SUZANNE BELLING
Rabbi Goldstein, in his message during the recent Jewish festivals, described the implementation of the Shabbos Project as one of the most dramatic kinds of community leadership… “people who embrace personal responsibility and do not wait for others to provide solution, but who come forward optimistically and dynamically to create a better community for all”.
The Shabbos Project started in South Africa and last year spread to 465 cities and 65 countries, involving about one million Jews, who speak eight different languages.
While it is impossible to cover all the efforts of the Shabbos Project across South Africa and beyond, several of the congregations and communities in Gauteng, the Western Cape, Umhlanga and even as far afield as Kimberley and Swaziland, have wholeheartedly embraced the programme.
Rabbi Kievman’s shul will commence with a candle-lighting workshop and meditation, followed by the Friday night service, a buffet brocha and “A Taste of Shabbos” dinner. The next morning there will be a “Kabbalah Café” before shul and a communal brocha lunch after the service. The afternoon will encourage study, rest and visits to nearby senior citizens.
Mincha will be followed by a seuda shlishit to which all are welcome and Ma’ariv will end on a high note with a musical Havdalah.
Rabbi Yossy Goldman, senior rabbi of the Sydenham-Highlands North Hebrew Congregation, said his shul would be hosting the Solomon Brothers, musical stars of the Havdalah concert, for the Friday night service. They would be joined by Chazan Yudi Cohen and the Sydenham Choir, with a massive street brocha on Main.
Shabbos day will feature a combined shiur, with Rabbi Goldman speaking on “The Soul of Shabbos” and a catered lunch.
Dayan Rabbi Dovid Baddiel, of the Johannesburg Beth Din, will conduct a question and answer session on the laws of Shabbos at the seuda shlishit after Mincha, which is at 17:00.
Rabbi Dovid Hazdan, of the Great Park Shul, says his congregation is looking forward to a “huge Friday night dinner under the stars” and a special lunch on Shabbat day.
“There will be exciting activities for kids,” he said.
In Cape Town, the Claremont Wynberg Hebrew Congregation will be holding a Friday night dinner with “host couples” at each table, who will be inviting their own guests and individuals will deliver their own Dvar Torah – for prizes.
The Shabbat Kiddush-brocha lunch will be in the “tent of Avraham and Sarah”.
“Marais Road Shul is gearing up,” says Rabbi Dovid Wineberg. “We start with a musical Kabbalat Shabbat service. By day we are hosting a huge picnic on the (Sea Point) promenade, with individual picnic bags for all those keeping Shabbos.
“Like always, we’ll end up with a smashing seuda shlishit and musical Havdalah.”
The Pretoria Hebrew Congregation is hosting a big Shabbos lunch at the shul – no cost for people staying for the duration of Shabbos.
WIZO is holding a challah bake on Thursday evening, October 22 at the shul.
Also a group of individuals is hosting a supper for about 60 people at their apartment block.
The Griqualand West Hebrew Congregation in Kimberley, does not normally have Saturday morning services because of the difficulty in finding a minyan.
“But, in honour of the Shabbos Project, we are having a Saturday service and a brocha,” said chairman Adrian Horwitz.
At Chabad of the North Coast, Shlomo Wainer said his congregation was organising a Friday night dinner with a “Shabbos Around the World” theme and a brocha lunch following the Shabbos morning service.
Geoff Ramokgadi, leader of the Swaziland Jewish community, which comprises 18 families, said he would invite as many members as possible to participate in a communal Shabbos meal at the home of Chaim Torgeman and encourage them to keep Shabbat.
In addition to all the shul activities in Johannesburg, there will be a communal challah bake on Thursday, October 22 in the covered parking area of the Norwood Mall.
