Well, at last the April holidays are over! Not an easy period for monthly publications – not an easy period for any productive activity. Actually, we completed the edition at the office on PDF on about 23 April and could have got it online then. But that wouldn’t be fair to the ‘hard copy’ readers, who had to wait for the printing and distribution process, which was very much hampered by the holidays.
So there …or rather here … you have it.
Nor does it cover the events that took place well after deadline, like Yom Hashoa and Yom Ha’Atzmaut. For that you will have to wait till June.
Another point, we have reverted to the normal format, with front page in the normal position and reading from left to right, the Pesach ‘Haggadah’ issue having gone the Hebraic way. That of course did not affect you, but when you read this May Wayicit column you might wonder what it is all about.
Here in Cape Town the weather has taken a cooler turn, but not as cool as in Everest country, whither Mickey and Gilad Stern chose to spend their Pesach. You’ll read about that. In fact, it’s the only Pesach coverage we have. Herzlia is still showing pics of Purim!
A more disappointing omission this month is that of Hagai Segal’s perspective on the Middle East. We always get the item in at the lat minute, so that his report can be as current as possible. Unfortunately, he was really ill and unable to deliver this time. But we have a thoroughly positive feature in his stead – Good News Israel – which you will find on page 4.
The SA general elections are over and all is revealed, but the Board of Deputies (Cape Council) is promising more opportunities for vote-casting in its 2009 elections. If South Africans outside the country, for whatever reason, would like to ‘cast’, I would suggest that you contact the Board directly to find out about a postal vote, though I doubt that there will be any takers. On page 6 Lester Hoffman reveals his reasons for having joined the Board Council. In any event, however, we have no BOD (Cape Council) embassies in foreign capitals to provide the necessary postal vote facilities!
Well, to end off, I must note that there are ELEVEN couples in this issue, whose vote was to get married, not necessarily in the month of April and not all here in South Africa – not postally either!
Without a doubt those will be the pages most of you will go for first. Our blessings! But please don’t neglect the rest.
