Israel celebrates Independence Day amid reminders about ...

Israel celebrates Independence Dayamid reminders about Gilad Shalit

Friday, 13 May 2011 / 9 Iyar, 5771 Volume 15 Number 17www.sajewishreport.co.za

YOUTH / 16 SPORT / 20 LETTERS / 14-15 CROSSWORD & BRIDGE / 18 COMMUNITY BUZZ / 8 WHAT’S ON / 18

AT 79, ATHOL FUGARD WILLNOT SLOW DOWN / 13

PHILIP MILLER’S REWINDMASTERPIECE / 12

POWERFULTESTIMONYOF COURAGEAND DIGNITY/ 13

SAKS: Israel only ME country

where Christians increasing / 11

Digital archive of JTA

stories since 1923 / 9

ROSEN: How to mark

an enemy’s death / 10

ISRAEL’S 63RD BIRTHDAYCELEBRATED IN STYLE

A musical extravaganza at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg on Monday

night, was a fitting and joyous birthday bash to celebrate Israel’s 63rd year of independence.

“Footsteps to the Future”, organised by the SAZF, did Israel - and the SAZF - proud. Pictured

on stage are “host” Oshy Tugendhaft (in the suit), with some of the background singers.

(PHOTOGRAPH BY ILAN OSSENDRYVER) SEE PAGE 6

PAGES 3-6, 10

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Holocaust Survivors

Cookbook / 8

2 SA JEWISH REPORT 13 - 20 May 2011

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BOARD OF DIRECTORSHoward Feldman (Chairman), Issie Kirsh(Deputy Chairman), Stan Kaplan, MarleneBethlehem, Russell Gaddin, Norman Lowenthal, BertieLubner, Benjy Porter, Herby Rosenberg, Howard Sackstein, Jason Valkin.

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Starts Ends17:13 18:03 Johannesburg17:37 18:30 Cape Town16:55 17:46 Durban17:15 18:06 Bloemfontein17:09 18:01 Port Elizabeth17:01 17:53 East London

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The Beth Din logo does not appear on the packaging.

THE EXPERIENCE of MountSinai - and the revelation of theCovenant that remains thebinding force for Jews in con-tract with G-d - are the assertedsource for the social legislationof this week’s sedra.

First listed among thesehalachot is the sabbatical yearfor the land. Like Jews who arecommanded to rest on eachseventh day, the sacred soil,blessed by Divine Providence,shares a rhythm of sevens, tobe followed by shnat hayovel -the jubilee year. This is seen asa means of guaranteeing con-tinued blessing and continuedleadership in the land.

Torah also sets forward aplan of land distribution andthe return of parcels to theoriginal tribal holdings in the50th year. This is curious legis-lation from several stand-points, both in its applicabilityin Biblical times and in its re-application through genera-tions of halachic change.

From earliest rabbinic teach-ings, it is clear that manyalready found the zeroing outof all debt in the seventh yearcounterproductive: Hillelintroduced the prozbul - mak-ing the debt property of theassigned holder and transcend-ing the sabbatical rules - inorder to ensure a stable creditmarket.

With the destruction of theFirst Temple, the differentiationof the tribes was greatly dis-rupted; by the time of thedestruction and exile that endedthe sacrificial worship andJewish self-rule until recenttimes, our ability to know towhom land might return wereeven further diminished.

During recent days the worldhas noted the 63rd anniversaryof the State of Israel. ThatState is a modern legal anddemocratic entity. The rules ofland ownership, of indebted-ness and social provision forthose in need, are establishedon principles differing fromTorah, and more akin to thehalachah.

The overriding principleremains directly connected tothe Torah. Social justice standsat the heart of a Jewish society:in the words of the Torah - one

law for the stranger and thehome-born.

As Jews in the Diaspora, thehope that led to the establish-ment of Israel through theUnited Nations-approved reso-lution of November 29 1947, isour hope that even as minoritycommunities around theworld, we have a stake in theworld at large and a homelandto call our own.

This Torah portion, and itsusual partner – Bechukotai - docontain important and relevantinstructions to us about ourresponsibilities to others in ourcommunity and in our employ.

Whether from “our group”or from outside that group, theaffirmation of the humanity ofevery individual are signalvalues that underlie Judaism.They have taken root in much of the good work ofJewish communities aroundthe world.

When we look to Israel, weare able to see that despite theugly face of conflict since theState was proclaimed in 1948,the quiet and ongoing assis-tance for those in need inneighbouring nations - Jewand non-Jew alike - constitutea remarkable record in supportof human rights.

It is sad that we live in a timewhen vilification of Israel, espe-cially through the BDS (Boycott,Disinvest, Sanction) campaigntoo easily crosses the boundaryto be addressed to all Jews in theform of a new anti-Semitism.

As a community in SouthAfrica, our place remains a cat-alytic one - our commitment tojustice, equality and fairnessrepresent the leadership of acovenanted people to demo-cratic society.

Judaism - the covenantedrelationship - has been carriedfor untold generations by thespiritual successors and des-cendants of Jacob/Israel.

The times ahead encourageus to be unified as a communi-ty, to set aside our internal dis-agreements about practice andserve individually and collec-tively as ambassadors for thehighest values and most signif-icant teachings that have madeJews Am Olam—the EternalPeople.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BYMOIRA SCHNEIDERCAPE TOWN

THE FACT that six genocides hadcommemoration anniversariesduring the month of April, was “atragic testament to the interna-tional community’s inexcusablefailure to stop inhuman and bar-barous acts”.

So said Richard Freedman,director of the South AfricanHolocaust and Genocide Foun-dation, at a tea hosted at the CapeTown Holocaust Centre by execu-tive mayor of Cape Town,Alderman Dan Plato, to honoursurvivors of the Holocaust andthe Rwandan Genocide.

Members of the Rwandan com-munity and of the Holocaust sur-vivors’ organisation, She’erithHapletah, were present at this, thefirst such gathering, as wasAlderman Belinda Walker.

While January 27 had been de-signated International Day ofHolocaust Remembrance by theUnited Nations, Freedman said anannual event was insufficient tomaintain public awareness. Hepraised the mayor’s office for see-

ing the need to honour survivorsand for showing a commitment togenocide prevention.

Referring to recent genocidesacross Africa, Plato said thoseoccurrences reminded one that“such atrocities should not berepeated and we have a responsi-bility in this regard. We need towalk the democracy walk and talkthe democracy talk,” he said,adding that South Africa couldplay a leading role in this regard.

“I know that many here havelost family to the Holocaust andthe Rwandan genocide - let it beknown that our thoughts andprayers are with you,” he said. “Ihope that every person here willnever forget these atrocities andwork hard to combat those thatare happening today.”

Turning his attention to the rolethe Cape Town Holocaust Centrewas playing, he said: “You mustcontinue spreading your message.You’re doing a great job.

“People across cultural and reli-gious lines need to embrace eachother and accept each other aspeople. That’s the reason for thepresence of the mayor’s officetoday.”

Mayor Dan Plato honourssurvivors of Holocaust,Rwandan genocide

Holocaust survivor Miriam Lichterman; Cape Town executive mayor

Dan Plato; and Rwandan Rissa Niyobuhungiro; at the tea hosted by

Plato at the Cape Town Holocaust Centre.

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13 - 20 May 2011 SA JEWISH REPORT 3

THIS YEAR El Al, the national carrier ofIsrael, dedicated its Independence DayFlyover to the families of Israeli captivesGilad Shalit and Ron Arad, to the victims ofIsrael’s wars and terrorist acts and to thefamilies of soldiers who are missing inaction.

El Al CEO Elyezer Shkedy, said in a mediarelease: “On Israel’s 63rd Independence Day,El Al... salutes the Shalit and Arad familiesand the families that have suffered casual-ties as a result of Israel’s wars and of acts ofterror, as well as families of those missing inaction and prisoners of war, on behalf of theEl Al family and the citizens of the State ofIsrael.”

The names of the planes which took part

in the flyover, had been changed for theweek of Independence Day to:

The 747 Aircraft, “Jerusalem” - “We allsupport the families of casualties of Israel’swars and acts of terror.”

The 777 Aircraft, “Sderot” - “We all sup-port Gilad Shalit.”

The 767 Aircraft, “Daliat el Carmel” - Weall support Ron Arad.”

The 737 Aircraft, “Degania” – “We AllSupport the Families of Captives andMissing Soldiers”

The flyover took place midday on YomHa’atzmaut, May 10, and flew in a formationof four Boeing aircraft: 737, 767, 777 and 747.The flight began over Nahariya and headedsouthward, along the coastline, up to Ashdod.

El Al honours Shalit, Aradin Independence Day flyover

MARCY OSTERJERUSALEM

AS ISRAELIS celebrated thecountry’s 63rd IndependenceDay, they had much more ontheir minds than barbecues andfireworks.

The carefully crafted theme ofthe day, “Looking after oneanother - the year of mutualcare,” raised the hackles of someIsraelis who do not believe theState is looking after everyone.

At a ceremony on Mondaynight at Mount Herzl that ush-ered in Independence Day cele-brations, Yoel Shalit, the brotherof captive Israeli soldier GiladShalit, disrupted the iconic torch-lighting by bolting with his girl-friend to the stage shouting andwaving a sign that read “Gilad isstill alive”. He was quickly ushered away bysecurity personnel.

Later, opposition leader Tzipi Livni, headof the Kadima Party, went to talk with him.

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin dedicatedhis celebratory torch to Shalit, along withIsrael’s other MIAs and convicted spyJonathan Pollard.

The 12 torches representing the 12 tribesof Israel, were lit by Israeli citizens chosento represent various sectors of society.Among the honorees were an Israeli PrisonServices employee honouring the policecadets killed in the Carmel forest fire;Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his grandsonMoshe Holtzberg, whose parents, Gavrieland Rivkah Holtzberg, were killed in the2008 terrorist attack at Mumbai’s ChabadHouse; Orit Dror, who donated her son’sorgans upon his death from an illness; andBarbara Goldstein, deputy executive direc-tor of Hadassah in Israel, which is markingits 100th year.

In Independence Day interviews in theIsraeli press, President Shimon Perescalled for peace negotiations with thePalestinians, despite a unity agreementsigned between Fatah and Hamas, the ter-rorist group that rules the Gaza Strip.

Peres addressed regional threats: “Weare still facing evil forces, especially thosethat emanate from Iran,” he said.

“This call, by a regime that is a danger tothe entire world, should be met by anuncompromising mobilisation of the inter-national community. We are determined,together with our supporters everywhere,to fight anti-Semitism and delegitimisa-tion.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahualso offered a televised statement. “On this

day, it is our duty to celebrate our greatachievements, success and hopes that havebeen realised.”

Referencing Israel’s national anthem,“Hatikvah,” Netanyahu said: “The saying,‘Being a free nation in our country’ hasbecome the reality of our life, and these arethe moments when we can put all our dif-ferences and disagreements aside.

“We know that there are many thingswhich must be fixed, but we must be proudof what we’ve achieved and, above all, feelthe power and strength of unity.”

As is custom, Israelis spent the day atbarbecues, picnics and hikes at nationalparks and nature reserves. Some 63 nation-al heritage sites were open free to visitorson Tuesday, including Independence Hallin Tel Aviv.

The Israel Defence Forces also openedseveral of its bases - including the Navy AirForce and Ground Forces - to visitors onTuesday, where special events were held.At Beit Hanassi, the president’s official res-idence, Peres, Netanyahu, Defence MinisterEhud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Lt GenBenny Gantz gathered for an annualIndependence Day celebration. They eachsang their favourite Israeli song in duetwith a famous Israeli musical artist.

Shlomo Edelman, a high school yeshivastudent from Nof Ayalon, won theInternational Bible Contest on Tuesday, anannual Independence Day event held inJerusalem. The Israel Prize, awarded eachyear on Independence Day, was set to beawarded on Tuesday night to 10 recipientsin areas including law, sports, music andIsrael studies.

The weather, as usual, was bright andsunny. (JTA)

On Independence Day, areminder about Gilad Shalit

Israeli and Diaspora youths taking part in the March of the Living walk by the walls of

Jerusalem's Old City on Israel's Independence Day on Tuesday. (PHOTOGRAPH: MIRIAM

ALSTER/FLASH90/JTA

Yoel Shalit, brother of captured Israeli soldier Gilad

Shalit, is led away by security after interrupting an

Independence Day ceremony at Mount Herzl in

Jerusalem on Tuesday. PHOTOGRAPH: MIRIAM

ALSTER/FLASH90/JTA)


ALISON GOLDBERGPHOTOGRAPH: YESHAI COHEN

“IT IS important to know, that weas Jews do not stand alone.Although it may seem that theworld is against us, the truth isthat there are millions of SouthAfricans who are very passionateabout Israel and very aware ofthe lies and the challenges Israelfaces.”

This was said by Daniel Levitt,co-director of Companions ofIsrael, when he addressed a rous-ing Bnei Akiva Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration atSydenham Highlands North’s Seeff Hall on Mondaynight.

Rosh Bnei Akiva Johannesburg, Joshua Hovsha,exhorted the predominately youthful gathering, whowere joyously dancing from the get-go, not to be afraidto speak up for Israel and recalled the moment 63 yearsbefore on erev Shabbat when the nation came intobeing, defying all expectations that in a world wheremight was right, Israel would fall.

Levitt, who became active in Companions of Israel inresponse to the Turkish flotilla debacle when an Israelisoldier was battered with iron bars by a lynch mob andthrown onto the lower deck of the Mavi Marmara,which also left nine Turkish would-be invaders dead,described the body as a group of individuals who hadcome together to form an influential and powerful voicefor Israel here in South Africa.

Its purpose was to advocate and strengthen the sup-port for Israel and “to put a stop to the false, fabricatedand ridiculous delegitimisation of our land and people”.

Many of the individuals who support Companions ofIsrael, were leaders within Christian communities,some of them representing up to 1,2 million people.

“My friends,” said Levitt, “We are undoubtedly fight-ing a war. It is happening on our university campuses,on the front pages of our newspapers and on our com-puter screens. It is the youth who understand the worldof social networking and who must be on the forefrontof it.

“The world loves the underdog. But the Palestiniansare not the underdog; they are part of a religion that hasover a billion followers. It is the Jews who are the under-dog. We are a very small nation that has been persecut-ed in every generation for most of our history and thisgeneration is no different.

“Know this: the students who are attacking us on uni-versity campuses have only at most six years of politicalindoctrination. We as Jews have grown up with it. Neverfeel for one moment that you are not educated or expe-rienced enough to fight back. If we stick to the truth, ifwe express reality, our truth will always overcome lies.

“It is time for us to build our own media platforms inas many new ways as possible. Therefore we have start-ed by launching a news and information website calledNewscrate.co.za. We ensure that when it comes to Israel,the truth is reported in full.

“The site has now gone into its fourth month, ourreadership is majority Christian and to date we havereceived thousands of visits, hundreds of thousands ofhits and are becoming an influential voice. This is onesmall part of a very big challenge and we will focusimmense energy to build platforms across a wide spec-trum of media, to counteract the lies and build thetruth.

“It is the belief of many religious Christians that if agovernment, any government officially speaks outagainst Israel, that country will be punished. Thus fol-lowing the Gaza flotilla incident, a delegation ofChristians was sent to the Kotel to pray for the well-being and safety of South Africa.

“In a recent article published on Ynet, ‘A Mideastwithout Christians’, the writer said this was the saddestEaster in the long history of Christians in the MiddleEast and that the cross is near extinction in the regionand that the much-vaunted diversity in it was going tobe reduced to the flat monotony of a single religion:Islam.

In Durban, Christian evangelist Angus Buchan, whohas the capability of communicating with about twomillion South African Christians, and attracts a crowdof over 400 000 at his annual conference, told Levitt,Rabbi Ramon Widmonte and Ben Swartz of the SAZionist Federation, that Jews were the chosen nation,that he was an absolute friend and would do what hecould to support Israel.

Following the meeting, he wrote on his Facebookblog, which has over 295 000 followers: “We need to prayfor the peace of Jerusalem now like never before andthat we can no longer be those who sit on the fence wait-ing to see which way the wind blows.”

Companions of

Israel co-director

Daniel Levitt.

Young Jews withChristian help,take up cudgelsfor Israel

MICHAEL SIMMONSSA ZIONIST FEDERATION EASTERN CAPEPORT ELIZABETH

A WELL-ATTENDED Yom Hashoahservice was held on Sunday May 1 inthe Raleigh Street Shul, now namedThe Jewish Pioneers Museum, anarchitectural gem now 100 years old

and a national monument.Special readings of the Hannah

Senesch story and the Partisans storywere read by learners of the TheodorHerzl School with beautiful violinaccompaniment of suitable Jewishmusic.

The keynote speaker was AnthonyCourt of Unisa in Pretoria, whoseaddress, ”A Jewish Family in

Oswiecim”, the story of a family livingin this Polish town whose family mem-bers had negotiation with AdolfEichmann, which Court had personal-ly researched, was much appreciatedby his audience.

Although the (small) Jewish com-munity in Port Elizabeth is dwindlingeven more, functions of this nature areimportant and well received.

