That Jewish Family finds a spirit of unity in SA

For a family that’s travelled to more than 30 countries, South Africa had to offer something special to leave an impression. Daniel and Raizel Namdar, the Chabad couple behind the social media platform That Jewish Family, weren’t disappointed. 

The Namdars have built an international following by documenting their lives as an observant Jewish family travelling the world. Their content explores Jewish practice, family life, Chassidic Judaism, and the experience of maintaining Jewish traditions in different countries. 

Daniel, who grew up in Sweden as the son of Chabad emissaries, initially began creating short videos about the weekly Torah portion. Australian-born Raizel later joined him, and the couple developed That Jewish Family into a broader platform about Jewish life and travel. 

The family had wanted to visit South Africa for some time. Raizel’s sister, Chanchi Malka, and her husband, Rabbi Chezki Malka, live in Cape Town and run a Chabad house for tourists and the Israeli community. 

“There wasn’t a specific Chabad house for tourists and there’s thousands of Jewish tourists a year,” Raizel said. “So, they opened that three years ago and we always felt bad that we hadn’t visited them and we’re travelling around the world, but not to them yet.” 

The couple found out about the Chabad house a year before travelling to South Africa, but didn’t tell the family of their plan to visit. “And the surprise worked,” Raizel said. 

One of the most memorable moments of their visit came at the top of Table Mountain, where Daniel blew a shofar. “That was beautiful,” Raizel said. “I think Table Mountain really deserves more attention.” 

Going up in the cable car was an experience in itself for their children. “They loved it though,” Raizel said. “It was like a ride for them.” 

The children also enjoyed spending time with family in South Africa. The Namdars have lived a largely nomadic lifestyle, travelling between countries rather than maintaining a permanent home. For about three and a half years, they had no base. After Raizel became pregnant with their third child, they decided to settle in New York and travel from there. 

New York gives the family access to a large Jewish community and convenient international travel connections. South Africa gave them an opportunity to experience Jewish communal life in a different setting. 

A Friday night gathering at the Malkas’ home stands out for them. About 100 people attended, many of whom didn’t know each other before arriving. “I think seeing all the people coming from around the world to celebrate Jewish life in Cape Town,” Raizel said. “No one knew each other. But everyone came for the same reason, to celebrate and practise their Judaism.” 

The setting added to the experience. “It was beautiful with the ocean view. It was really nice.” 

The Namdars were also struck by the infrastructure available to observant Jews in Cape Town. “I find it amazing that you guys have amazing infrastructure for Jewish people,” Raizel said. “The supermarkets are incredibly well stocked for anything kosher.” 

She was particularly impressed by the availability of kosher products at mainstream supermarkets. “You think you’re in New York with Checkers and Spar,” she said. 

They also attended the Gardens Shul, spending Shabbat with Rabbi Oshi Feldman, Raizel’s uncle. 

The SA Jewish Museum gave the family a chance to connect with an older chapter of Cape Town’s Jewish history. Raizel said she had heard about the site throughout her life and appreciated finally seeing it for herself. “It was incredible. It felt like stepping back into Europe.” 

The family then travelled to the Kruger National Park area, staying at 18 on the Hill, a resort in the Masaki private reserve connected to the park that maintains a separate kosher kitchen. This allowed the Namdars to experience the bush without compromising their religious requirements. “People don’t even know that it’s kosher,” Daniel said. “It’s one of these beautiful, upscale resorts that happen to have a separate kosher kitchen.” 

The resort offers both kosher and non-kosher menus, with the aim of keeping the meals as similar as possible. “It was very cool,” Daniel said. The family also enjoyed kosher picnics during their game drives, including kosher wine and biltong. 

Their first safari produced several memorable sightings, including two leopards. 

The Namdars spent Shabbat at the resort, with a distinctly South African meal around a fire. “That place was magical,” Raizel said. 

The family returned to New York with a strong impression of South Africa’s Jewish community. Daniel said Cape Town stood out for them. “I’ll just say this, that of all the places we’ve been to, there is a certain unity that you feel in the Jewish community in Cape Town that is very rare,” he said. 

The family had received invitations to visit Johannesburg but decided against adding another stop after their time in the Kruger. Daniel said they had heard that Johannesburg, too, has an exceptional Jewish community, but travelling with young children made the additional leg of the trip difficult. 

“I think everyone can learn from the unity that the South African Jewry has,” he said. “We’re all one nation with one father.” 

He ended his message to South African Jews with a blessing for Rosh Hashanah. “Blessing everyone with a happy new year with the South African spirit of unity.”