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To all our friends, family, community – Mishpacha. As we reflect on the past year and the abundant challenges which we as a community have faced, we cannot help but feel a great sense of pride, Yiddishkeit and unity.
Since the horrific events of October 7th, we have come together as a united community first in our shared grief and anger followed by our desire to fight for our rights as South African Jews and to live our way of life. Whilst we cannot imagine what our brothers and sisters in Israel must be going through, the relentless attacks on our beloved Am Yisrael, continue to impact our community.
Rest assured that everyone at the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies along with all our communal partners, are committed to doing everything within our means to guarantee your safety and security and ensure that our Jewish way of life continues.
This Rosh Hashanah, let us fill our shuls with song and prayer, sing Avinu Malkeinu and b’ Rosh Hashanah Yikateivun loudly and proudly and dip our apples in sweet golden honey. May the sounds of the Shofar herald in a year of peace, an end to the war and the safe return of all the hostages.
Wishing everyone a Shana Tova Tikatevu.
Adrienne Jacobson, Chairperson, Cape SAJBD
Daniel Bloch, Executive Director, Cape SAJBD
Jewish woman assaulted by Pro-Palestinian group.
This past Friday, 27 September, a senior Jewish woman, was assaulted by an aggressive Pro-Palestinian group, whilst standing outside Parliament. The Jewish woman’s identity remains anonymous due to safety concerns.
The Jewish woman arrived on Friday morning to join her Christian Zionist friends, who have been standing outside Parliament, every Friday for the past 25 years, singing songs and praying for peace in the Middle East. When she arrived holding her Israeli flag, members of the pro-Palestinian group, who were protesting, attacked her, grabbed her flag, injuring her hands in the process. They destroyed her flag and proceeded to verbally abuse her. One comment from one of the pro-Palestinian members was “Jews must go away, Jews must all die, pity that they didn’t finish Jews off in Europe.”
The Jewish woman then walked away from the aggressive group who continued to follow her whilst prodding her with their own flag sticks. They then grabbed the second Israeli flag from the Jewish woman and set it alight. Thankfully a member of the Parliament precinct arrived and came to the aid of the Jewish woman, firstly putting an end to the assault and finally retrieving the burnt flag. Throughout this ordeal, the Jewish woman kept calm continuously saying to the aggressors, “you can wave your flag and I can wave my flag.”
A case of assault has been opened with SAPS as the Jewish woman sustained lacerations to her hands and bruising to her face. The previous week, also outside Parliament, the same aggressive pro-Palestinian group, attacked an elderly Christian man, stealing his Israeli flag and then slapping him in the face and kicking him in the stomach. He too sustained injuries and will also be opening a case with SAPS. There is also a video of the incident.
The Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies condemns in the strongest terms, a deviation from a South African ethos of peaceful protest into a physical and verbal assault by certain pro-Palestinian groups. Freedom of expression is a constitutional enshrined right of every South African and for these groups to deny individuals of these rights and compound this by committing criminal acts, is unacceptable. We have engaged with both SAPS and the City of Cape Town to act against these hoodlums and ensure that they do not attack anyone else in the future. We may have differing opinions about the war in the Middle East, however, it does not validate or justify the use of hate speech and violence.
We call on our government leaders including the ANC to condemn the violence against fellow South Africans – regardless of the ANC’s political position against Israel, they must support their own citizens’ Constitutional rights to Freedom of Expression, free from discrimination, hate and violence.
For more information please contact Daniel Bloch on danielb@ctjc.co.za
Issued by Adrienne Jacobson, Chairperson, Cape SAJBD
Date: 1 October 2024
"There is a fine line between being famous or being infamous. To some people, you can be a hero and the best thing since sliced cheese. To others, you are the villain and someone who represents evil of the worst kind. As the Executive Director of the Cape SAJBD, I have unfortunately experienced the latter; however, thankfully, I have more admirers for the work I do than those who dislike me. " Read the October edition of the Cape Jewish Chronicle to see what our Executive Director has to say.
#ProudlyJewish #communitycares
Famous or infamous? - Cape Jewish Chronicle
cjc.org.za
Connect, Collaborate, Community By DANIEL BLOCH, Executive Director, Cape SAJBD There is a fine line between being famous or being infamous. To some people, you can be a hero and […]
On Heritage Day, we celebrate the rich diversity of cultures, traditions, and histories that make our rainbow nation unique. At the Cape SAJBD, we honour the contributions of all those who came before us in building South Africa’s vibrant, diverse society, while standing alongside all communities in fostering unity, understanding, and respect.
Let’s continue working together to preserve our heritage and create a brighter, inclusive future for all.
#HeritageDay #SouthAfrica #UnityInDiversity
“As a Jewish community we are in an intersection of unprecedented challenges, and the work of the board at this time as we combat antisemitism and advocate for the civil rights of our community, its security and well-being has never been more critical.” The Cape SAJBD chairperson, Adrienne Jacobson as she addressed our affiliates and community members at the Board’s annual AGM this past Sunday 15th September. The AGM was an opportunity for the Board to reflect on the year's activities and address pressing issues affecting the Jewish community. The Cape SAJBD also celebrates our 120th year since inception in 1904.
The keynote address was made by David Hirsh – a renowned antisemitism expert, academic and author. Hirsh, a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London, has established himself as a leading voice in contemporary antisemitism discourse. In his address at the AGM, Hirsh examined the modern landscape of antisemitism, and ‘antizionism’, tracing its historical roots and discussing its current manifestations.
To learn more about what was discussed at the AGM and David Hirsh's addresses at both our AGM and the book launch, you can read next month's edition of the Cape Jewish Chronicle
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