Yom Hashoah commemoratedin PE, the Friendly City

RITA LEWISPHOTOGRAPH: JOE YUDELOWITZ

WALKING AROUND the South AfricanZionist Federation’s Yom Ha’atzmaut FunFare, at Gold Reef City’s Theme Park inJohannesburg on Tuesday, it was impossiblenot to know that South African Jews werecelebrating the 63rd year since the creationof the State of Israel.

Large Israeli flags were grouped along thewalkways and everyone seemed to be hold-ing and waving small ones.

With the majority of the crowd being ofschool-going age, this was, for them, anevent not to be missed. And missed it wasn’t.

Rides, rides and more rides - and theywere all for free. Ice-cream, candy floss, pop-corn was there aplenty, freely available.

This year there were no speeches whichwas a relief for many who listened to the livemusic including a “Battle of the Bands”.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MOIRA SCHNEIDERCAPE TOWN.

CAPE TOWN’S Jewish community celebrated YomHa’atzmaut in style at the Herzlia WeizmannPrimary School in Sea Point. Rabbi Laurence Perez,rabbi of the Mizrahi Organisation of South Africa,was the guest speaker, while comedian AlanCommittie, children of the Phyllis Jowell Jewish DaySchool choir and bands Saffron and Nogapsbetweenentertained revellers.

Ya’acov Finkelstein of the Israeli Embassyaddressed the gathering and Israeli dancing and aChassidic dance group got toes tapping. A shuk andfood stalls plus a variety of children’s entertainment,added to the carnival atmosphere. Cheryl Putermanwon the lucky draw of two air tickets to Israel.

MARLENE WAKSKLERKSDORP

YOM HA’ATZMAUT was celebrated inKlerksdorp in style; the hall was appro-priately decorated with Israeli flagsand everyone who was in town waspresent.

First there was the usual maariv shulservice. Everyone came into the hall,the Hazkarah was recited by Sam

Kramer followed by Hatikvah. The gathering was addressed by

Dawn Rottanburg who had recentlyreturned from a visit to Mumbai. Shespoke on the Jewry of Mumbai and herexperiences. Dinner was served and aquiz, ably put together by Mannie andJackey Shall and Myrna Hellman, whowas the question master, on the State ofIsrael, was very popular. The gatheringwas divided into three teams and a lot

of fun was had by all. The birthday cake candles for

Israel’s 63rd, were lit by our youngestboys, Devon and Ryan Katz and every-one tucked into the delicious chocolatecake.

On Yom Hashoah members gatheredin the shul and after the maariv servicea story was read by Myrna Hellmanand Shelle Hack to commemorate thisday.

Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrated in Klerksdorp

Jack Espel-

Richards (3)

got into the

spirit of Yom

Ha’atzmaut

with the help

of his brother,

Matthew.

Drummer Joseph Marcus, with guitarists Dylan Rendel, Devon Horowitz

and Jonathan Judin.

Lots of fun at SAZF’s Israel birthday bash

Grade five learners of Weizmann Primary enjoying themselves at the

Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration: Joshua Russak; Alexa Jackson; Anna Valkin

(dressed as Funky Bunnies); Max Russak; and Adam Rawraway.

Zaria Janks-Gelvan (3) has her face painted

by Esther Surdut at the Emunah stall at the

Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.

Lots of fun at Yom Ha’atzmaut in CT


STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY RITA LEWIS

ON TUESDAY night, Yom Hazikaron wascelebrated at the Glenhazel Shul Hall inJohannesburg, with everyone standing insilence and tribute as they remembered themore than 22 000 soldiers, ordinary men,women and children who died before theirtime, in wars and terrorist attacks.

The Israeli flag was lowered by ShimonShamila with the haunting notes of the“Last Post” being played. Present were ChiefRabbi Warren Goldstein and the Israel’sAmbassador to South Africa Dov Segev-Steinberg. Together with all the other rab-bis, dignitaries and hundred of others, theywatched the proceedings with the same painin their hearts.

Far away in Israel, people spent the dayvisiting military cemeteries, watching andlistening to stories of fallen soldiers on TVand on the radio and stopping whatever theywere doing, cooking, driving the car etc, tostand to attention for two minutes while thememorial siren sounded.

The silence everywhere was palpable; theentire country mourned together.

“In South Africa Jews mourn with them.Tonight we too have unified in order to givehonour and remember our brothers and sis-ters who fell victim to terrorism or havegiven their lives in the defence of the State ofIsrael,” said the evening’s MC, Josh Brook.

He said we could relate to the pain felt inIsrael because there were also SouthAfricans who had paid the ultimate price.

“There are South African Jews who con-nect with Israel, who care about its well-being, who are interested in its culture, poli-tics or news... who feel deeply about the factthat Israeli Jews defend the state and maylose their lives doing so.”

Prayers for the safety of the soldiers of the

Israeli Defence Forces were recited by DeanSher and Neil Daskal after which a video ofthe Fogel family who were brutally mur-dered recently in Itamar, was shown.

Ambassador Segev-Steinberg then lit theflame of remembrance after which therewas a minute’s silence, followed by Yizkorrecited by Rabbi Samuel Suchard.

Chief Rabbi Goldstein described how onthis day we gathered as a community andpart of the Jewish world, not to philosophisebut to mourn.

“The family feels the pain every day. Wecan’t take that pain away. What we can do isto give them support by saying: ‘We are withyou in your grief’.”

The Chief Rabbi said we should standback in awe and humility and see what sac-rifices had been made by people.

Rabbi Goldstein was followed by Am-bassador Segev-Steinberg who said that“today, amid the turmoil in the Middle Eastwe remember those who have made the ulti-mate sacrifice.

“No other people have had to endure whatwe have had to. We pay tribute to those of ourchildren who have been born into war.”

Guest speaker of the evening, CherylMandel, spoke of her son who had beenkilled some eight years before. Among hismany other attributes, he had developedstrong leadership qualities and was theleader of his group.

While she spoke, a video on his life wasshown. She said it didn’t matter if you werestrong, beautiful, rich or whatever, if youwere in the wrong place at the wrong time,that was it.

They were olim chadashim, new immi-grants. “We did not understand until it wastoo late. “You have a choice of how to dealwith the loss. We decided we were going to dopositive things in this world to make it a bet-

ter place. Like our son, we have had to carrythe burden. How can you bear the grief,” sheasked rhetorically.

“It is a privilege to live in Israel but with itcomes the risks. However, the more of usthere are out there, (in Israel) the strongerwe are and the danger is spread out.”

Candles of remembrance were then lit bythose who had fought in the Israel wars.

The last candle was lit by the head boysand girls of the Jewish day schools, for vic-tims of terror.

Choni Goldman then sang HanasichHakatan - about a prince who turns into asoldier and is killed - while Adam Davis sangEl Ma’le Rachamim.

Kaddish was recited by Rabbi Suchard andthe Hatikvah was led by Adam Davis andChoni Goldman.

Lighting the candles set out in the shape

of Magen Davids.

Israel’s fallen remembered in sombre ceremony

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BYRITA LEWIS

TUESDAY, AT the YeshivaCollege Girls School inJohannesburg, Cheryl Mandelfrom Alon Shvut in Israel gave avery special and personal pres-entation. She showed a videocalled “Dancing Through Life”and afterwards emphasisedsome of the points that had beenraised in the video.

From Mandel and her videoit becomes clear that although we cannotcontrol what happens to us in life, we have achoice of how we respond to them.

The video tells the story of Mandel’s lifeand her love of dance. It was made in Israeland shows her dancing from when she wasa small child until now, as a grandmother.The video is based on a dance performancethat Mandel created to mark her 60th birth-day and was filmed in Alon Shvut.

Mandel is the mother of Lt Daniel Mandelz”l, who was killed during a military opera-tion that he was leading to arrest terroristsin Nablus eight years ago on April 15. At theYom Hazikaron ceremony in Johannesburg

in 2003, Tova Herzl who wasthen Israel’s ambassador toSouth Africa, spoke about thisincident as the operation inwhich Daniel was killed, wasalso the one at a bus stop inFrench Hill, her niece waskilled in.

Mandel was hosted in SA bythe SA Zionist Federation andBnei Akiva to speak at the YomHazikaron remembrance cere-mony.

She gave an inspiring talk tosome 1 600 people at the Solly Liebgott Hall inGlenhazel, talking about her son the soldierand his abilities and desire to do something -“not for his Ima but for Jews everywhere”.

Mandel is presently building an unusualpark in memory of Daniel, in Alon Shvut.

This park will be the first of its kind andwill create much fun for the children whowill play there as well as for the adults whoaccompany them.

• For those who would like to make a dona-tion to finish the park, the banking detailsare: Bnei Akiva, Nedbank, Diamondexchange Branch Code: 193205, AccountNumber 193225483.

Guest speaker Cheryl

Mandel with Chief

Rabbi Warren Goldstein

at Yom Hazikaron.

Responding to life’s challenges

SOCIAL SCENE


Rita Lewis [email protected]

Host singer Oshy Tugendhaft (second from left) with some of the Israeli guest singers.

Jared

Greenstein (12)

and Joshua

Michel (9) who

“brought the

house down”.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY RITA LEWIS

ONE OF this year’s celebrations of Israel’s63 years of independence, took the form ofa musical extravaganza organised by theSAZF and held at the Lyric Theatre at GoldReef City. It was entitled, “Footsteps to theFuture” - a future for Israel that every Jewhopes will be filled with peace, security andhappiness.

“While Israel was born amidst war andsuffering... tonight we celebrate its success-es. Israel is a nation that against all oddshas achieved more than any other in thepast 63 years.”

These were the words of Avrom Krengel,chairman of the South African ZionistFederation, who added that the winds of

change were blowing through the deserts ofthe Sahara and Arabia.

He said the dangers to Israel at this timewere great, but “we hold our collectivebreaths that Islamic fundamentalism doesnot fill the vacuum of power left by thosewho have been deposed.

“We hope and pray that Israel will nolonger know only war and suffering; thatits parks will be filled with laughter andhappiness and that it continues to travel onits magnificent trajectory of a people whoare a beacon of light unto the nations.”

Krengel then welcomed Israel’s Am-bassador to South Africa Dov Segev-Steinberg, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldsteinand other dignitaries.

He thanked everyone involved in the cre-

ation of the function, including the execu-tive producer, Isla Feldman, musical direc-tor Bryan Schimmel, the Beyachad staffand Linda Starkowitz who, with GavinOpert, had produced the event.

Krengel made a presentation toStarkowitz “for her dedication and commit-ment to the community, staging manymusical events both locally and overseas”.

The evening’s entertainment started offwith a bang when a shower of silversparkling fireworks rained down “from theheavens” on to the stage.

A live 12-piece orchestra under the hand ofBryan Schimmel and backing vocalists,joined the three Israeli singers HananelEdri, Omri Rotbard and Omri Rosenzweig inthe first song of an evening of foot tapping,jumping, clapping and an unrivalled ruach.

The energetic three pranced around thestage obviously tremendously enjoying theevent as did the entire audience whoclapped and sang along with them.

Host Oshy Tugendhaft’s voice andHebrew vocals blended with the threeguest soloists who were accompanied bysome dozen other background singers.

Rotbard who had given up a very presti-gious concert in New York to be in SouthAfrica, was very much at home here, hav-ing been one of the guest artists here at lastyear’s event.

Tugendhaft was joined towards the endof the concert by two youngsters, JaredGreenstein (12) and Joshua Michel (9), whohad been auditioned by him and trained bySchimmel. The three had a good rapportand the youngsters were not at all self-con-scious singing in front of a packed but joy-ous auditorium.

Many happy returns, dear IsraelReeva Forman with Carol Brown and Israel’s Ambassador to South Africa Dov

Segev-Steinberg.Shimon Shamila enjoys himself with Omri Rotbard.

Omri Rosenzweig has fun

with the audience.

Above: Avrom

Krengel makes

a presentation

to Linda

Starkowitz.

Right: Cheryl

Mandel, an

inspirational

travelling

speaker who

lost her son in

Israel eight

years ago.

The Lucky Draw winner, Alan Magid with El Al’s General Manager for Southern and

Eastern Africa Ros Bukris and Isla Feldman.

GENTLE RIGHTEOUS GENTILE

Tina Bassi, living in Johannesburg, describesher life in Milan under the Nazi occupation.She tells of her uncle, Aldo Ronchese (hermother’s brother) who had been captured bythe British in North Africa and put in a pris-oner-of–war camp in Egypt:

“One night he and two other Italian prisonersescaped and managed to jump onto a ship inSuez. They had no idea where it was headingfor.

“As it turned out, it came to Durban. Theywere prisoners on the boat and were handedover to the military in Durban and taken toSonderwater prisoner-of-war camp nearPretoria.

“They were well treated and in fact workedon a farm in the area. My uncle absolutelyloved South Africa and when the war ended heopted to remain here.

“The family in Italy never heard from him,except that he was in South Africa and in 1945,after the war ended, I was sent to South Africato find out what had happened to him. Was hedead or alive?

“I contacted the SA Red Cross who couldgive me the information that he was alive andalso was married to a South African girl. Itturned out that he had never received any let-ters from the family in Italy who had tried tomake contact through various channels.

“I met my uncle and then, when I returnedto Italy, I said to my husband, now back fromthe war: ‘Let us all go to South Africa.’ Whichwe did.”

The story now shifts to Tina’s daughter,Ady, who was born in South Africa. Ady wentto school at Parktown Convent in Johan-nesburg where she was very friendly with aJewish girl. In fact she often went with her toshul.

“However, I married an Italian and went tolive in Italy. Then once, when I was pregnantand in hospital, I was visited by a stranger,Oberto Levi. This surprised me and I askedhim why he had come to see me.

“Oberto replied: ‘We love your motherbecause of what she did for us during the war.’He spoke about Jews being hidden by her andbeing brought food regularly and so on.

“I later asked my dad about this and he con-firmed it. Tina said that she had never toldher parents in Italy during the war what shewas doing, about hiding Jews, as she did notwant to implicate them, or for them to worryabout her. She kept her silence.

“Tina said: ‘Mussolini was an aberration.The Italians are not a nation that hates.’”

POTCHEFSTROOM

From Fay Oppenheim, Calgary, Canada:

“Our home was well supplied with twoEnglish language newspapers coming dailyfrom Johannesburg, namely The Rand DailyMail and The Star.

“This meant that for myself the awarenessof the political landscape of South Africastarted at a very early age and the Sharpevilleshootings definitely made an impression onour young minds, instilling fear in us of thegreat and inevitable ‘freedom revolutions’ inwhich we would surely be the victims.

“Through the daily newspapers, I observedfrom afar the domino fall of colonial powersnorth of us, and I believed that it was only amatter of time before it reached us.

“As we came of age in the sixties, there wasdistant thunder coming from the architects ofapartheid which had little obvious day-to-dayeffect on our own lives.

“Potchefstroom did not seem to share thedemographic balance of the townships thatwere close to Johannesburg.

“Increasingly the laws of detention withouttrial, solitary confinement and house arrest,publication bans and frequently introducednew draconian laws, prevented liberal mindedindividuals (including many Jews) fromchanging the course of this oppression.

“This caused so many of my compatriots,from all over the country, to emigrate whenwe were able to do so.

“I remain grateful for the good schoolingwhich I had access to - the freedom of infor-mation which existed in my growing yearsand the many sources of greater educationand enlightenment.”

BULAWAYO

Shulamit Kagan continues:

“The shul was filled to capacity on RoshHashanah and Yom Kippur and was wellattended on Friday nights and Saturdays.There was a children’s service on Shabbatmorning and other holidays.

“We had two minyanim every single day andall weddings and bar-/batmitzvahs were cele-brated with decorum and dignity.

“Unfortunately the shul was burnt down afew years ago. Two brave congregants, riskingtheir lives, managed to run through the flamesand save the Torah scrolls. These are now usedin services in the hall which used to belong tothe Reform Shul.

“(The Reform and Orthodox congregationsamalgamated when the community starteddiminishing).”

CAPE TOWN

Start of a diamond cutting industry:

“The question of the establishment of a dia-mond cutting industry in South Africaappeared to have been first mooted seriously atthe beginning of 1919. In March of that year,General Louis Botha, premier of South Africa,was anxious to encourage the proposed indus-try. At that time he was in London where hemet the directors of De Beers.

“It was reported that his government wasdetermined to carry the project through, butwould consider the company’s views. Theseviews were opposed to the project for variousreasons, one of the chief being that that itmight be a possible outlet for stolen (rough) dia-monds.

“In May 1919, F Hirschorn, A Brink and PRoss Frames, left for Cape Town to interviewHenry Burton and F S Malan on a draft bill toestablish diamond-cutting. Sir Ernest Oppen-heimer accompanied the deputation.

“The De Beers board appreciated the effortsmade by these four gentlemen. The Bill wasmodified in certain respects and introduced inthe House (of Parliament) on May 16.

”The Bill in Committee of the House in June,emerged and duly passed by both Houses,became the Diamond Cutting Act No 38/1919.”

From “The Story of De Beers”, by H AChilvers (London 1938)

To be continued.

