The war is over – now is the time to act

For many South African Jews, the return of hostages has been met with a complicated mix of relief, pride, grief, and unfinished business. Relief that loved ones are home. Pride in Jewish resilience. Grief for what was lost, and for those still carrying scars. And a pressing question that refuses to go away: now what? 

This war has done something profound to the average South African Jew. It has emboldened us. It has sharpened our sense of peoplehood and deepened our love and concern for Israel. You don’t need to agree with every Israeli policy to feel this. Many don’t. But disagreement doesn’t erase history. Israel remains our historical homeland, bound to Jewish identity not by politics, but by memory, faith, and survival. 

Over the past years, Jews who were previously quiet have found their voice. Blue-and-white pins appeared on lapels. Conversations once avoided were confronted. A community that often prided itself on keeping its head down stood up instead. That awakening matters. But awakening alone isn’t enough. 

Pride without purpose fades. Hurt without direction hardens. The real test of this moment is whether we convert emotion into action. 

Rebuilding Israel isn’t only about bricks and budgets. It’s about people. It’s about healing trauma, restoring dignity, and reminding those who were targeted that they aren’t defined by what was done to them. This is where South African Jewry has a critical role to play. 

Across our community, organisations are already doing this work. The Base has become a home for active and engaged Zionism in the frameworks of meaningful Jewish engagement, especially for those who want to do and feel rather than just debate. 

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) continues the vital work of rebuilding communities and lives on the ground in South Africa and Israel. The South African Zionist Federation provides media advocacy and education at a time when clarity and confidence are essential. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies stands on the front lines defending the rights, safety, and legitimacy of South African Jews. And there are many others. 

Together, for example, The Base and the JNF are deliberately reframing the narrative by turning hostages into heroes – not symbols frozen in pain, but individuals whose courage and survival can inspire unity, rebuilding, and hope. This work will continue, because recovery, for us all, isn’t a moment. It’s a process. 

But these organisations cannot do it alone. This is the moment to pick up the phone, send the email, attend the meeting, make the donation, volunteer time or skills, and ask a simple question: how can I help? Reach out to any of our communal institutions quietly carrying the weight of this moment. Collective strength exists only when individuals step forward. 

The hostages are back. The war is over. That chapter, thank G-d, has turned. But a new story can and must be written now. The question before us is whether South African Jewry retreats back into daily routine and comfort, or steps forward into responsibility. 

History has handed us clarity. Now it demands commitment. 

Channel the pride. Sit with the hurt. Then turn it into action. 

• Saul Jassinowsky is the vice-chairperson of the South African Zionist Federation. He is also an executive committee member of JNFSA and a member of The Base community.