Rugby fans walk from Glenhazel to Ellis Park

For observant Johannesburg Jewish rugby fans, getting to Ellis Park for the Springboks’ clash with New Zealand on Saturday, 22 August, meant walking kilometres, joining friends and family along the way, and stopping at a synagogue for Mincha. 

The walk has become an increasingly established part of the experience for some rugby fans. This year, between 70 and 90 people joined at different points along a planned route from Glenhazel to the stadium in New Doornfontein. 

For people who observe Shabbat, walking offers a way to attend a major rugby fixture without travelling by car. 

David Pimstein and his family began keeping Shabbat in 2010. Since then, family members have regularly walked to Ellis Park for big games, including Super Rugby finals. 

He said the organised walk began to take shape in 2022, when SA Jewish Board of Deputies chairperson Zev Krengel and his partner, Rina Subotzky, arranged for a bakkie carrying drinks, snacks, and other supplies to follow the walkers. “Up until then, there were maybe 10 people that used to walk,” Pimstein said. “I think there were lots of different groups that walked.” 

The groups were consolidated in 2022 for a major New Zealand fixture, when about 30 people walked together. Since then, the numbers have grown. A WhatsApp group with about 65 members was used to coordinate the walk. 

Pimstein said the walkers are mostly people who keep Shabbat, but many who don’t “come and walk with us for the vibe”. 

Dorrin Lewis, who has taken part in the walk three times, helped lead the group this year. He said about 30 people left Glenhazel and another 30 joined in Sydenham. There were scheduled meeting points along the route, allowing others to join. Lewis estimated that the group eventually reached between 80 and 90 people. 

Subotzky said she and Krengel organised the follow car with drinks and snacks for everyone walking. She didn’t participate in the walk herself this year due to another engagement, but her children joined the group. 

One of the significant additions this year was a Mincha service at the Lions Shul, close to Ellis Park. The flyer for the service invited the walkers to join Mincha and also advertised l’chaims and snacks before and after the service. 

Mendel Medalie helped arrange for the synagogue to be opened for the group and for someone to conduct the service, with his son also involved in the Torah reading. 

Pimstein said some people who hadn’t taken part in the walk also came to the old shul. “We had a full-on Mincha service in the Lions Shul, which was fantastic. There was a lot of spirit and singing.” 

Another man, who took part in the walk but asked not to be named, estimated that about 70 people converged at the Victory Theatre in Orange Grove after starting from areas including Illovo, Athol, Melrose, and Glenhazel. 

“The vibe on the street was amazing and reminded me of 1995 gees [spirit], with cars hooting, l’chaims, and shouting for the Boks,” he said. 

Barnett described the Mincha as a “green and gold service”, with singing and dancing. Comedian Nik Rabinowitz was also present and was invited to participate. 

Pimstein’s wife and two daughters joined him this year, meaning that six members of his family walked together. “It’s a nice way of still making the effort to show that you’re keeping Shabbat and still being able to go to these wonderful events while living in Africa,” he said. 

He acknowledged that the relationship between attending rugby on Shabbat and Jewish observance is not straightforward. “It’s a tough one. The rabbis will tell you it’s not necessarily in the spirit of Shabbat.” 

For Lewis, the experience is also about the social connections created by the walk. “There’s no specific moment,” he said when asked what stood out most. Instead, he mentioned people meeting others they might not otherwise have encountered. 

“It just gets bigger and bigger the more people hear about it,” he said. “For me, I love the rugby and the game’s great, but a highlight is actually the walk.” 

The journey doesn’t end with a return walk. Participants arrange alternative transport home after the game. 

The combination of the walk, the Mincha service, and the match created a route between Jewish communal life and one of South Africa’s most prominent sporting traditions. For the organisers and participants, the growing numbers suggest that the walk has become more than a practical way of reaching Ellis Park. It is a recurring part of the rugby experience for a group of Johannesburg Jews who want to attend games together.