ISRAEL

Beth Protea, Herzliya:

Beth Protea Retirement Home is a southernAfrican Jewish project in Israel of which theSouth African community can justly be proud.

Among the many contented residents are twowell-known South Africans. One is WilfRosenberg who, in his day, was a greatSpringbok rugby centre. Whenever the subjectof the Jewish rugby Springbok minyan comesup, one of the first names is Wilf Rosenberg.(The 10 Jewish rugby Springboks).

The other resident at Beth Protea that mustbe mentioned is Arthur Goldreich who made animmense contribution to the Struggle when hewas living here. To remind those who don’tknow, Goldreich owned the Lilliesleaf home inRivonia where the high command of the ANChid out and where they were subsequentlyarrested by the security police.

Nelson Mandela also lived there but had beenarrested earlier in (then) Natal.

Goldreich was one of those charged withhigh treason, but he (and Harold Wolpe) madethat breathtaking escape from Marshall Squarepolice headquarters in Johannesburg, dressedas nuns, and reached Europe. Goldreich subse-quently went to live in Israel.

The thought occurs: If a dedicated fighter forfreedom and justice, Lionel Bernstein, receivedthe Order of Luthuli in Gold (posthumously)from President Jacob Zuma, for his contribu-tion in the Struggle, then Goldreich coulddeservedly be given one as well.

POLOKWANE (PIETERSBURG)

From Morris Jedwood:

“I went on Mahal to Israel in 1962 and I wonderwhat has happened to my friends JackieNissenbaum, Les Franks, Zalman Flink,Adrian Breger, Chilk Schefz and Jules Milner.

“I am still living in Polokwane. My address isPO Box 417. Polokwane, telephone (015) 295-3403.”

• Community Buzz would appreciate it, ifanyone contacting Morris Jedwood would alsocontact us.

COMMUNITY BUZZLIONEL SLIER 082-444-9832, fax: 011-440-0448,[email protected]

OWN CORRESPONDENTPHOTO SUPPLIED

NEXT YEAR South Africanscan look forward to a visit byJoanne Caras, of Port StLucie, Florida, USA, creator ofthe Holocaust Survivor Cook-book, an amazing collection of129 stories and over 250recipes from Holocaust sur-vivors all over the world.

The project took Caras andher family more than twoyears to complete.

A chance meeting betweenTorah Academy Girls’ HighSchool alumnus DevorahChaiton, who was attendingsummer camp in Florida, andCaras, led to the school’sfundraising involvement withthe project.

Chaiton brought back thebook to Johannesburg, wherethe idea was taken up by herformer school. The projectsnowballed and is now con-vened by TA Girls’ High parentAriella Glassman, who describes it as“one of the best fundraisers in whichwe have ever been involved”.

Later this year there will be a sec-ond book, Miracles and Meals -Volume 2 of the Holocaust SurvivorCookbook.

This book incorporates stories andrecipes of South African survivors ofthe Holocaust from Cape Town andJohannesburg.

“I am hoping next year to workwith a few South African groups andto come over for a speaking tour inyour beautiful country. I visited lastin 2000 and I would be honoured tocome back.”

In total, Caras has spoken to morethan 150 groups. “My husbandHarvey and I have travelled fromFlorida to Massachusetts, New Yorkto California, Israel, Mexico andCanada.

“We sell the cookbook to Jewishgroups at the wholesale price so thatthey can sell it to their members atthe retail price and earn money forthe important work they do,” Carassaid. “To date we have raised overhalf a million dollars for shuls andother Jewish groups.”

The Caras family personally do-nates all of its profits from the sale ofthe cookbook to Carmei Ha’ir, a soupkitchen in Jerusalem that feeds over500 poor and hungry Israelis everyday.

Another important aspect of thecookbook is that it is being used toteach Holocaust studies and tolerancein public schools in the USA.

There are still copies of theHolocaust Survivor Cookbook avail-able from Torah Academy Girls’ HighSchool. Anyone wishing to order oneshould call Lee at the school on (011)485 3871.

Joanne Caras with the Holocaust Survivor

Cookbook.

JERUSALEM - Damageto normal DNA is a hall-mark of cancer cells.Although it had previ-ously been known thatdamage to normal cellsis caused by stress totheir DNA replicationwhen cancerous cellsinvade, the molecularbasis for this remainedunclear.

Now, for the first time,researchers at the Heb-rew University of Jeru-salem have shown thatin early cancer develop-ment, cells suffer from insufficientbuilding blocks to support normalDNA replication.

It is possible to halt this by exter-nally supplying the “buildingblocks”, resulting in reduced DNAdamage and significant lower poten-tial of the cells to develop cancerousfeatures. Thus, hopefully, this couldone day provide protection againstcancer development.

In laboratory work carried out at the Hebrew University, ProfBatsheva Kerem of the AlexanderSilberman Institute of Life Sciencesand her PhD student Assaf C Bester

demonstrated that ab-normal activation of cel-lular proliferation driv-ing many different can-cer types leads to insuffi-cient levels of the DNAbuilding blocks (nucleo-tides) required to sup-port normal DNA repli-cation.

Then, using laboratorycultures in which can-cerous cells were intro-duced, the researcherswere able to show thatthrough external supplyof those DNA building

blocks it is possible to reactivatenormal DNA synthesis, thus negat-ing the damage caused by the can-cerous cells and the cancerouspotential. This is the first time thatthis has been demonstrated any-where.

This work, documented in a newarticle in the journal Cell, raises the possibility, say the HebrewUniversity researchers, for develop-ing new approaches for protectionagainst precancerous development,even possibly creating a kind oftreatment to decrease DNA break-age.

Dr Batsheva Kerem.

Holocaust SurvivorCookbook authorto visit SA again

Researchers showwhy DNA breaksdown in cancer cells


SA JEWISH REPORT 913 - 20 May 2011

AROUND THE WORLDNEWS IN BRIEF

EUROPEAN JEWISH, MUSLIM LEADERS DENOUNCE EXTREMISM

LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE HOLOCAUST EDUCATION FUNDING BILL

WASHINGTON - Lawmakers inboth houses of the US Congressintroduced a bill that wouldbudget $10 million for Holocausteducation over five years.

“This critical legislation willserve to honour the memory ofthose who perished during one ofthe darkest chapters in humanhistory by educating future gen-erations about the dangers ofintolerance and hatred," USSenator Robert Menendez (De-mocrat New Jersey) said in astatement he issued on May 6jointly with US RepresentativesCarolyn Maloney (DemocratNew York) and Gary Ackerman,

New York Democrats who haveintroduced identical legislationin the US House of Repre-sentatives.

The law is named for SimonWiesenthal, the late Nazi hunter.

"From remembering those whoperished to learning from thepast, it is critical to preserve andexpand Holocaust education pro-grammes," said Ackerman, a for-mer public school teacher. "It isimperative that future genera-tions are taught the facts and his-tory of the Holocaust so that thelessons from this dark chapter inhuman history are never, everforgotten." (JTA)

JTA STAFF NEW YORK

KNOWN TODAY as themassacre at Babi Yar, thekilling near Kiev of tens ofthousands of Jews byGerman troops at the endof September 1941 is re-membered today as one ofthe most grisly chaptersof the Holocaust inUkraine.

In the weeks after theslaughter, however, theworld did not know.

Historians believe it was a November 16, 1941dispatch from JTA — pub-lished without a byline and with the dateline“Somewhere in Europe” —that broke the news to theWest and English-speakingreaders.

That first report of themassacre at Babi Yar isone of more than 250 000JTA articles from 1923 tothe present that are nowavailable online as part ofJTA’s new digital newsarchive.

The archive itself marksa historic first: It’s theonly collection of English-language reporting cover-ing the Jewish world in the20th century available online.And it’s free.

Until now, those interested inJewish reporting over the lastcentury or so, had to findlibraries that housed the yellow-ing tearsheets of Jewish newsdispatches. A daunting task evenfor seasoned scholars, the origi-nals themselves often were diffi-cult to decipher either becauseof their poor condition orbecause they were in Yiddish.But with the launch of JTA’sarchive on May 3, anyone withan Internet connection hasaccess to all of JTA’s originalarticles.

“There is no American Jewishsource with this reach,” sayshistorian Jonathan Sarna, theBrandeis University professorwho oversaw the JTA archiveproject. Sarna is also a JTAboard member. “The archive hasthe potential to spark an interestin the past that will transformthe future.”

This week, blogger MenachemButler called the JTA’s archive“a milestone into the history of20th-century Jewish journal-ism” that “provides a windowinto nearly 90 years of Jewishreporting on world affairs”.

Founded in 1917 to be a voiceof and for the Jewish people at atime when news of what washappening to the Jews of Europeand Russia was hard to come by,JTA has been a primary sourceof English-language Jewishnews on everything from Hit-ler’s rise - the first JTA reportabout Hitler was printed onJanuary 30, 1923 - to the struggleto free Soviet Jewry, the found-ing of Israel and the long arc of20th-century American Jewishhistory.

“This archive is a testament tojournalists dedicated to chroni-cling the story of the Jewish peo-ple, through triumph and tra-vail, throughout the world,” saidAmi Eden, JTA’s editor-in-chiefand CEO.

“It is a testament to journal-ists devoted to the idea thatthere is a narrative connectingJews in the United States, Israeland around the world, whether

rich or poor, oppressed or thriv-ing, religious or secular, hawk-ish or dovish.”

JTA remains a leading sourcefor news of Jewish interest andconcern, providing content toabout 80 newspapers and publi-cations around the world,including the SA Jewish Report.JTA also publishes a daily e-mail news bulletin called theJTA Daily Briefing, and all ofthe agency’s material is avail-able online at JTA.org.

“For anybody who wants to seehow Jewish history has meaningand implications for us today, weneed the JTA historical archive,”said Steven M Cohen, director ofthe Berman Jewish PolicyArchive at New York Uni-versity’s Wagner School ofPublic Service. “It opens up awhole world of the past.”

In the 1940s, when the Nazigas chambers were runningstrong and news of the genocideof the Jews was buried in paperslike The New York Times, JTAwas transmitting a ceaselessstream of news from the frontthat painted a detailed picture ofthe emerging Holocaust.

Decades later, historians wouldturn to these dispatches as evi-dence that news of what was hap-pening to Europe’s Jews indeedwas available in real time - andwidely ignored.

“There was and still is a lot ofconventional wisdom that Ameri-cans didn’t know about theHolocaust while it was happen-ing,” said journalism professorLaurel Leff of NortheasternUniversity. “With this archive,people can go and they can actu-ally look at the bulletins that JTAsent out during this period andsee that much of the informationwas in fact available.”

It was perhaps poetic justicethat the painstaking labour ofdigitising the files - convertingyellowing news clips and fadingmicrofiche slides into digitalfiles by typing them up - wasoutsourced to young Cambo-dians, members of a society thatis still emerging from the geno-cidal history of the KhmerRouge.

The work was overseen byDigital Divide Data, a non-profit organisation that pro-vides jobs to disadvantagedyouths in Southeast Asia.

The initial planning anddigitisation was funded bythe Gottesman Fund, GeorgeS Blumenthal, the Grace andScott Offen Charitable Fund,and Robert Bildner and Elisa Spungen Bildner inhonour of her mother,Norma Spungen.

Steven Spielberg’s Right-eous Persons Foundationand The Charles H RevsonFoundation paid for thedevelopment of the actualwebsite, which can beaccessed at archive.jta.org.

JTA, a nonprofit organi-sation, is reaching out toother foundations and phi-lanthropists to cover re-maining start-up costs andcreate programmes toenhance the archive’s effec-tiveness as an educationaltool for younger users. Inaddition, JTA hopes readerdonations will help coverthe ongoing maintenance ofthe archive.

The archive itself is astockpile of stories, signifi-cant and insignificant,chronicling major mile-

stones and figures in Jewish his-tory, as well as forgottenepisodes and personalities.

The archive’s more than 900articles on the Ku Klux Klan tellthe story of the racist group’santi-Semitism. A 1928 articletells the story of a blood libel inupstate New York. In August1929, JTA informed US readers ofthe massacre of Jews in Hebron.

A 1933 dispatch details aPurim parade in Tel Aviv thatincluded some 10 000 Arabs. A1965 article informs that blackmarchers in the AmericanSouth donned yarmulkes as“freedom caps” in deference tothe rabbis who marched withthem.

Following the recent passingof Elizabeth Taylor, bloggersand reporters around theInternet cited a 1977 dispatchreporting that an Israeli officialsaid the Hollywood starletoffered herself up in exchangefor the Israeli hostages beingheld in Entebbe.

The archive covers everythingfrom the construction of a dol-phinarium in Tel Aviv toAmerican Jewish women organ-ising boycotts of Nazi products.When the Jewish State wasfounded in May 1948, JTA print-ed Israel’s declaration of inde-pendence in its entirety.

Researchers say the archivewill provide new insight into theongoing evolution of AmericanJewish life, including the role ofwomen, intermarriage and thehistory of Judaism in the UnitedStates. JTA’s dispatches alsochronicled US Jewish activismon several major issues, includ-ing civil rights and Soviet Jewry.

With the material now so easi-ly accessible - not just to scholarsin libraries but to students, jour-nalists and casual Jewish andnon-Jewish readers around theworld - the archive had the poten-tial to inaugurate a new era inunderstanding of American Je-wish history, Sarna said.

“Until now, JTA has been theglobal news service of theJewish people,” he said. “Now itis the educational resource forthe Jewish people.” (JTA)

Joyce Mann, English teacher.

JTA’s new digital newsarchive marks historic first

Laurel Leff of Northeastern University.

Prof Jonathan M Cohen of NYU.

PARIS - Jewish and Muslim lead-ers in several European countriesare joining to denounce the rise offar-right extremist groups in theircountries.

In a month-long initiative co-sponsored by the EuropeanJewish Congress, the Foundationfor Ethnic Understanding, theMuslim Jewish Conference, theWorld Council of Muslims forInterfaith Relations and the WorldJewish Congress, Jewish andMuslim community leaders areuniting to speak out against theincreasing popularity of far-rightextremist groups throughoutEurope.

On May 8, under the auspices ofthe Jewish-Muslim Friendship ofFrance, participants called on

Muslims and Jews to reject theright-wing National Front Party,which has been gaining in thepolls since its new leader, MarineLe Pen, has taken power.

“We are holding this event tomake unmistakably clear that theJewish and Muslim citizens ofFrance stand united in oppositionto the National Front,” said RabbiMichel Serfaty, president of theJewish-Muslim Friendship ofFrance.

“Despite claims to the contrary,Marine Le Pen has not changedone iota the racist, Islamophobicand anti-Semitic politics of herfather,” he said, according toreports, referring to the founderof the National Front party, Jean-Marie Le Pen. (JTA)

ITALIAN PRIEST POSTHUMOUSLY NAMED RIGHTEOUS AMONG NATIONS

ROME - The local priest in asmall town in northwest Italyhas been named Righteousamong Nations for saving aJewish family during the SecondWorld War.

Father Martino Michelone,who died in 1979, hid four mem-bers of the Segre family for near-ly two years between 1943 and1945 in Moransengo, near Turin.

Israel's ambassador to Italy,Ghideon Meir, conferred the hon-our posthumously on FatherMichelone, presenting the awardto his relatives at a ceremony lastSunday in Moransengo. LucianoSegre, who was sheltered byFather Michelone along with hisparents and an aunt, attendedthe ceremony, as did local digni-taries and Jewish leaders. (JTA)

New Yorkers gather near Ground Zero to celebrate the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed. (PHOTOGRAPH: RICHARD

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS)


OPINION AND ANALYSIS

FORUM FOR DIVERSE VIEWS

ONE HEARS hardly a peep on events in Syriafrom the Israel-bashing lobby which spends itslife loudly depicting Israel as an evil entity inthe Middle East. In Syria - Israel’s northernneighbour - over 600 people have been killed asthe regime of Bashar Assad clings to power bysending tanks and troops to crush demonstra-tors demanding rights.

Why is Syria not publicly damned as a “pari-ah state”? Is that status reserved for Israelalone?

Truth is, the Israel-bashers have been rela-tively quiet about Israel lately - what can theysay, as despotic Arab regimes that seemed rock-solid until recently are being toppled? Tyrantswho have ruled with an iron fist for decades arebeing thrown out by protesters talking to eachother on Facebook and Twitter.

As the regional geopolitics changes, no-oneknows where it is heading - to democracies, rad-ical Islamist states, or what? Knesset speakerReuven Rivlin, speaking about the uprising inthe Arab world, in Syria, Egypt, Tunisia andLibya, said: “…Although the destabilisation hasraised the fear of a new, extremist Middle East,we must recognise the courage of those fightingfor their freedom.”

In the light of all that, our recent local sagawhere the University of Johannesburg endedresearch ties with Ben-Gurion Universitybecause of the “moral implications” of such arelationship, seems so nebulous - a moralgrandstanding totally out of touch with thepresent Middle East reality.

Israeli statehood was declared on May 14,1948, a day before Britain’s United Nations man-date over historic Palestine expired. Its popula-tion was then just 806 000. At its 63rd anniver-sary celebration this week, its population is7,746 million.

