in the city’s heart. 

Perhaps the most moving moment was related by Gauteng SAJBD chairperson Danny Mofsowitz. As they left the Ellis Park tunnel, her 10-year-old daughter pulled her hair aside to point to the words “Jews 4 Jozi” on her T-shirt. “Mom,” she said, “I’m proud of who I am.” 

In a world where too many young Jews are learning to hide their identity, those simple words were profoundly powerful. 

They reminded us that belonging isn’t something to be taken for granted. It’s something to celebrate, nurture, and protect. As Jade Copans said, “This is what the future of Joburg needs to be: happiness, community, and pride”. 

Sunday was about far more than walking. It was about reclaiming public space with confidence, strengthening the bonds between our community and our city, and demonstrating that Jewish pride and South African pride go hand in hand. 

For one morning, thousands of footsteps carried a simple message through the streets of Johannesburg: We are Jews. We are Joburgers. We belong. 

• Wendy Kahn is the national director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.