Spirit over statistics: protecting SA Jewry’s outsized voice

On 9 June 2025, the Zionist Supreme Court in Jerusalem delivered a landmark ruling that reaffirmed a fundamental principle: a Jewish diaspora community’s strength cannot be measured by population numbers alone. The court overturned a controversial recommendation to reduce South Africa’s representation at the World Zionist Congress from six mandates to five, recognising that the power and impact of our community’s Zionism transcends demographic considerations entirely.

The World Zionist Organization’s election mandates committee had based its proposal on South Africa’s declining Jewish population, now estimated at approximately 52 000. This statistical approach fundamentally missed the essence of what makes South African Jewry exceptional: our disproportionately powerful connection to Israel and our outsized impact on the Zionist cause. Numbers alone cannot capture the intensity of commitment, the depth of institutional strength, or the extraordinary influence our community wields in support of Israel.

The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) immediately challenged this reductive reasoning, with Vice-Chairperson Larry Marks personally delivering a compelling appeal in Jerusalem on 25 May 2025. The SAZF’s case demonstrated that measuring Zionist representation by population statistics alone ignores the profound reality of our community’s exceptional dedication and remarkable achievements. Our argument revealed how moral standing, organisational excellence, and the capacity to inspire Jewish identity under challenging circumstances matter far more than raw numbers.

While demographic decline does tell a different story in the South African context, with our disproportionately high aliya rates compared to other emigration countries reflecting Zionist success rather than failure, this represents just one element of our broader case. The central argument rests on the undeniable power of South African Jewry’s connection to Israel and our community’s extraordinary capacity to deliver impact far beyond our demographic weight.

The court’s unanimous judgement validated this approach, establishing that representation must reflect not only current population but also historical depth, institutional resilience, and ongoing Zionist influence. Most significantly, the ruling acknowledged that Jewish communities demonstrating exceptional commitment and outsized impact deserve recognition commensurate with their contribution, regardless of size.

This recognition carries profound significance for South African Jewry, whose powerful Zionist influence has shaped both our community and Israel itself for more than a century. Established in 1898, just one year after Theodor Herzl’s inaugural Congress, the SAZF became the oldest national Jewish organisation in South Africa and the southernmost extension of political Zionism. From its inception, the SAZF understood that building robust communal infrastructure was essential to maximising our impact on both Jewish life in South Africa and the global Zionist movement.

The SAZF’s early vision proved extraordinarily prescient. By the 1920s, it had embedded itself deeply within Jewish communal life, forming dozens of youth societies and introducing the innovative “voluntary Zionist tax”. Women played a central role in this grassroots mobilisation, distributing Jewish National Fund boxes that became daily reminders of our profound connection to the homeland. This emotional bond translated into material commitment that defied all demographic expectations.

The statistics reveal our community’s outsized influence. By 1939, South African Jews had contributed nearly $3.9 million to Zionist causes, trailing only the vastly larger American Jewish community. This extraordinary generosity per capita reflected the exceptional depth of our Zionist commitment and the SAZF’s remarkable ability to mobilise resources for the Jewish state. Our relatively small community was delivering impact far beyond what numbers alone would suggest possible.

With Israel’s establishment in 1948, this disproportionate influence took concrete form. South African donations funded the construction of Afridar, an entire suburb of Ashkelon, whose street names – South Africa Boulevard, Johannesburg, and Kaapstad – remain enduring symbols of our profound bond with Israel. Simultaneously, hundreds of South African volunteers fought in Israel’s War of Independence, demonstrating that our support extended far beyond fundraising to personal sacrifice on the battlefield.

The SAZF’s success in facilitating aliya further exemplifies our community’s exceptional impact. Through partnerships with the Israel Centre in South Africa and Telfed in Israel, the organisation has ensured that South African immigrants receive comprehensive support, from housing assistance to educational bursaries, and lone-soldier programmes. More than 25 000 South African Jews have made aliya over the decades, enriching Israeli society with their professional skills while embodying the Zionist movement’s central mission. This extraordinary per capita contribution to Israeli society demonstrates the power of our community’s Zionist commitment.

Yet the SAZF’s relevance extends far beyond historical achievements. When the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign launched in Durban in 2001, and as South Africa’s African National Congress government increasingly aligned with anti-Israel forces, the SAZF adapted once again. Operating in one of the world’s most challenging environments for Israel advocacy, we became a powerful voice for truth, countering misinformation and equipping our community to engage confidently with hostile political, academic, and media institutions.

This adaptability reflects the deeper character of South African Jewry’s exceptional Zionism. Despite facing unprecedented hostility, our community has developed remarkable resilience, strategic clarity, and moral courage. These qualities have enabled us to maintain influence far beyond our population numbers, demonstrating that the power of Zionist commitment can overcome any statistical disadvantage.

The recent Supreme Court victory represents recognition of this fundamental truth: that Zionist representation must account for the intensity and impact of engagement, not merely the quantity of members. The ruling affirms that communities demonstrating exceptional dedication, institutional strength, and outsized influence deserve recognition commensurate with their contribution to the Zionist cause.

This principle resonates far beyond South Africa’s borders. As Jewish communities globally grapple with various challenges, the SAZF’s successful appeal demonstrates how the power of Zionist commitment and strategic excellence can have an outsized impact. The judgement reminds us that in the Zionist movement, what ultimately matters is not how many we are, but how powerfully we contribute to Israel’s strength and security.

The SAZF’s century-long journey from Herzl’s southernmost outpost to a recognised voice of exceptional influence illustrates this truth perfectly. Our community’s disproportionate impact on Israel’s development, our unwavering support through every challenge, and our remarkable capacity to inspire and mobilise represent the very essence of what Zionist representation should reflect.

By successfully defending our representation, we have reaffirmed that Zionism lives in the power of connection, the intensity of commitment, and the impact of dedicated action. For South African Jewry, this victory represents both vindication of our extraordinary contribution and recognition that our community’s exceptional Zionism deserves its rightful voice in shaping the movement’s future.

• Rowan Polovin is national chairman of the South African Zionist Federation.