Jews in Israel comprise some 75,3 per cent-the largest Jewish community in the worldtoday - surpassing that of the United States,which until recently held that title; IsraeliArabs make up 20,5 per cent. Today, 14 cities inIsrael have more than 100 000 residents - in 1948,Tel Aviv was the only metropolis, with morethan 100 000.

Israel has huge problems and many warts,and the conflict with the Palestinians seems farfrom a solution. But this little sliver of a coun-try roughly the size of the Kruger NationalPark, has stable governance, a burgeoning econ-omy, a vibrant democracy. Its populace wasrecently ranked seventh – the same as NewZealand – among 124 countries in a Gallup pollof the ‘happiness’ level of their citizens. Not badfor a state that has never known a day of realpeace with its neighbours!

In almost all the recent uprisings in the Arabcountries, Israel has featured very little in thepublic discourse. The populations may - and do- continue to hate it, but they are more con-cerned about their own situations, wantingrights other countries take for granted.

Their leaders have not succeeded in deflectingtheir people’s anger towards Israel as a scape-goat, as they have so successfully done fordecades. Their bluff has been called; their citi-zens won’t buy it the way they used to.

The “Arab Spring” will inevitably influenceIsrael. In what way we don’t yet know. The ques-tion for its leadership is what it will do with themoral high ground Israel occupies at this point,compared with its neighbours. Creative leader-ship is needed to use this moral capital toadvance peace and prosperity in the region.Does Israel have such a leadership?

For Diaspora Jews, including those in SouthAfrica, Israel used to be seen as the “poorcousin”: you took things there when you went,because Israel didn’t have them. Today it haseverything - and more. It is a mature, successfulcountry.

Aliyah has increased from South Africa andhas also undergone a change. In the old days youwent to Israel for primarily ideological reasons,to build the country. Today, many immigrants gothere as much for practical reasons - jobs, educa-tion, healthcare, a safe environment, etc.

President Shimon Peres said during anIndependence Day ceremony: “We proved thatwe can create a budding garden out of obstinateground.”

Indeed. Happy birthday, Israel! May there bemany peaceful and prosperous years to come.

A flower in obstinate ground

RABBI JEREMY ROSEN

When your enemy falls, do not rejoice.(Proverbs 24)

OF COURSE I am delighted that Osamabin Laden has been sent to his grave.Doubtless there are billions of otherhumans who are mourning his loss. Iwonder how all those children namedOsama or Usama after him are feelingtoday; I am sure a goodly percentage ofthem will aspire to follow in his bloodyfootsteps.

But I am sad, too. Every time I haveseen Arabs and Muslims rejoice overthe deaths of women and children Ihave felt positively sick at their primi-tive and barbaric bloodlust. Moderncommunication enables us to see thisrevolting behaviour. I cannot erasefrom my mind the way young mendipped their hands in the blood of thosetwo Israeli reservists who were torn todeath when they strayed into enemyterritory, or the celebrations in Gazawhen young Israeli children were wan-tonly slit apart in their beds.

I know war is war and both sideswant to win, but I always derived quietsatisfaction from the fact that younever saw Israelis dance in the streetswhen Palestinians were killed.

There might have been rogue soldiersand acts of brutality. There have beencoldblooded mafiosi killings and rapesin Tel Aviv. But the mood of the Jewishpeople has never been one to rejoice inpublic displays of delight at the death ofothers.

It is ingrained in our tradition thatevery human being, however malevo-lent, is still a creature of G-d. So, onPassover when we celebrated the over-throw of an Egyptian tyrant who madebin Laden look like Cinderella, we werecommanded at the seder to reduce theamount of wine we drink in memory ofthe suffering of the Egyptians.

Then after the first day, we recited ashortened Hallel prayer of thanks,because, according to the Midrash, G-d told his angels: “My children havedied in the Red Sea, how can you singsongs?”

It is true we sang songs of deliver-ance when we survived Pharaoh’spursuit at the Red Sea. It is trueDevorah sang her song of deliverancewhen the Canaanite chariots of Siserawere caught in the Jabok floods. Sheuttered those famous words: “Thusmay all your enemies perish,” and Iidentify of course with that senti-ment.

May those who try to destroy theJews and their land perish indeed andmay those Jews who behave inhuman-ly go the same way. But nevertheless,there is a difference between rejoicingat one’s survival and rejoicing at thedeaths of other human beings.

The Talmud tells that Rabbi Meirwas suffering because of local gang-sters and prayed for their deaths. Hiswife, Bruria, asked him to stop andinstead pray for the death of evil. Onecan hate evil people but that is not thesame as celebrating their elimination.

Bin Ladin, the successor to themediaeval Muslim Assassins, was themanifestation of the distorted tradi-tion of jihad which has been as twist-ed out of its spiritual meaning as hasthe notion of crusade in Christianity,and (lehavdil) the idea of a ChosenPeople, on a purely theoretical level.

All of them are, in spiritual ab-stract, no more than a call to be a bet-ter person. Sadly, in Islam it has led toactions that consistently belie a visionof peace that is said to give Islam itsname. The history of all religions isthe history of religious fanaticism allbut destroying the purer visions oftheir idealistic messages.

Nevertheless, I did not enjoy watch-ing the reaction in the US to the

announcement of bin Laden’s death. Inoticed that most of those who sur-vived 9/11 and relatives of those whoperished expressed quiet satisfaction.

I did not see them dancing in thestreets. I can understand the armyrecruits who celebrated wildly be-cause so many of them may still losetheir lives in the battle against fanati-cism, oppressive dictators, and mul-lahs. But still, I found the TimesSquare and Washington parties morereminiscent of a Saturday night clubfrenzy or frat raves on campuses.

President Barack Obama was digni-fied in his moment of triumph andsuccess. They were not.

I fail to understand the Westernmentality that still thinks it is possibleto do business with religious fanati-cism. Hamas condemning bin Laden’sdeath and lauding him as a greatMuslim hero, rationally shows how fartheir real mental state is from peacefulcoexistence.

It is clear that bin Laden was shel-tered in a military zone in Pakistan,next door to an army academy andsurrounded by retired generals. Is thisthe sort of failed state the West shouldbe funding?

And why, while the American econo-my is in such dire straits and the wel-fare of its peaceful citizens is at riskthrough lack of funds, are billionsbeing spent supporting the corrupt,two-faced (Hamid) Karzai in Afghani-stan?

I applaud striking at evil dictatorswho massacre their own (and binLaden killed more Muslims than any-one else).

I certainly don’t expect the UN orany organisation that can invite Syriato sit on the Human Rights Council toapprove or agree. But just because oth-ers lose their sense of humanity in thepursuit of political power, we mustnot.

Torah injunction for Jewsnot to celebrate enemy death

WHILE JEWS agonise over anti-Semitism and Muslims rail againstIslamophobia, both of which arealleged to be on the rise everywhereyou look, remarkably little is beingheard on behalf of arguably theworld’s most persecuted religiousgroup today, namely Christians.

Even more puzzling, little is beingheard from the Christian communi-ty at large about the outrages beingperpetrated against their co-reli-gionists elsewhere.

In ages past, the mere rumour ofChristians being maltreated wasenough to whip up support for apunitive Crusade. As early as the1850s, it was used as an excuse byRussia to go to war with the Otto-man Empire, thereby sparking offthe Crimean War. Now, the silence is overwhelming. Even the Popemakes far less noise about it all thanone would expect.

It will come as no surprise to any-one that anti-Christian persecutionprimarily occurs in Muslim majori-ty countries.

Historically, this is a fairly newphenomenon. Christian and otherminority religions have always beento some extent discriminated again-st under Islam, but in general itsadherents, so long as they acqui-esced in their minority “dhimmi”status under the law, were left aloneto practise their faiths. What is hap-pening now is that they are beingsystematically hounded out of thelands they have occupied for manycenturies, indeed from a time pre-ceding the emergence of Islam.

Just from the rapidly decliningnumbers of Christians in Muslimmajority states, it should be obviousthat something is very wrong.According to a US Department ofState report on religious freedom,there are now just 85 000 Christiansin Turkey, down from two million.

In Lebanon, where they once con-stituted a majority, they now makeup no more than one-third of thepopulation. Once as much as halfthe population in Syria, they nowconstitute perhaps four per cent. InJordan, they make up two per cent,when they were once close to one infive.

Especially ironical is how the US-

led invasion of Iraq, rather than ben-efiting the Christian population, hashad exactly the opposite effect. Oncekept in check by the Saddam regime,hard-core Islamists have now beenleft free to persecute their Christianneighbours and have done so relent-lessly.

The massacre of 37 worshippers atBaghdad’s Sayyidat al-Najat SyrianCatholic Christian Church in Octo-ber last year, was just one of multipleincidents of anti-Christian violencein Iraq.

That the law officially stronglyopposes such acts makes little differ-ence. In practice few are arrested, letalone punished, for attacks on reli-gious minorities, even those involv-ing murder. The impact of this unde-clared reign of terror has been dra-matic, with the Christian population– 1,4 million strong at the time of the2003 Coalition invasion - dropping 50per cent in less than a decade.

All this is happening in thePalestinian territories as well. InGaza, assaults, firebombings, sei-zures of homes and businesses anddeath threats against Christians hap-pen continually and usually withimpunity. Today, barely 3 000 Chris-tians remain there. The West Bank’sChristian population likewise hasdropped sharply, even in Bethlehem,Christianity’s birthplace.

What is now happening to ArabChristians has already happened toJews in those countries. In the 20years following the establishment ofIsrael, the North African and MiddleEastern Jewish communities left enmasse after being subjected to sys-tematic, usually state-orchestratedpersecution.

Well over 95 per cent of those com-munities and their descendants, nowlive elsewhere. It was one of the 20thcentury’s forgotten enforced exodus-es, and now it is happening all thetime to Christians, likewise without

eliciting much comment from theworld at large.

Perhaps the muted response isdue to Christianity having for solong been the flagship faith of themarauding West and itself associat-ed with oppression, intolerance andaggressive proselytising.

So far as religious persecutionthroughout history goes, it is theinfamous Spanish Inquisition thathas become most associated with thehorrors people are capable of perpe-trating in the name of the A-mighty.

Therefore, an element ofSchadenfreude might be at work.Still, persecution by Christians hap-pened a long time ago. I doubtwhether there is today a singleChristian majority country in whichnon-Christians are in any way disad-vantaged, let alone actually perse-cuted, for their beliefs.

A number of answers could besuggested for the Christian world’sabject response to all of this, amongthem post-colonial white guilt andweakening belief among both itsclergy and laity.

Christianity, certainly in Europeand Anglophone countries, has beenfighting a losing battle against secu-larism for well over a century and ahalf. Whatever the reason, Chris-tendom seems paralysed and impo-tent.

There is only one Middle Easterncountry where the number ofChristians has grown since theSecond World War, and that country,of course is Israel. Numbering just34 000 in 1949, its Christian commu-nity is now 163 000-strong and isexpected to reach 187 000 by the endof this decade.

Are Archbishop Emeritus Tutu,his fellow liberation theologians andsundry liberal Protestant churches,aware of all this, I wonder, and doesthe plight of Christians subjected toan increasingly aggressive and intol-erant Islam bother them at all?

Given how it is Israel they wish toboycott and not countries that toler-ate and even orchestrate anti-Christian persecution, the answer isapparently “no”.

That’s the Middle East for you.Just when you think things couldn’tget any more bizarre, they do.

OPINION AND ANALYSIS - FORUM FOR DIVERSE VIEWS


CLINTON SENDS ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY GREETINGS

JERUSALEM - US Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton, in anIndependence Day message onbehalf of President BarackObama and the US people,called Israel "a beacon ofhope".

In the statement issued lastSunday, Clinton called Israel,on its 63rd birthday, "a youngnation, but (with) a rich histo-ry that holds deep meaning forso many".

The statement added: "Yourachievements are a testamentto your hard-working citizens,innovative economy, and com-mitment to democratic institu-tions. Israel has been a beaconof hope and freedom for somany around the world.

"Our two countries are unit-

ed by a deep, unshakablefriendship and bond. We arebound together by our sharedvalues and history pursuingfreedom, equality and democ-racy. And this relationship isdeepening every day."

She called Israel's security"a cornerstone of US foreignpolicy" and said the UnitedStates "will continue to strivefor a comprehensive peacebetween Israel and all of itsneighbours."

Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu is sched-uled to meet with Obama at theWhite House on May 20. Theeffort to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace processreportedly will be the mainitem on the agenda. (JTA)

OBAMA TO HOST SECOND JEWISH HERITAGE RECEPTION

WASHINGTON - President Ba-rack Obama will host anotherJewish American HeritageMonth reception, days beforeIsraeli Prime Minister Ben-jamin Netanyahu arrives inWashington.

The White House announcedplans for the May 17 receptionon Monday.

"The reception will highlightand celebrate the history andunique identity of JewishAmericans and their profoundand ennobling contributions tothe American story," theannouncement said.

"Invitees include grassrootsJewish community leadersfrom across the country, rab-bis, Members of Congress, and

a broad range of leadersengaged in business, the arts,education, and public andcommunity service."

Netanyahu will be inWashington the followingweek to meet with Obama andaddress a joint meeting of bothhouses of Congress.

The Obama White Househosted the inaugural JewishHeritage Month reception ayear ago.

That reception was markedby an interview an attendeehad with veteran newspapercorrespondent Helen Thomas,in which she said Jews should"get out of Palestine". The sub-sequent controversy all butended her career. (JTA)

AROUND THE WORLDNEWS IN BRIEF

BARBARICYAWPDavid Saks

Israel only ME country whereChristians are increasing


ARTS MATTERSCOMPILED BY

ROBYN SASSENCall 084-319-7844 or

[email protected] at least one

week prior to publication

TAPESTRY

ART, BOOKS, DANCE, FILM, THEATRE

Adler Museum ofMedicine, Wits MedicalSchool, Parktown:“Reflect”, an exhibition byElaine Hirschowitz, untilJuly 11, (011) 717-2067.

Art on Paper Gallery,Milpark: “Still, life”, draw-ings by Terry Kurgan andRuth Rosengarten, until May28, (011) 726-2234.

Baxter Theatre,Rondebosch: “REwind: ACantata for Voice, Tape andTestimony” composed byPhilip Miller, May 12 - 14,(021) 685-7880.

Fugard Theatre, DistrictSix: The world premiere ofAthol Fugard’s“Birdwatchers”, directed byFugard, until June 4, (021)461-4554.

Johannesburg ArtGallery, Johannesburg: “Afearless vision”, major retro-spective of the late AlanCrump, curated by FedericoFreschi, until June 12, (011)726-3130.

Linder Auditorium,Parktown, Johannesburg:On May 14, Andrey Baranov(violin) and Maria Baranova(piano) perform works byBach, Beethoven,Tchaikovsky, Van Dijk,Wieniawksi and Gershwin,for the JMS, (011) 728-5492.On May 18 and 19, JPO playsKodály’s “Dances ofGalanta”, Schumann’s ‘CelloConcerto and his SecondSymphony. Conductor:Michal Dworzynski, soloistDmitry Kouzov (‘cello), (011)789-2733.

Market Theatre,Newtown, Johannesburg:In the Laager, “A Teacher inthe Bushveld”, based on thewritings of Herman CharlesBosman, performed by DavidButler, until June 12, (011)832-1641.

Montecasino, Fourways:In the Studio, “Love, Lossand What I Wore” until June12, (011) 510-1988.

Old Mutual Theatre onthe Square, Sandton:“Bend it like Beauty”, untilMay 21. Friday concerts:Umoya Wind Quintet, May13; Laurelin Trio, May 20,(011) 883-8606.

Standard Bank Gallery,Johannesburg: “Listeningto Distant Thunder”, a PeterClarke retrospective, untilJuly 2, (011) 631-1889.

Wits University Campus,Braamfontein: May 11 - 14is the Wits Arts LiteratureExperience (WALE) week. Itincludes “Life of Bone” inthe Origins Centre, an exhi-bition by Joni Brenner,Gerhard Marx and Karel Neluntil May 31, (011) 717-4700;walkabouts of the public artcollection assembled byNatalie Knight and of Wits’heritage buildings on WestCampus - reservations:[email protected],and more. Seewww.wale.co.za for the fullprogramme.

The key roles of Hally and Sam are portrayedby a British teenager, Freddie Highmore, and therespected American actor Ving Rhames and,despite a brave attempt to capture the essence ofthe characters, there is something amiss in theirinterpretations. It lacks authenticity.

As Sam, Rhames fails to connect with the char-acter’s inner soul and for most of the film hecomes across as a static entity. Highmore faresmuch better, but, again, I was unable to fully buyinto the character and the emotional turmoil he isundergoing.

In adapting the play for the screen, SouthAfrican actor and writer Nicky Ribelo hasexpanded Master Harold’s world. It is no longertotally confined to the Port Elizabeth tea room,where all the action occurs, but moves intoHally’s school and an outing in the park withSam, who teaches the young boy to fly a kite.

The heart of the production unfolds in the con-fined space of the tea room where the interplaybetween the young Hally and Sam, which demon-strates the underlying institutionalised racial big-otry of the time, is tellingly relayed. However onecannot ignore a feeling that these sequences stillresemble a film version of the play. .

