Signage of the times

We’re navigating a time when simple misunderstandings can spiral into harm, particularly for minority communities like ours. A recent incident at Pick n Pay in Norwood, Johannesburg, before Pesach, illustrates this challenge.

Actor Eric Miyeni, observing blue and white decorations and Magen Davids in the store’s Pesach section, became incensed and used these religious symbols for a political statement. Miyeni’s blatantly racist rhetoric against a specific faith and ethnic group, and the wave of antisemitic comments online, reveal a disturbing erosion of once-accepted boundaries of decent discourse, particularly when it comes to Jews. The comment and attention it garnered also led to a small protest by Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) coalition supporters the next day, on the eve of both Shabbat and Pesach.

The subsequent removal of these decorations was deeply disheartening, and the absence of our symbols suggested that Jewish religious expression was unwelcome in shared spaces. This caused understandable distress within our community. The Board approached Pick n Pay’s senior leadership, who readily agreed to a meeting and accepted that they had caused hurt to the community. The meeting was conducted respectfully, and Pick n Pay, having listened to the concerns of the community, agreed to return the Magen Davids to the display.

This incident underscores two realities: a lack of awareness about Jewish traditions among some of our neighbours, and a willingness by groups like BDS to exploit these gaps for its own divisive ends. The original post and the comments it provoked revealed not only misinformation about our faith, but a latent antisemitism that requires little provocation to surface.

BDS’s readiness to target our religious symbols during a sacred festival further illustrates a disregard for our community’s dignity. We are certain that BDS leaders are aware of the significance of the Magen David and Pesach and as such, the protest and protesters meant malice. Equally troubling, though in no way surprising, is the involvement of South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP), whose protestations that their actions aren’t antisemitic ring hollow when they align with actions that undermine the religious significance of Pesach.

Despite what the organisers are now trying to explain, it’s clear that this protest wasn’t about politics or boycotts, it was a targeted attack on our community’s ability to observe Pesach freely, intimidating shoppers as they prepared for a sacred festival. It was an attack on Pesach, a harassment meant to cause shoppers discomfort as we approached our holy days. In declaring that a basic religious expression of purchasing food for a festival is a political provocation, the BDS and SAJFP intimate that Jews uniquely don’t have the right to practice their religion and observe dietary requirements free from persecution. This is unacceptable.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies will continue to advocate for our community’s right to express its identity openly. Despite the efforts of BDS, SAJFP, Eric Miyeni, or any others, South African Jews will not be marginalised or ghettoised into the shadows. Our community is an integral part of this nation’s tapestry, and we won’t be sidelined. We remain committed to fostering understanding, celebrating our traditions proudly, and ensuring that our symbols are respected in the public space.

Following the horrific terror attacks against Hindu tourists in Kashmir, India, we offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We stand with the Hindu community at this difficult time and pray for the innocent victims and their families and for the recovery of the injured.