‘Still here, celebrating – this is the ultimate victory’

“Young Jewish children running around and celebrating 77 years of Israeli independence is the ultimate victory against those who wish its destruction,” said Adi Cohen Hazanov, chargé d’affaires of the Israeli embassy in South Africa. Cohen Hazanov was responding to the massive Johannesburg crowd celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut at Yeshiva College campus on 1 May.

“Our independence today isn’t up for debate. It’s a living fact, earned through sacrifice and sustained by the strength of our people,” she said at the event hosted by the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF). “We’re not a passing chapter. We’re the oldest living nation on earth, and we’ll continue to thrive thanks to our resilience, values, and unwavering spirit. Our independence isn’t only about survival, it’s about vision, about values, and vitality. It’s about choosing life, even in the face of terror.”

The community came together in its thousands under blue skies to celebrate 77 years of Israel’s independence. The importance of the day was demonstrated by the installation of sunflowers and empty yellow chairs signifying the 59 hostages still being held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza.

“The history of the Jewish people can be summed up in four words: we are still here,” said Rowan Polovin, the SAZF chairperson. “Four words that echo across 3 000 years. Four words that defy empires, pogroms, and gas chambers. Four words that today, on Israel’s 77th anniversary, ring with renewed meaning.”

Though the Jewish world has been shattered since the war started with Hamas’s invasion on 7 October 2023, as Jews, we have no other choice but to celebrate the state of Israel, Polovin said. “We celebrate not because the moment is convenient, but because it’s necessary. Not in denial of pain, but in defiance of those who cause it.”

South Africa’s chief rabbi, Dr Warren Goldstein, said it was a massive privilege that the Jewish community could gather at the Yeshiva College campus to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut as it was the place where the community had come together many times before, not only to celebrate Israel, but also to gather in moments of crisis.

“Most of the people on the lawns here today will have no memory of a world without the Jewish state. Most of the people on the lawns today will have no memory of growing up without it,” he said.

Under the blue sky, members of the Johannesburg Jewish community were able to enjoy kosher food ranging from sushi and burgers to coffee and slush. All the while watching phenomenal performances by Jewish school children and other talented musicians.

A big hit for many of the younger members of the community – and their parents running after them – was the wide array of inflatable rides that they enjoyed throughout the day.

Said Polovin, “For 77 years, Israel has shown that the Jewish people will no longer outsource our security or apologise for our existence. The independence we honour today goes beyond borders. It lives in our refusal to be defined by others.”

Polovin cited many of Israel’s triumphs in 77 years that have turned it from a state cobbled together in 1948 after the War of Independence to the global powerhouse it is today.

“We celebrate a people who didn’t just return to their homeland but reimagined it. We don’t just endure history, we write it,” he said, “Scientists don’t just heal, they cure the incurable. Engineers don’t just solve problems, they reshape identities. Farmers don’t just grow food, they make deserts bloom and share their knowledge with those ready to learn. Israel is a modern miracle, a vibrant democracy pulsing with purpose and promise.”

In contrast, “our enemies count rockets with measured destruction, but they cannot count memory, they cannot measure identity, they cannot comprehend resilience. While they build tunnels, we build hospitals. They invest in rockets. We invest in research. They teach hatred. We teach healing. They embrace death. We sanctify life. That’s the difference.”

The day concluded with a performance from a South African musician who has chosen to remain anonymous for his safety. The mood was infectious as everyone joined in singing the lyrics to the songs.

“We will dance, we will build, and we believe, not despite the pain, but because of our purpose,” said Cohen Hazanov.