“Master Harold and the Boys” is a bold move tocapture on film another Fugard masterpiece but,in this instance, it doesn’t wholly succeed.

The crippled father, Harold Snr (MichaelMaxwell), is an alcoholic who has been hospi-talised after a fall and is now preparing to returnhome, much to Hally’s consternation.

Two black waiters, Sam (Ving Rhames) andWilly (Patrick Mofokeng), share an affinity withthe young Hally. Sam, especially, has managed toconnect with him and over time has grown tounderstand the many demons that have beeneating away at the poor boy. But the frustrationsof school and the act of continuously lookingafter his dad eventually boil over and culminatein an explosive finale.

Translating a Fugard play to the big screen isa tricky job because by opening it up andexpanding its parameters it tends to lose much ofits intimacy. Also, employing overseas names tobolster box-office appeal never works satisfacto-rily as it’s difficult for non-South Africans tograsp the nuances and inflections of the localaccent, an aspect vital in making the productioneven vaguely authentic.

We saw it fall apart in the American screentreatment of “Boesman and Lena” with DannyGlover and Angela Bassett.

With Price’s “Master Harold and The Boys”,there was a fear this may happen again but,thank goodness, it doesn’t implode, though thework is not exactly flawless, either.

FELDMANON FILM Peter Feldman

NOT QUITE PICK OF THE WEEK

Master Harold and the Boys

Cast: Freddie Highmore; Ving Rhames; JenniferSteyn; Michael Maxwell; Patrick Mofokeng

Director: Lonny Price

Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold and the Boys” isa South African literary classic. It has beenbrought to the screen by director Lonny Pricewho played the Hally character in a Broadwayproduction 30 years ago.

Its universal theme has registered with audi-ences not only in South Africa, but in many otherparts of the world where it’s been staged to gen-erally critical acclaim.

Set in Port Elizabeth in the apartheid ’50s,Harold Ballard or Hally (Freddie Highmore) is a schoolboy whose resolute mother, Betty(Jennifer Steyn), runs a tea room in St George’sPark.

PAUL BOEKKOOI

QUITE A number of years have passed sinceCape Town audiences were treated to the pre-miere of REwind: A Cantata for Voice, Tape andTestimony, arguably the most universallyknown work by the Johannesburg-based SouthAfrican composer Philip Miller. That was wayback in December 2006.

Scored for four soloists, choir and string octet,it was commissioned by the Spier Arts SummerSeason. A different and partly new performanceof this multi-media work is staged this week inthe Baxter Theatre.

It opened this Thursday; two more perform-ances can be heard there on Friday and Saturdayat 20:00. Indispensable in any performance ofthis masterpiece is the voice of our legendary

contralto Sibongile Khumalo. Miller has once again contracted her to sing,

but also brought us the talents of Nozuko Teto(soprano), Stéfan Louw (tenor) and Otto Maidi(bass).

A combined choir consisting of the CapeTown Voice of the Nation Chorus and theHeavenly Voices Chorus will perform alongsidea string octet led by the well-known ‘cellistMarian Lewin. A visual context of this wordyopus was designed by Gerhard Marx. It illumi-nates the extensive power of the composition byusing animated back projections of photo-graphs as well as the texts of various testi-monies in an ingenious way.

A CD recording taken from the performancesof REwind at the Market Theatre in Johan-nesburg during 2008, is now available (see

review below), but this time during the Baxterconcerts a professional team will shoot a videofor release later in the year.

Since international plaudits started rainingon REwind, Philip Miller has scarcely had timeto reflect. Apart from writing lots of music forfilms like White Lion (available on both DVDand CD), The Bang Bang Club (releasing on July22) as well as the recent Paradise Stop, he is alsostarting work on a new BBC drama series, TheBorrowers.

He also composed the music for the filmMaster Harold and The Boys, which releasestoday (and is reviewed below).

What excites Miller most is a new project he isworking on with William Kentridge. “It is a con-temporary, multi-media performance piecewe’ll put together for the Biennale in Kassel,Germany in June next year.

“It’s called ‘The Refusal of Time’ - a combina-tion of, among other elements, moving sculp-tures and operatic performance. We’ll be work-ing with wonderful young talent, like the sopra-no Linda van Coppenhagen. I specially quotedHandel for her, and from there the work willdevelop its interactive course, partly throughinvolvement from the public, and go into spacewith moving objects which will need choreogra-phy.

In the light of its title, I’ll apply electronicsounds, as well as those of metronomes, while -going back in time - we’ll be using samples ofclocks from 18th century Paris, among others. Ilove to explore across boundaries and disci-plines. For this, you’ll understand, the concerthall is not necessary always the ideal venue…”

• Tickets for REwind at the Baxter are avail-able through Computicket or at the theatre’s boxoffice prior to the performances.

A scene from Philip

Miller’s “REwind

Cantata”, when it

performed in

Brooklyn, New York

City in 2007, under

the baton of Brad

Wells. Singing of

atrocities commit-

ted in the banality

of everyday life, is

contralto Sibongile

Khumalo (far

right). In the back-

ground is a loaf of

bread and a glass

of milk, used to

premise the story

of Ethel Nobuntu

Plaatjies about the

loss of her son,

Luthando. (PHOTO-

GRAPH BY RANDY FIP-

PINGER)

Composer Philip Miller (left) and designer

Gerhard Marx. (PHOTOGRAPH BY DWAYNE BENJAMIN)

PAUL BOEKKOOI

Philip Miller: REwind - a Cantata for VoiceTape and Testimony. Various artists. CD avail-able through www.cdbaby.com

Live performances of Philip Miller’s magnumopus were overwhelming and emotionallydraining. One remembered being stunned afterthe experience. Listening to the multi-mikedCD recording, edited from three performances,has various advantages even if it can’t be as“immediate” as hearing it at a concert venue.

The greatest one is the fact that one now can

Overwhelming and emotionally draininghear every word spoken in the original testi-monies. One remembers that the music itselfwas so moving that one didn’t want to concen-trate on the intruding monologues. On thesoundtrack it is somehow easier to multi-taskand take it all in. Also, the diction of the soloistsand choir (The Gauteng Choristers) soundsmuch clearer on this recording.

Musically spoken this is already a very finerendering of a work that will never be staticand should develop and share its riches witheach new public performance. A cornerstonewithin the oeuvre of contemporary SouthAfrican music.

Philip Miller’s REwind masterpiece on in the Baxter

Paper Sons and Daughters byUfrieda Ho (Picador Africa, R211)

REVIEWED BY GWEN PODBREY

IT IS tempting to compare the expe-riences of Chinese immigrants toSouth Africa with those of Jewishones, but that would be entirelydisingenuous.

For one thing, the tiny Chinesecommunity in this country - fromthe time of the first piece of segre-gationist legislation in SouthAfrica, the Chinese Exclusion Actof 1904 in the Cape Colony, to laterlegal barriers designed by HendrikVerwoerd and John Vorster to pro-hibit them from integration - wereinvariably “aliens”, living on thegood graces (or otherwise) of whitecitizens and forced to survive bytheir wits and good fortune.

For another thing, the Chinesepopulation - forbidden to attendwhite schools or universities, ownproperty or live in white areas (thebest they could hope for was a“grey” suburb, where authoritiesturned a blind eye to the racial mix)- had no access to the industries onwhich South Africa’s wealth wasbuilt. Nor, for many years, couldthey enter, or practise, the profes-sions, other than among their ownor other “non-white” communities.

Not qualifying as “honorarywhites”, like the Japanese, Chineseindividuals wishing to improvetheir quality of life had to approachtheir prospective neighbours oreducational institutions to ensurethey had no objections to having“yellow” students or residents intheir midst.

The book includes a picture ofthe certificate issued to Ho’s fatherby the South African Railways,attesting to his being a “gentleman

of social standing” andthus preventing him frombeing thrown off trains.

In this searing autobio-graphy, Ufrieda Ho spellsout in vivid detail the dailyinfractions of life under-gone by a Chinese familyin Johannesburg, in acountry where they had norecognised niche or socio-political alliances.

Like so many other Chinese immi-grants, Ho’s parents and grandpar-ents arrived in South Africa by stow-ing away on a ship and enduring atraumatic voyage to a completelyunknown country, which they couldonly hope would provide betterprospects for them than their exis-tence as impoverished, disempow-ered villagers in China.

The easiest way to ensure entrywas to arrange for a falsified nameand identity papers - often posing asthe children of existent Chinese citi-zens - and thus to assume, at leasttheoretically, an identity whichwould pass muster with any bully-ing policeman or magistrate: hencethe “paper sons and daughters” ofthe book’s title.

Ho’s maternal grandparents - whoarrived 18 years apart - were notonly aliens in a hostile land, but alsoaliens in a hostile marriage, whicheventually disintegrated to the pointof their occupying separate livingspaces.

Her own parents, however, werefar better matched. Ho describes awarm, loving and intensely unitedfamily, in a home where the frontdoor could shut out financial hard-ships, the sight of privileged whitesenjoying luxury and otherreminders of their precarious exis-tence in apartheid South Africa,allowing her, her three siblings, her

parents and - above all - thetraditions and rituals oftheir culture to restorehope and stability to theirlives.

Resourcefulness, inde-pendence and diligencewere intrinsic to thisdomestic unit, where digni-ty and discipline were non-negotiable, nothing went towaste, routine was rigidly

structured and duties unquestion-ingly carried out.

There was no room for sentimen-tality, either: Ho recalls cominghome one day to find her pet rabbitserved for dinner. Yet, for the mostpart, food and eating at home wereopportunities to reinforce solidari-ty, while mirroring the diversity ofthe family’s Sino-South Africanidentities: “A hybrid… a bit like thecommon sweet sesame cake that isserved up at so many Chinese gath-erings… these ‘jeeng dui’ balls aremulti-dimensions of taste and tex-ture, all crisply fried and studdedwith sesame seeds on the outsidebefore giving way to a chewy, gluti-nous layer and a surprise ball ofdark, sweet lotus paste in the centre.That is us, layers, unusual texturesand the surprise in the middle, all inone tiny package.”

Both Ho’s parents were accus-tomed to unrelenting slog, initiallyas the proprietors of an “eatinghouse” near a black township.Later, while her mother devoted herenergies to being a housewife andmother, her father earned anincome as a “fahfee man”, or “ma-china”: an illegal, but ubiquitousfigure in black townships.

“Fahfee men” facilitated dailybetting stakes in these communi-ties, numbers games in whichsuperstition, desperation and ran-

dom choices played decisive roles.“Fahfee needed two groups on theedges of society, separate but boundtogether, to connect momentarily inthe collusion of circumventing theways of the economic mainstream.

“The end goal for both groupswas to walk away with a few extrarand in their pockets, even if itmeant they were taking from eachother. Theirs was a pact forged fromtheir mutual conspiracy against theapartheid system.”

Working 14-hour days and riskingconstant harassment or arrest, Ho’sfather nevertheless found time to bea watchful, but tender parent whoprovided not only necessities, but

also treats, outings and uncondi-tional support of his children, upuntil his tragic death.

As a voice relating a long-over-looked chapter of South Africa’sstory, its bitter ethnic histories andthe vagaries with which itsindomitable Chinese minority wasforced to contend, Ufrieda Ho’sbook is invaluable.

As an eloquent account of a tiny,stoical and tightly-knit communityfor whom political involvementwas often too perilous to venture, itis illuminating. And as a powerfultestimony of courage, dignity andlove for an adored father, it rendsthe heart.

MOIRA SCHNEIDERCAPE TOWN

ATHOL FUGARD’S Special TonyAward for Lifetime Achievementin the Theatre, due to be presentedto him in New York next month,could be regarded as the pinnacleof his career. South Africa’s pre-mier playwright is hoping this isnot the case.

“The trouble with the TonyAward is that it’s beginning to feelas if it’s a hint to me to stop and Ihave no intention of stopping,” the79-year-old tells me indignantly ina telephonic interview on the eve ofthe world premiere of his latestplay, The Bird Watchers, that he isdirecting for the Fugard Theatre inthis city.

“This is a play I’ve waited a longtime to do,” he says, “because itconcerns two of my most cherishedfriends and comrades during myyears in theatre in South Africa.”

He is referring to late theatregreats Barney Simon and YvonneBryceland, and says the play paystribute to “the memorable hourswe spent watching birds and talk-ing in the shade of the umGwenyatree at my home in the EasternCape”.

There are three characters in theplay: The director (played by Guyde Lancey); the actress (DorothyAnn Gould); and the playwright(Sean Taylor) who Fugard says“bears some resemblance” to him.The work is celebratory at manylevels, he says, beginning with acelebration of Simon’s wisdom.

“There is a line where the play-wright refers to the director’s pro-found and unfathomable Jewishheart. That was so true of Barney,”Fugard recalls.

“He just was such a powerful

presence in my life - generous tothe extreme and wise. Of course, inthe case of the actress, there’s theextraordinary talent that wasYvonne Bryceland, which was alsoso important in my career.

“I don’t know if I would havebeen talking to you if it hadn’t beenfor Yvonne and Barney,” he saysmodestly.

Fugard and Taylor have workedtogether many times. The play-wright says he “just seems to gofrom one play to another with himin mind”.

What is it that makes the actor sosuited to Fugard’s roles, I wonder.“He understands personal con-flict,” Fugard says, choosing hiswords carefully, then, throwingcaution to the wind, he adds: “He isa tormented man at levels, in exact-ly the same way that I am.

“He understands a disturbed,troubled soul and that is certainlythe case with the character heplays in this play.” To say nothingof Taylor’s “absolutely formidable”talent that has “matured like a bot-tle of good wine”.

At this stage of his prolificcareer, when he could just sit backand rest on his laurels, Fugard sayshe has had no thoughts of slowingdown. “What would I do?” he asksplaintively. “I can’t hit a nail instraight!”

Fugard, who is based at theUniversity of California in SanDiego, talks fondly of his grandsonwith whom he spends time fishingand bird-watching, but that is “notenough” to fill a life that’s beenfilled with writing, acting anddirecting.

Along with the theatre, bird-watching is a passion, hence thetitle of his latest work. “Watchingbirds has kept me alive,” heexplains.

“I had a drinking problem at onepoint in my life; I needed quite afew little survival mechanisms -bird-watching was one of them.”

The Fugard Theatre, a 280-seater,is “the perfect size” for staging hiswork, he says, adding: “It meansthat the actor can reach everybodyin the audience.”

As for his writing, he dismissesthe notion that it is affected by hisabsence from the country. “What Ineed from South Africa is alreadyinside me. When they cut me openone day to find out why I died,they’ll find a Karoo kopje, birds,strong winds…” he says wistfully.

Audiences will be delighted tolearn that Fugard “definitely”intends returning on a regularbasis to direct his work.

• The Bird Watchers is on at theFugard Theatre until June 4, (021)461-4554.

TAPESTRY - ART, BOOKS, DANCE, FILM, THEATRE


Athol Fugard

(right) in a

brainstorming

session with

cast members

Dorothy Ann

Gould and Guy

de Lancey.(PHOTO BY JESSE

KRAMER)

At 79, Fugard will not slow down

Powerful testimony of courage

IF YOUR maternal grandfather is a CohenGadol, do you attain any benefits even if yourfather was a Yisraeli?

My maternal grandfather was a Cohen. HarryKaffel was buried in East London. My motherwas Laura Solomons (nee Kaffel).

A Cohen Gadol is a high priest blessed withthe powers of blessing and praying for others.

PS: I do have the ability to split my little andring finger from my middle and index finger toform a V - a property of the high priest orCohen!

Here’s hoping,

Dr H D SolomonsHighlands North, Johannesburg


LETTERS

Disclaimer: The letters page is intended to provide opportunity for a range of views on anygiven topic to be expressed. Opinions articulated in the letters are those of the writers and do notnecessarily reflect the views of the editor, staff or directors of the Jewish Report

Guidelines for letters: Letters up to 400 words will get preference. Please provide your full first nameand surname, place of residence, and a daytime contact telephone or cell number. We do not publish let-ters under noms de plume. Letters should preferably be e-mailed. Letters may be edited or shortened.

The Editor, Suite 175, Postnet X10039, Randburg, 2125 email: [email protected]

I AGREE with Albert Glass. It’s time tocool the exchange between Mr JusticeDennis Davis and Harvard law profes-sor, Alan Dershowitz (SA JewishReport, April 29).

The letters in the same issue (on thesubject) do not serve to clear the airand the report by Robyn Sassen (onUCT’s stance on the venue) muddiesthe water further. Her story raisesmore questions than it answers.

In her second paragraph she refersto Justice Davis as a critical supporterof Israel (whatever that may mean)who has been in dispute with ProfDershowitz. So what’s new? But thereis no comment from the judge.

Any journalist knows that it is onlyfair to give the other side their say. Sowhere was the response from MrDavis?

The statement from UCT’s GerdaKruger makes it clear that it was notthe university’s decision to initiate thechange of venue and this is confirmedby Julie Berman, director of the SAZionist Federation, Cape Council. ButDershowitz insists that it was a lameexcuse by UCT.

Then he says he was told that the

move was motivated by a distinguishedmember of the Jewish community whospoke to the dean. So who is this distin-guished member? If we knew, maybe itwould help us to understand an impor-tant issue that is polarising the Jewishcommunity.

So, why didn’t Dershowitz name himor her? Why didn’t Sassen ask the pro-fessor who it was, or if she did, whydidn’t she say he refused to tell her.

The report that Sassen wrote seemsto be a rehash of the professor’s letterwith the statements by UCT andBerman a cut and paste job.

The story was a waste of space andreaders of SA Jewish Report deservebetter.

Sassen should stick to writing aboutarts and entertainment.

Brian JosselowitzMilnerton, Cape Town

We cannot agree that the story men-tioned was a “waste of space”. Whateverthe source(s), it conveyed some valuableinformation on the matter to the Jewishcommunity. It was a well put-together,balanced report. - Editor

DERSHOWITZ STORY LOOKS LIKE A CUT AND PASTE JOB

COHEN GADOL BY PROXY

WHAT CHANCE does Israel stand? It can dealwith military and terrorist actions against thestate, it can deal (albeit not too well) with a hos-tile world media.

It is about to face an onslaught at theSeptember UN General Assembly for a call forrecognition of a Palestinian state and prior tothat event another blockade-breaking flotilla isplanned.

We have also recently witnessed provocationin the form of the barbaric murder on an inno-cent family (the Fogels) in Itamar, as well as anattack on a school bus and more rockets firedfrom Gaza.

All the above are worrying and of great con-cern, but Israel will find a way of dealing withthis and securing the well-being of its citizensand inhabitants and ensuring that Jews world-wide will always have a refuge.

The danger is, however, not from the Araband anti-Semitic world, but the real threat toIsrael is from the Jewish world both within andabroad. J Street is doing a wonderful job under-mining US support so vital to Israel and is gain-ing much credibility among the politically cor-

rect, with absolutely no conscience in order toshow the world just how politically correct USleft thinking Jews are - selling their souls for abowl of pottage.

Some of the most disgusting pictures postedon the Internet showing our haredi brothersburning the Israeli flag in front of the PonavezYeshiva in Bnei Brak on Yom Ha’atzmaut, wasmore than sickening.

These people don’t want to recognise theState, but are happy to accept money to sustaintheir life of learning (from the State); they wontserve in the army but are happy for the protec-tion afforded to them (from the State), yet theyview this as their entitlement and underscorethis by burning the (Israeli) flag that pays andprotects them - indeed their entitlement!

We have just commemorated Yom Hazikaronfor the fallen soldiers - many of whom havingbeen killed while protecting these people whospit on their graves by burning their flag!

Allan WolmanNorwoodJohannesburg

REAL THREAT TO ISRAEL COMES FROM JEWS - WITHIN AND ABROAD

ALSO LOOK AT THE 3 000 UNARMED VICTIMS

ONCE AGAIN we have paid ourrespects to our six million victims of theShoah. I prefer not to call themKiddushim for Kiddushim are martyrsand martyrs are people who go to theirdeaths voluntarily, out of conviction,for a cause.

We gathered together in front of theimpressive memorial created by theJewish sculptor Herman Wald. We lis-tened to memorable speeches, to a fineand sensitive chazzan and choir and aprincipal speaker who was himself aShoah survivor.

There was the recital of the names ofsome victims, their often very youngages, to remind us what the occasionwas about.

Some of our youth were there. Theyhelped convince us that Am YisraelChai, Mir Zeinen Do, Anachnu Po. Jewsand Judaism have survived nearly 4 000years of vicissitude, persecution andgenocide.

We did not abandon our faith or itsethics. We did not give up our claim toour ancient homeland. We will standsteadfast against those who heapcalumny upon us, even when such were

born as Jews themselves.I have often wondered about the con-

figuration of the memorial. It consistsof six gigantic fists forcing themselvesthrough the earth, each holding anenormous shofar. These shofarim faceinwards, towards each other and form acanopy over the bronze central everlast-ing flame consisting of letters that cre-ate the sixth commandment: Thou shaltnot murder.

The symbolism is obvious, the mes-sage clear, but surely as a memorial tothe Shoah the shofarim should havefaced outwards to the world, proclaim-ing the ancient commandment LoTirtzach, upon which the survival ofMan’s morality and existence depends.

I have been unable to ascertainHerman Wald’s intention in the posi-tioning of the shofarim. In facing eachother the shofarim appear to proclaimtheir message to themselves.

Did Herman Wald foresee that ulti-mately only Jews would listen to themessage?

Don KrauszKillarney, Johannesburg

DO THE SHOFARIM AT MEMORIAL FACE THE WRONG WAY?

THE ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury, thespiritual head of the 80-million strongAnglican communion, says the killingof an unarmed Osama bin Laden left “avery uncomfortable feeling”.

The plus minus 3 000 people killed on

9/11 were not armed.The Archbishop begins to show signs

of Alzheimer’s disease.

Mario Rocha PiresBedfordview

ME UPHEAVALS SHOW ISRAEL IN A POSITIVE LIGHT

JEWS MUST now view the sudden, andhistoric, outburst of Middle Easternand North African democratisation(and expression of a genuine popularwill!) with realism and understanding.It is a remarkable development that iswholly in Israel’s favour.

It has caused further deep embar-rassment in wide circles, which were sofar not prepared to admit that the Jewhas reappeared, unmistakably, on theworld scene.

Although little is said outright, thefact that Israel, with its revival of itsancient Hebrew culture, is the onlypolitically, economically and sociallystable national organism in the entireArabic-speaking area, has created atremendous impression in power-cen-tres, such as Beijing, Moscow, Londonand the EU capitals.

It has done more to wipe away thecobwebs of traditional prejudices,engendered, over the centuries, by, onceprevailing, religious and cultural doc-trines, than any other historic develop-ment of the past 150 years.

Ironically, current events in North

Africa and the Arabian peninsulacould, eventually, recreate a unifiedIslam with renewed spiritual and intel-lectual vigour, such as existed betweenthe 10th and the 13th centuries, and inwhich the Jews had an integratedshare.

Symptoms of such a new beginningare apparently unconnected events,such as the very necessary, symbolical-ly important, executions of, first,Saddam Hussein and, more recently,Osama bin Laden.

At the other end of the spectrum, wehave a somewhat opportunistic recan-tation by Mr Justice Richard Goldstone.

Did the respected judge, too, sniff arefreshing breeze amid the smell ofblood and death, emerging from the,currently totally disrupted, NorthAfrica and Middle East? Indeed, isn’t itsad that, here in South Africa, there arestill those, wasting their time with pettyintrigues against Israel - while, far inthe north, a new era is dawning?

Julian SchragenheimPinelands, Cape Town

REPRIMAND FOR CELLPHONE-TALKING, DRIVING JEWISH MOMS

UCT INNOCENT BYSTANDER IN DAVIS-DERSHOWITZ SPATWITH REFERENCE to Professor AlanDershowitz’s letter published in the JewishReport of April 29 (“Prof Alan Dershowitzreplies to Justice Dennis Davis”), the Universityof Cape Town wishes to place the following factson record.

UCT’s Law Faculty was approached by organ-isers of Dershowitz’s trip to South Africa andthey agreed to a seminar at the Law Faculty.The seminar was planned for March 29.

Days later, the organisers informed us theywould like to shift the event to another venue asthey were concerned about the low number ofresponses we had - the seminar fell in UCT’svacation time – and believed they could betterhandle security matters surrounding the eventat the new venue.

Prof Dershowitz subsequently indicated in aCape Times article (March 28) that the seminarwas moved for reasons unrelated to UCT.However, in later articles, he mentioned that hewas barred from speaking at UCT and his blogindicated a similar belief.

UCT has informed Prof Dershowitz that wewere not involved in cancelling the seminar orin applying pressure in order for it to be can-celled. The organisers have also written a pub-lic statement to confirm our position.

We were committed for the seminar to pro-ceed. The organisers have also assured us thatthey have on various occasions made it knownto Prof Dershowitz that he was not barred byUCT from speaking.

We hope that the facts above assist in clearingup the matter. UCT strives to uphold the princi-ples of academic freedom, and we strive to havespeakers representing the full spectrum ofpolitical and academic viewpoints. In fact it isour constant intention to expand these engage-ments.

***UCT takes note of David Hersch’s comments

in Jewish Report of May 6 (“Many unansweredquestions about cancellation to Dershowitzvenue”).

UCT has now placed on record our version ofevents. We stand by the comments made in ourprevious statements on the matter and rejectthe allegation that UCT was pressurised or wasin any way involved in prohibiting Dershowitzfrom speaking on our campus.

Gerda KrugerExecutive Director: Communications andMarketingUniversity of Cape Town

I HAVE recently returned from a trip toJohannesburg, where I was horrified to see somany Jewish women driving – some with chil-dren in their vehicles – and either talking ontheir cellphones or texting while driving.

This is grossly negligent and irresponsiblebehaviour. Not only are these motorists endan-gering their and their children’s lives, but thelives of pedestrians and other innocentmotorists who abide by the laws that state thatone may not hold a cellphone while driving.

There are devices such as hands-free kits andearphones, which obviate the necessity to holdthe phones while driving.

If these motorists had ever seen how manydeaths and horrific injuries are caused by peo-ple driving and using cellphones simultaneous-ly, they would think twice before doing so.

It seems that the only time someone gets a“wake-up call” is when they or their childrenare involved and injured in an accident. Theywill then stop this practice pretty quickly!

Can a call or text message be so importantthat it can’t wait?

Ashne Beinart SegalMilnertonCape Town

MODERN VERSION OF ANTI-SEMITISM PRACTISED AGAINST ISRAELI HAVE been following the controversy concern-ing the attitudes of Mr Justice Dennis Davis andProfessor Alan Dershowitz and the war of wordsbetween them and between their supporters.

As someone who grew up in South Africa andhas been living in Israel for 36 years, where Iserved in the army and raised my children, I find itdifficult to believe that a former chairman of theCape Jewish Board of Deputies, whose function itis to protect the interests of the local Jewish com-munity, fails to see that the openly expressed opin-ions of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu,directed against my country and its policies,including false accusations (such as that Israel ispractising apartheid), are, in reality, the modernversion of classical anti-Semitism.

History is rife with examples of Jews supporting

anti-Semitic dignitaries in different countries, onlyeventually to find themselves victims of officialactions.

I would have thought that a former Board ofDeputies chairman would be able to see what effectthe views such as those expressed by Tutu mayhave on the Jewish community in the future.Defending Tutu’s statements now will not protectDavis or his offspring from blatant anti-Semiticattacks in the future.

Davis has the right to disagree with some of theactions of the present Israeli Government, butdefending Tutu’s views should not be part of hisopposition to these policies.

Robyn RotbergKfar Saba, Israel

COMMUNITY COLUMNS


THE GROUNDSWELL of popularagitation for democracy that issweeping much of the Arab-speak-ing world is also impacting signifi-cantly on the Palestinian territo-ries. It can plausibly be argued thatit was the ongoing instability inSyria that was decisive in pavingthe way to the Fatah-Hamas recon-ciliation agreement.

Now that there is a genuineprospect that the days of the cur-rent Syrian regime, on whose sup-port it is so reliant, may be num-bered, Hamas is anxious not to beleft out in the cold.

That the reconciliation deal wasso enthusiastically welcomed byGazans further suggests that theHamas itself may face a popularchallenge by the populace it cur-rently governs with an iron hand.

Is the apparent healing of theHamas-Fatah breach a good or abad thing for Israel? Here, we seehow one can plausibly adopt eithera positive or a negative view.

The latter would be that the mer-ciful calm that has prevailedbetween Israel and the West Bankover the past five years will beendangered through the reintro-duction of the extremist ideologiesHamas embodies.

On the other hand, it is equallypossible that the more pragmaticapproach of Fatah will rub off onHamas, steering it away from a pol-icy of perpetual confrontation

with Israel towards one of peacefulco-existence. In being necessarilyrealistic, we should not fall into thetrap of becoming over-pessimistic;excessive caution often results in afailure to take advantage whenwindows of opportunity arise.

Of course, the Iranian threat is aserious one, but by focusing on thisexclusively, Israel may be losingout on an unprecedented opportu-nity to help in advancing the causeof democracy in the Middle East.

It has long been correctly point-ed out that Israel has long been thesole democratic state in a sea ofauthoritarianism. That might betrue, but in these rapidly changingtimes, merely asserting it is notenough. Rather, Israel should belooking to have a positive influenceon events, at the very least byexpressing support for those who,

at great personal risk, are cam-paigning for change.

Ordinary Israelis themselvesshould be looking to find ways toreach out to their counterpartsacross the border now fighting forthe very democratic rights thatIsraelis take for granted.

Israel did not achieve its manyextraordinary successes bythrowing up its hands when con-fronted by apparently insur-mountable obstacles. It has doneso through showing boldness, ini-tiative, a willingness where neces-sary to take risks and a hard-headed realism epitomised by theadage “ayn breira” - there is nochoice.

That is why, I believe, Israel

should not now be taking a passiverole over the stalled peace processwith the Palestinians. Such a finalsettlement is ultimately just asimportant to it as it is to thePalestinians themselves, not leastin safeguarding Israel’s interna-tional legitimacy.

The popular uprisings we arewitnessing in the Arab worlddemonstrate ordinary peopleeverywhere refusing to toe theparty line and insisting on the rightto make up their own minds. Inlight of this, we surely need to lookbeyond simply assuming that thehostility of Israel’s neighbours isso immovably entrenched as to ren-der further peace efforts futile.

Israel should actively advance democracy in ME

This column is paid for by the SAJBD

ABOVEBOARDZev Krengel, National Chairman

A column of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies

LETTERS

THE RECENTLY-PUBLISHED“retraction” in the WashingtonPost by Richard Goldstone of cer-tain conclusions contained in theUN-sponsored report on the Gazaconflict, has not unexpectedly gen-erated a vast array of opinions as tohis motivations and its probableimpact.

Whether this latest piece wasmotivated by a belated attack ofconscience or the accumulation ofa mountain of confuting evidenceor even as the result of politicalpressure (as has been suggested),hardly matters.

Objectively viewed it is littlemore than a lamentable, self-serv-ing and disingenuous set of excus-es from the principal author of ascurrilous and defamatory docu-ment.

Does Goldstone seriously stillsuggest that Israel should have co-operated with a morally bankrupt,manifestly hostile organisationsuch as the UN Human RightsCouncil as he himself now implic-itly acknowledges it to be?

The real question is why Gold-stone accepted the mandate in thefirst place, knowing the characterand disposition of the organisationhe served.

Goldstone suggests that he hasnow reached different conclusions

because “new facts” have come tolight.

To the contrary, Goldstone wasalerted by legal experts even beforethe commission started its workthat it was fundamentally flawedand was incapable of producing afair and impartial outcome.

After the report was published, itwas meticulously dissected and itsmultitude of deficiencies exposedby reputable scholars across theworld, including for example,Professor Irwin Cotler a formerminister of justice in Canada andMoshe Halbertal, a professor ofphilosophy at the Hebrew Uni-versity of Jerusalem.

In short, the UNHRC report onthe Gaza conflict was sponsored byan organisation overtly hostile toIsrael with a clear political agenda,was constituted by members, three out of four of whom had pub-licly opined that Israel was an“Aggressor Nation” and employedpreposterous reasoning, cherry-picking its facts and then drawingsweeping and utterly damning con-clusions, now shown to be clearlywrong.

No wonder the commission pro-duced a piece of legal claptrap ofwhich any first-year law studentwould be ashamed.

Against this background it is dif-

ficult to believe that Goldstone, anexperienced lawyer, has onlyrecently seen the light.

The fact is that he deliberatelyand willingly helped manufacturea spurious document which causedand continues to cause immensedamage to the State of Israel andhas literally exposed its officials toarrest and physical harm.

These matters should not beallowed to rest. There must be acalling to account and lawyers andothers in South Africa who valuetruth and justice should see to this.

Goldstone’s name is still reflect-ed on the roll of advocates in SouthAfrica. There is legal precedent forcausing the names of retiredlawyers or judges who havebrought the legal profession intodisrepute to have their namesstruck off the roll of practitioners.We have had a recent such casehere in Australia.

I would urge concerned mem-bers of the South African commu-nity to take up this matter, not onlyin defence of Israel but in defenceof the truth.

Errol PriceDirector LegalDiversity ConsultingJones Bay WharfNSW, Australia

GOLDSTONE RETRACTION, LAMENTABLE, SELF-SERVING SET OF EXCUSES

I REFER to Arnold Levy’s letterin last week’s Jewish Report,titled: “Answer to Baal Shem Tovdebacle may lie in its title deed”.

Levy, makes an unsubstantiat-ed statement that “inherent inevery residential title deed inJohannesburg is the right to holdchurch services”. I challenge himto prove this. He quotes Act 200 of1993.

This Act was repealed when itwas surpassed by Act No 108 of1996, which was the Promul-gation of the Constitution of theRepublic of South Africa.Nowhere, in either of these Acts,is the term “church services”mentioned, nor is it implied.

In fact, the only referencewhich comes near Mr Levy’sassertions is Clause 31 of Act No108 of 1996 which states that(paraphrased) every person has aright to practise their religion aslong as it is not “inconsistent

with any provision of the Bill ofRights”.

Regarding the title deeds forBaal Shem Tov, and indeed virtu-ally all title deeds in OrangeGrove, there is nothing whichremotely even hints “that churchservices are indeed allowed to beheld on the property”.

Levy is also obviously notaware that, according to theNational Building Regulations,every building must haveapproved building plans. Theseregulations take precedence overany town planning schemebecause they are regulations interms of an Act of Parliament.

Thus, if the approved plans arefor one type of building, say, ahouse, it may not be used for anyother purpose unless new plansare submitted and approved bythe local authority. Baal ShemTov has NO approved plans.

Any change of use of a build-

ing is required to have approvedbuilding plans for the health andsafety of the occupants and thisis done through the departmentof Building Control at the rele-vant municipality.

Whether the complainant has abias towards any institutions,religious or otherwise, is ofabsolutely no relevance in mat-ters relating to the town planningscheme of that municipality.Defendants should be careful notto cast prejudicial aspersionswhere none may exist in order toprove their point.

Rather confine oneself to thelegislation pertaining than toascribe prejudice or religiousbias to the complainant.

Common decency requiresthat, surely.

Helen AronBellevueJohannesburg

ARNOLD LEVY IS WRONG REGARDING BAAL SHEM TOV

IS THERE a problem in not havingenough iron in your body?

Meat is probably the best sourceof dietary iron and if you do notingest enough iron you willbecome iron deficient or anaemic.

This is usually manifest aslethargy or fatigue. The blood pic-ture is that of a hypochromic

microcytic anaemia.Plant iron, such as from raisins,

is not as good a source of iron andcan leave one being iron deficient.

Vitamin C converts the ferric tothe ferrous form of dietary iron,which is better absorbed. Thusone needs a certain amount ofiron or meat in one’s system in

order to feel vibrant and healthy.True vegans need vitamin 12

injections to avoid megaloblasticanaemia. So eat well and stayhealthy.

Dr H D SolomonsRouxvilleJohannesburg

IRON MAKES YOU FEEL VIBRANT AND HEALTHY


YOUTH TALK Alison Goldberg [email protected]

SHALYA HIRSCHSONPHOTOGRAPH: SHIRA TOLLMAN

SILENCE LINGERED in the hall of KingDavid Victory Park Primary School, longafter the Yom Hashoah commemorationended last Friday morning.

Grade 7 learners put together a presenta-tion of what they had learnt during theirIsraeli Culture and Jewish Identity lessons.“Hold on to what we believe”, “Know whoyou are”, “Teach every generation”, and“Never give up hope”, were some of thethoughts they shared during class and thenagain with the rest of the school.

The poem, “Blessed is the Match”, wasread with the kindling of a flame, cherish-ing the spirit of those who live on in all ourhearts.

Two learners read “El Malei Rachamim”,remembering the souls of men, women andchildren killed in the ghettos and concen-

tration camps during the Shoah. With per-fect understanding and appropriate tone,the learners echoed the words “I believe” –“Ani Ma’amin”, before reciting PavelFriedmann’s famous poem, “The Butterfly”.

A young girl related the story of RabbiYosef Shlomo Kahaneman who travelledthroughout Europe searching for long lostJewish children in orphanages and church-es, after the Second World War.

After being turned away from many ofthe homes, he insisted on returning in theevening and while children prepared forbedtime, he gently called out the words ofthe Shema. Tear strained voices encouragedhim to continue and joined in with what lit-tle they could remember.

As the commemoration came to an end,teachers and learners swayed gently to thepowerful song that reminds that in pain andin rejoicing, we must not forget, we will notforget, what we have learnt.

Moving Yom Hashoahceremony at KDVPP

CARLA LIPSCHITZPHOTOGRAPH: SHIRA TOLLMAN

KING DAVID Victory Park Primary in aYom Hazikaron ceremony paid tribute to

the memory of the soldiers and victims ofterror who have fallen in Israel.

A moving PowerPoint presentation wasshown and learners lit candles, read poemsand recited Yizkor.

Israel’s fallen areremembered at KDVPP

Back: Jared Class. Front: Kelly Heyman and Shayna van Vuren. Back right: Abigail

Brenner.

Daniel

Cramer

lighting

a candle.

OWN CORRESPONDENTPHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED

AFTER SLAVERY comes freedom. TheHaggadot now done, the children ofMorah Tanya Filder’s class of four year-olds feel free to zoom aroundthe garden in the wagonpulled along by Ashira Rau.The thrill of the experienceis zooming on four wheels.The children of Yeshiva Pre-primary School make dailyuse of the tricycles, scootersand wagons.

In the wagon are sevenvery happy and excited littlegirls who have formed anamazing bond in their firstterm at the school.

Front to back in thewagon: Ayelet Bloch; LiatFeigenbaum; Gila Smith;Ariella Rabinowtiz; Emunah

kretmaer; Ella Zimerman; and Lia Levy. For Yom Ha’atzmaut the tots had a

ruach song and dance session with falafel,pita and ice-cream cake, ending off withHatikvah and a happy birthday to Israelsong.

YC tots have wheels, will travel...

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH RONEL ZEFF

KING DAVID Linksfield Junior Primary(KDLJP), won R50 000 for their sisterschool, Ikage Primary, in last year’s Wool-worths’ MySchool Play it Forward Com-petition.

With the help of builder Colin McArthurfrom Kab Fix, KDLJP, the King DavidSchools’ Foundation (KDSF) and Wool-worths, Ikage Primary now has a new

mobile classroom for their grade ones. The opening of the classroom took place

recently and Principal Margaret Mthebulethanked guests from KDLJP, KDSF andWoolworths with these words: “We have 60learners per class. The classroom has comeas manna to us - you don’t know how muchwe appreciate it.

“It may seem like a little classroom but tous it is huge - out of this classroom we aregoing to produce leaders.”

KDLJP’s efforts bag classroomfor Ikage Primary School

Ikage grade ones enjoying their new learning space.

KEREN ZWICKPHOTOGRAPH: GARY BLOCK

AS ALWAYS, Mazal Sacks organised aspectacular day at KDHL to commemorateboth Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remem-berance) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Day ofIndependence for Israel) this week.

The day began in the hall with a remem-brance ceremony for the lost soldiersrecognised annually on Yom Hazikaron.Beautiful ballet and a poignant dance werefollowed by Yizkor and the reading of vari-ous psalms and poems.

The Israeli flag was raised and loweredand a musical interlude of melancholicmusic was presented by the KD JAM learn-ers. Kate Berkenfeld, head student leaderof KDHL gave a remembrance speech thattouched every person present.

After a moving rendition of Hatikvah, a slideshow illuminated the grieving,mourning and loss that accompanies recol-lections of a our fallen soldiers. Hatikvahwas sung and a moment’s silence observed.Finally, the Israeli flag was raised yetagain.

After a break the festivities of YomHa’atzmaut began. KDHL was joined byKD Junior and Nursery Schools, so thefield was packed.

Kate Berkenfeld started off the celebra-tions with a heartfelt speech honouringIsrael as the state of the Jewish people andintroducing our guest speaker, ReverendKenneth Meshu of the Zionist-based Afri-can Christian Democratic Party.

Meshu said that “Israel has been blessedby G-d and any man who supports Israelwill be blessed”.

Surrounded by a magnificent display ofballoons in the shape of KDHL learners,the dancing began. The nursery school per-formed a beautiful song and the primaryschool dancers really showed their talent.

Finally, choreographed by the KDHLlearners, the high school dancers celebrat-ed the true spirit of Israel. The studentleaders presented a flag march and shwar-ma and falafel was enjoyed by all.

Before Jonathan Birin began to play, sixwhite doves were released into the air, sym-bolising the peace and freedom we all wishfor Israel.

Yom Hazikaron and YomHa’atzmaut at KDHL

KDL learners

proudly wav-

ing Israelis

flag during

their Yom

Ha’atzmaut

celebrations.

RITA LEWIS

MANY PEOPLE think that the cause oflongevity is due to having an extended life ofease and rest, but Julia Rajak who this weekcelebrated her 100th birthday, said it was herwork - mainly at the Johannesburg StockExchange - that had kept her going all theyears.

However, the quality and extent of herwork and civic interests, were demonstratedby the many congratulatory letters shereceived, all acknowledging her standingand worth within the South African commu-nity.

Among others, letters were received fromChief Rabbi Warren Goldstein; PresidentJacob Zuma; Mayor Amos Masondo of

Johannesburg; and from HumphreyBorkum, president of the Stock Exchange,who said she “had been the steel beneath thevelvet”, and also from Geoff Rothschild.

Rajak who has been living at GoldenAcres for the past 15 years, was born inDurban, where she attended Durban HighSchool. While attending a Young IsraelCamp in 1929, she met her future husband,Harry whom she married two years later.

The couple moved to Johannesburg whereshe joined the staff of the JohannesburgStock Exchange which was then situated inthe old Diagonal Street in downtownJohannesburg.

“Mrs R” as she was known, was the sec-ond woman stockbroker in South Africa(after Ann Carolyn Mackeutan) and workedat the JSE in various positions for 58 years,retiring at the age of 85.

During her early years she was verysocially conscious and civic minded and formany years volunteered to man the phoneover the Christmas period for some Johan-nesburg fire stations.

The couple had three children Carmel(who now lives in Spain), Ethne (who hassince died) and a son Herbert.

She had an inborn love of children andjoined the board of the Oxford Shul NurserySchool of which she was the chairman andpresident for many years and is now thehonorary life president.

Her husband, Harry Xavier, known asHarry X, was one of the founders of theOxford Shul in 1941. He served the shul in

various positions.He, together with his wife, went to the

US to meet and appoint Rabbi NormanBernhard to the position of rabbi at theshul.

To celebrate Rajak’s actual birthday, afamily gathering took place on April 23 ather son and his wife’s home at which allRajak’s direct family were present: two chil-dren; six grandchildren - one from Spain,two from London and three from Johan-nesburg; as well as her seven great-grand-children from Johannesburg.

To ensure that the residents of GoldenAcres could also be involved in the celebra-tions, a second party was held there lastweek in her honour, attended by some 150guests - around 70 being family and friendsand the balance Golden Acres residents.

Also attending were (now retired) RabbiBernhard and Rabbi Yossi Chaikin, the pres-ent rabbi.

In his congratulatory speech, RabbiChaikin said Rajak had been the backboneof the nursery school and the cause of muchof its success.


Centenarian Julia Rajak (PHOTO SUPPLIED)

Julia’s stocks still high after hitting 100

Blanche Kaplan and her friend

Beccy Flekser enjoy the music

at the Johannesburg

Philharmonic Orchestra prac-

tice session held last week at

The Greenside in the

Johannesburg suburb of

Greenside. The JPO, under

Richard Cock, entertained an

appreciative Mother’s Day

crowd last weekend at a concert

at Johannesburg Zoo. (PHOTO-

GRAPH BY ILAN OSSENDRYVER)

Enjoyablepracticerun forthe realMcCoy

MICHELLE VINOKURPHOTOGRAPH: LISA VINOKUR

ON THURSDAY April 7, Chazak presentedanother 10 wheelchairs, this time to a variety ofchurches. The presentation was made at AndrewMurray Church. The churches were very grate-ful for their wheelchairs.

Chazak Foundation is a non-profit org-anisation whose core objective is to educate peo-ple about disabilities as well as to support, assist,guide and help people who are experiencing adisability.

The evening was introduced by the host,Reverend Rudi Swanepoel who spoke about dis-abilities. He emphasised that everyone of us hada disability but only the visual disabilities wereusually noticed.

Pieter du Preez, a quadriplegic spoke abouthow the able world could help a disabled person.

He pointed out that, for instance, able peopletaking up disabled parking bays were doing agreat disservice to those who are disabled.

Michelle Vinokur told her inspiring Story andhow Chazak was started.

It was a great evening and all left feeling goodand with many thoughts how they would try andhelp the disabled.

Chazak again walks thewalk with wheelchairs

Michelle Vinokur and Pieter du

Preezat the Chazak presentation.


WHAT’S ON Barry Bilewitz [email protected]

• Stellenbosch Hebrew Congregation has a Fridayevening service every week in shul, starting at 18:45.Contact (021) 886-5257.

• The Yiddish Academy offers weekly basic, intermedi-ate and advanced classes on Monday evenings at19:30, Tuesday mornings at 10:30 and Thursdayevenings at 19:30 at the RCHCC, Glenhove Road,Houghton. Conversational groups. Details: e-mail [email protected] or call Hazel Cohen on(011) 728-8088.

• Supervised bridge with Jeff Sapire Tuesday morning10:00 - 12:00 (intermediary) and Wednesday morning10:00 - 12:00 (advanced), at the Clive M BeckAuditorium. Booking: Hazel or René‚ (011) 728-8088/8378. E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

• Beis Midrash Chofetz Chaim is offering a secondma’ariv minyan every weekday evening (Monday -Friday) at 21:00, cnr Elray and Michel Streets,Raedene. Open to broader community. Don’t fret if you need a later minyan. Secure parkingprovided.

• Sunday Scrabble Club meets every Sunday at 10:00at Zahava’s, Grant Avenue, Norwood, off 9th Street.Cost R5. Players of all strengths welcome. Larry 082-888-5355.

• Orchid Florist, a project of WIZO Johannesburg,offers beautiful arrangements of flowers and fruit forevery occasion. No occasion too large or too small.Contact Annette (011) 728-4513.

• JWBS Johannesburg, urgently requires secondhandclothing, kitchenware, household goods, books andbric-a-brac for its secondhand shop. Contact (011)485-5232.

• Celebrating a bar-/batmitzvah? Why not give a dona-tion to WIZO’s bar-/batmitzvah project in Israel? Youget a beautiful certificate to give to the bar-/batmitzvahchild here. Certificates are available from WIZO tel(011) 645-2548.

CROSSWORD NO 209ACROSS:1. Rent on an elevated level, we hear (4)3. Trade leader expresses pain at spilt gin

– that’s poignant (8)8. Sensory organ – or one of intellect, we

hear (4)9. In erect position in mast and in gun-

room (8)11. How electrician gets revelation? (4, 3, 5)13. Nothing to storm for engines (6)14. Accountant returns into disorganised

movement (6)17. Cramped for space – and in a bit of

trouble (2, 1, 5, 4)20. Court me, I am upset by Shakes-

pearean character (8)21. Nothing to this if

one’s courting (4)22. Rest around rack for

those who followspoor (8)

23. Rave about the girl(4)

DOWN:1. Give a bit, being good-

looking (8)2. Crept in south-east

for veneration (7)4. Not at home, permit

an exit (6)5. So if coin can’t be

turned into seizure ofillicit articles (10)

6. Flower gets hothead,being Gaelic (5)

7. Muffles the jokes (4)10. Dazzled by limelight,

despite being slappedby celebrity (4, 6)

12. Somehow, AA anth-

em is absolutely intolerable (8)15. Beg for fairy legend (7) 16. Gruel in east is even less attractive (6)18. Roman upset by Bellini opera (5)19. Leave out in room items (4)

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD NO 208

ACROSS: 1. Site; 3. Infinite; 8. Amen; 9.Graduate; 11. Bus conductor; 13. Ninety; 14.Stooge; 17. Shoots to kill; 20. Blisters; 21.Hang; 22. Intimate; 23. Sift.DOWN: 1. Slap bang; 2. Treason; 4.Neruda; 5. Indication; 6. Idaho; 7. Even; 10.Post mortem; 12. Red light; 15. Origami; 16.Esprit; 18. Hoist; 19. ABRI.

1

8

10

11

12

13 14 15

16

19

20

22 23

21

1817

9

2 3 4 5 6 7

BY LEAH SIMONThese days, all serious partnerships havea host of systemic agreements and conven-tions. The Italians are no exception, andthey have been very innovative over theyears in this regard.

The auction was a typical example ofItalian science at work. Note East’s decisionnot to open a weak two with such a bad suitat this vulnerability. 2D was a transfer tohearts, and then 2S was a relay, forcing Westto bid 2NT. 3NT now showed a slam try butwithout two of the top three heart honours.(Is there anything these guys don’t thinkof ?). So West settled for 4H.

In the CR (Closed Room) the auction wasmuch simpler: 1NT-2D; 2H-4H. Here, on theC4 lead, declarer won in dummy, played aheart to the king, and played the nine ofhearts, ducking when the jack appeared.Eventually he took the losing spade finessefor one down.

NOTE: Deadline for all entries is 12:00 on the Fridayprior to publication.

Today Friday (May 13)

• RCHCC presents “The Ivy Artists” until May 25.Exhibition opens at 18:00. Contact Hazel or René(011) 728-8088/8378 or after hours (011) 728-8378)for viewing times.

• UZLC presents Avrom Krengel on “Report-Back onSAZF Conference”.

Sunday (May 15)

• Second Innings presents Digby Ricci on “LeniRiefenstahl and the Nazi Cinema”.

Monday (May 16)

• UJW Johannesburg presents Prof John Lubbe on“The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran Caves” at09:30.

• The Jewish Learning Institute and Great ParkSynagogue presents a six-week course “An Oasis ofTime - The Gift of Shabbat” starting at 19:45. CostR200. Contact Rabbi Shmuel Simpson on 079-106-4777 or [email protected].

Tuesday (May 17)

• WIZO Fortnightly Forum presents Mr Justice PercyBlieden, Mr Justice Ivor Schwartzman and Mr JusticeRalph Zulman on “The Lighter Side of Law” atBeyachad at 09:30. Cost R35.

• UJW Johannesburg has Estelle Sher presentingMahler’s Fifth Symphony at 301 Eton Place, KernickAve, Melrose North at 09:30. Donation: R30.

• RCHCC presents Arthur Goldstuck on “UrbanLegends, Panic and You” at 19:30. (Rescheduledfrom April 6).

Wednesday (May 18)

• SFCC presents Nadine Lemmer on ”Whats And Howsof Arthritis”.

Friday (May 20)

• UZLC presents Peta Krost Maunder on “Is the Press inSouth Africa Under Threat?”.

Monday (May 23)

• UJW Johannesburg presents Prof John Lubbe on “TheDead Sea Scrolls - The Ruins and the Graves” at 09:30.

Wednesday (May 25)

• Federation of Synagogues Women's Guilds of SAhosts Prof Celine Bernstein and Rebbetzen EidelKazilsky on "Maximising a Healthy Diet for Both Bodyand Soul" at 09:30 for 10:00 at HOD Centre. DonationR30. RSVP Hannah (mornings only) (010) 214-2600.

• UJW Johannesburg presents Dr Lorraine Chaskalsonon Elizabeth Gaskell’s “North and South” at 09:30.

• UJW Cape Town presents June Juritz on “Yachting inGreen Point in the 1890s: One Family’s Story”.

• Balfour Park Parkinson’s Disease Support Groupmeeting in the Boardroom, Randjes Estate,Randjeslaaagte Road, Highlands North, at 10:00. LeeBaker will give an update on the medicines used tocontrol the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. ContactRosemary Burke on (011) 640-3919.

• Second Innings outing - a guided tour of the WalterSisulu National Botanical Gardens. Meet the bus at09:00 at Oxford Shul parking. Cost: R130 per person,includes bus, entry fee to the park, the guided tour,lunch and a drink.

Sunday (May 29)

• Second Innings presents Dr Wendy Friedlander on“Cultural Aspects of Psychiatry in South Africa”.

• HOD presents the Jewish Guild Orchestra at the HODCentre at 15:00. Cost R60 per adult, R30 for childrenof 14 and under. Book on (011) 640-3017.

• JWBS is holding its annual book fair and morning mar-ket at the Jabula Recreation Centre, Sandringham from08:30. Enquiries on (011) 485-5232.

(The spade suit can be picked up forthree tricks by the spectacular line of abackward finesse – leading the jack first,and if covered, finessing against the ten -but this is a rather inferior approach).

Lauria looked deeper - on the same leadhe won in dummy and played a diamondtowards the king. When South covered theten with the queen, he ducked.

South erred by playing back a seconddiamond which he ruffed in dummy. (Thisdefence helped declarer strip the hand).Now a heart to the king and a hearttowards dummy, ducking when the jackappeared, same as in the CR.

Now North played a second club whichhe won in hand. He ruffed a third diamondand crossed to the ace of clubs.

This was the position:Lauria now ruffed the king of diamonds

in dummy (North still had the ace of dia-monds) and exited with the queen of heartsto South’s ace, who was now endplayed –forced to play a spade, giving declarer histenth trick.

Every Tuesday (Intermediate) andWednesday (Advanced) I run bridge work-shops from 10:00 – 12:00 at the Great ParkShul – alternating play hands one week anda bidding lecture on the other. CornerGlenhove Road and 4th Avenue, Houghton.E-mail me at [email protected])

North dealer, EW vul. (Teams) NORTH1043J6AJ8710542

WEST (Lauria) EAST (Versace)K765 AJ9K9 Q87432K632 10AQ3 K86

SOUTHQ82A105Q954J97

West East 1NT 2D 2H 2S 2NT 3NT 4H All pass Opening lead: C4

North (immaterial)West EastK765 S AJ9- H Q8K D –

South Q82A9

THE BRIDGE LOUNGE by Jeff Sapire

• Second Innings runs a series courses and activitiesincluding scrabble, bridge, discussion groups, playreading groups, women’s and men’s readinggroups, symphony concert rehearsals, bowls,pilates, Yogic Pranayama, walking and aerobics,Golden Oldies Cine Club, weekly workshops (byarrangement) on “falls education for the elderadult”, and organises regular activities such as,Friendship Forum for Holocaust survivors, and vol-unteer opportunities. Contact Sandra Goldberg(011) 532-9721 for information.

• Don’t miss the opportunity to do a mitzvah. Visit theSelwyn Segal Shop. Gifts priced from R45. Glassware,pewter, silver, white ceramics and Selwyn Segal prod-ucts. Phone: (011) 485-1344 or (011) 640-5171.

• Benarc Gift Shop - Gift presentations for all occasions,made to order. Call (011) 485-5232, JWBS. All kosherunder the Beth Din. Proceeds to support the less for-tunate in our community.

• Quizwizz - a fortnightly quiz at Wally’s Pub andRestaurant (Hume Road, Dunkeld, part of the RosebankBowling Club Complex). The quiz is on Thursday nightsfrom 19:30. Booking 082-888-5355 (Larry).

• RCHCC Yiddish Academy lessons: Monday night andTuesday morning.

• WIZO Elise Gift Shop in the Genesis Shopping Centre,Fairmount, entrance from Bradfield Drive oppositeShula’s Bakery. Exciting range of baby gifts and giftsfor all occasions available at reasonable prices. Hours:Mon - Thurs 09:00 - 17:00, Friday 09:00 - 13:30,Sunday 10:00 - 13:00. (011) 640-2760.

• WIZO’s Wize Buys in Raedene, requires nearly-newclothes, shoes, kitchenware (pots and pans, cutlery,crockery) bric-a-brac, etc. Phone Sandy (011) 645-2515 for goods to be collected, or deliver to WIZOoffice at Beyachad, Raedene.

• WIZO Lunch and Learn shiur - every Monday 13:00 -14:00 at Beyachad, 2nd floor. Rabbi Michael Katz. Allwelcome. R20 includes light lunch. Bookings Joyce(011) 645-2548 or (011) 645-2515.

DRIVERS NEEDEDUrgently needed, retired men

and lady drivers with own car

and cellphone for part-time work

and extra pocket money.

Contact Philip (011) 786-9952 or

082-874-6576

ACTUARIAL FIRM SEEKING...

Bookkeeper/debt collector.Please email your CV to

[email protected]

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED ADVERT: 1. Only adverts sent via email to [email protected] will be accepted. 2. You will be advised on cost & pay-

ment details. 3. Payment is prior to the advert appearing. 4. DEADLINE for BOOKING and PAYMENT is Tuesday 12pm. If deadline is missed the

advert will appear (when payment is received) in the next edition. Our banking details: SA Jewish Report,

Nedbank Randburg, Account Number: 1984 514 865, Branch Code: 198405


PROPERTY ACCOMMODATION TO LET/SHARE

NOTICESCONSECRATIONS

SERVICESHEALTH & BEAUTY

VEHICLESWANTED

AIRPORT SERVICE JHB

Reliable,

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Contact Arnold,082-447-0185011-454-1193

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LIFTS

LIFTS LIFTS GENERAL

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ARE YOU IMMIGRATING

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Please ContactSolly Kramer082-922-3597

anytime

IF YOU WANT TO BUY OR SELL

A VEHICLEContact:

Solly Kramer082-922-3597

IMPORTANT NOTICE - The Jewish Report runs adverts in the Classified section in good faith,

however we would like our readers to know we cannot be responsible for the quality of services

offered and claims made.

AirportShuttle

Tranfers from R150

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To book your classified notice or advert contact: Tel (011) 023-8160, Fax 086-634-7935, email: [email protected]

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CRYSTAL CLEAR POOL SERVICE

Jarrod Len: 082-954-7774

Does your POOL need ATTENTION and CARE?Is your pool GREEN or DISCOLOURED?

I will look after and maintain your pool to perfection.

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Call Brian on 072-366-4262

CHELSEA CHAUFFERMy rates are fantastic, my car is

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All that is missing is a call from

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ABE 082-574-9010

EXCELLENT, RELIABLEDRIVER AT YOUR

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Call Gershon071-974-5573.

EX ISRAELI SERVICEMAN Offers lifts to airport and

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Don’t drink and drive.

ALL HOURS!Call Neil 072-050-9927

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I will take you anywhere:

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Schlepped by Irene

072-356-0282Not on Shabbat

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Tel: (011) 447-4044

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Contact: Jehudith orKalman (011) 728-3702

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Call Charna 083-391-6612

VACANCIESEMPLOYMENT AVAILABLE

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Call 082-451-1499 for further

information.Locum Social worker –Chevrah Kadisha

Community Social ServicesChevrah Kadisha Community Social Services has a

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This full-time position, which commences as soon as

possible, ends mid-November. The successful

candidate requires skills in counseling and case

management and will have an opportunity to

contribute to a dynamic organisation, and work

with a very committed and supportive team.

Registration with the SACSSP and knowledge of

Jewish culture and religion, are essential

requirements of this position.It is also necessary

for applicants to have their own transport.

Only short-listed applicants will be responded to.

Please submit applications in writing to:

The Human Resources Department

email [email protected] or fax 0866 327774

SIMENTOV AND MAZELTOV!MAZELTOV TO JENNY & ROD, BRAD & ROS, ALAN & BRIAN

& SHERYL & BERNARD ON YOUR MATCH!

SOULMATES (COUNTRYWIDE)

RESULTS: 183 COUPLES MARRIED! 402 COUPLES MATCHED!

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beautiful psychologist 25yr; handsome millionare 65yr; stunning air host-

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stunning models 28yr & 51yr; petite chic relexologist 25yr; pretty blonde

hairdresser 46yr; beautiful banker 32yr; handsome successful gent

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will come here to meet) pretty teacher 33yr; handsome locksmith (own

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pretty estate agent 40yr; advocates 31, 45, 58yr; handsome pilots 62,

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CALL SANDY (011) 485-4034/082-357-3616IF YOU KNOW OF ANY

SINGLES/WIDOWED/DIVORCED PEOPLE ALONEWANTING TO MEET PLEASE CALL!

PROPERTY FOR SALEFLATS

People seekingemployment may place

a free advert of 20words maximum. Send

wording tobritt@sajewishreport or

fax: 086-634-7935

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY ILAN OSSENDRYVER

THE MACCABI SA national executive, met with Holocaust survivor and BritishOlympian weightlifting captain, BenHelfgott at the Wanderers Club in Johan-nesburg last weekend, where Maccabi SAmade a presentation to Helfgott.

Helfgott was the British weightliftingcaptain at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourneand in 1960 in Rome. In 1958 he won abronze medal at the CommonwealthGames in Cardiff, Wales, while in 1950, 1953and 1957 he won a hat trick of gold medalsat the Maccabi Games. He attended numer-ous Olympics as a British team official andpress representative.

He was one of the last people to haveseen and spoken to the 11 murdered Israeliathletes at the ill-fated 1972 MunichOlympics in Germany.

Helfgott was inducted into the presti-gious International Jewish Sports Hall ofFame at the Wingate Institute of Sport inIsrael.

He believes that through the interactionof sport, people of different backgroundscan come to understand and tolerate eachother and their differences and becomemore unified as human beings.

Besides Maccabi SA Chairman Cliff

Garrun, making a presentation to Helfgott,another Jewish Olympian was honoured.Egyptian-born, Yoav Raanan representedIsrael in diving at the 1952 Olympics inHelsinki, in 1956 in Melbourne and at the1960 Rome Olympics.

In the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Raananwas an adjudicator, while in 1954 he won agold medal at the Asian Games. Yoav andBen have been friends for the past 60 yearssince their Olympic days.

JACK MILNER

TRIATHLON HAS a huge fol-lowing and Jewish athletes areamong its hoards of enthusiastsand achievers. The Spec-SaversIron Man South African Tria-thlon took place at NelsonMandela Bay recently and itwas an enormously well sup-ported event.

The race is like no other.Dancers and musicians enter-tain not only at the pasta partyand awards ceremony, but theyare on hand for the race startand at the finish line as well..

The 3,8 km swim started atHobie Beach in perfectly calmconditions, the only turbulencecoming when the 1 800 athletessurged forward into the sea.

The bicycle route, with aslight breeze from the south-west, assisted the competitorsas they made their way alongthe coastal road. The 180 kmride consists of three laps of 60 km and therace ends off with a 42,2 km standardmarathon run, the early part of which wasin the heat of the day, amidst crowds ofcheering spectators.

The cut-off came at midnight, after 17 hours. A number of athletes sufferedfrom heat exhaustion and dehydration.Only 1 466 actually completed the distance.

The men’s event was won by RaynardTissink, South Africa’s premier endurancetriathlete, in eight hours and 5,36 minutes.He has now won eight Iron Man eventsworldwide.

The women’s title went to a triathletefrom Norwich, England; Chrissie Welling-ton. She won in 8:33,56, and remarkably fin-ished eighth overall with the quickestmarathon time, breaking her own worldrecord for the Iron Man distance by 12 min-utes and the course record by 42 minutes.She also finished 35 minutes ahead of herclosest competitor.

This was her 11th title, which includesthree world championship Iron Man titles.

She has never been beaten overthe distance. As one of the mosthardcore of human enduranceathletes, is known as the IronLady.

Her alma mater, BirminghamUniversity, recently awarded heran honorary doctorate and shehas also received an MBE.

In this epic record breakingday, 39-year-old Mark Sack onceagain showed what a special tal-ent he has by winning his agegroup - 40-44 - by three minutesin a time of 9:30,45, putting him32nd overall and the sixth SouthAfrican after professionals Tiss-ink, James Cunnama (third),Kent Horner (13th), Bryn Free-man (22nd) and age grouper (30-34) Andre Booyens (21st).

In Sack`s age group, 320 start-ed; 244 finished. Conditions onthe day suited Sack, who had acomfortable swim and a solidbike ride.

He started the run in thirdplace in his age group. He was second afterfive km and took the lead at around 21 kminto the marathon, maintaining that posi-tion to the end, to finish 12 minutes fasterthan his previous best over the distance.

Clive Sack, Mark’s elder brother, whocompeted in the same age group, had a com-fortable day (11:04) as did brothers Davidand Jonathan Boyer in 10:58 and 11:05respectively, in the 35 to 39 age group.

Other Jewish competitors to completethe course included Jonathan Cohen (30-34)11:46, Jodi Zulberg (35-39) 12:18, LanceKrowitz (30-34) 12:53, Dylin Edel (11:48),Darryl Bark (14:01) and Jonathan Pauwen(16:39), all three in age group 25-29.

At the Spec Savers 70.3 Iron Man EastLondon, where they were faced with chal-lenging conditions, Mark Sack had controlof his age group until 200m from the end,when he was unexpectedly overtaken, fin-ishing 12 seconds behind (4:46.40) and 32ndoverall. Ian Schwabsky came fifth (5:03.43)with Gavin Mofsowitz seventh (5:05.25)close behind, both in age group 25-29.


Maccabi SA Chairman Cliff Garrun, makes

a presentation to Olympic weightlifting

great, Ben Helfgott.

Maccabi South Africa honours weightlifting great, Ben Helfgott

DIANE WOLFSONPRETORIA

LAST WEEK, a team of 17 mem-bers of the Israeli Lawn Bowls forthe Blind and Disabled, arrived inPretoria to compete in theInternational Bowls for theDisabled World Championships,being held at Wingate ParkCountry Club.

The team is headed by Dr SaraSchapiro and comprises two play-ers in wheelchairs and the othersbeing visually impaired who areassisted by sighted helpers.

According to Brian Sneag(from Krugersdorp), who is presi-dent of International Bowls forthe Disabled as well as of Disabled BowlsSouth Africa, Israel is one of 11 countriestaking part, with seven categories of dis-ability.

Disabled bowlers have four centres inIsrael and this is the fourth tournament inSouth Africa for many of them. In 2005Israel came second, with the team receivingfive personal medals and three medals in2009.

Bowler Itzik Baranes who has been par-ticipating in international tournaments

since 1993, has only praise and appreciationfor the South African hospitality, specifical-ly the help given to the team by the WingatePark Country Club management and staffwhich includes the special kosher mealsprepared, the repair of the wheelchairs aswell as assistance on the greens by thegreenkeeping staff.

They also requested that their apprecia-tion be expressed to Killarney Club forallowing them the use of their bowlinggreens for practices.

The contingent of disabled Israeli bowlers in South

Africa. (PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED)

Triathlete Mark Sack

on his way to victory

in his age group at

the Spec-Savers Iron

Man South African

Triathlon in Port

Elizabeth last month.

Israeli disabled bowlerstake part in Pretoria

Jewish triathletes shine

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