When sirens were sounded in the northern communities in the early hours of the morning on Thursday 10 May, residents knew to take shelter in reinforced security rooms.
Shortly after the warning sirens, over 30 missiles were launched from Syria. Four entered Israeli airspace and were intercepted by Israel’s legendary Iron Dome. In response, Israel retaliated in the largest Israeli attack in Syria since 1974.
Concerned with the wellbeing of our olim in the Golan Heights, Telfed staff members made contact with former Southern Africans to confirm that they were out of harm’s way and to provide them with the relevant information, in English, on safety procedures. For many olim, the call from Telfed provided reassurance and reiterated the importance of being a part of a community. The Home Front Command (or Pikud Ha’Oref in Hebrew) prepares safety guidelines for Israeli citizens to ensure that the public is informed about safety measures in the case of an emergency.
ABBA and Celine Dion launched award-winning music careers after their Eurovision victories. This year, Neta Barzilai reigned supreme — paving the way for Eurovision 2019 in Jerusalem. There was a buzz of excitement throughout Israel, and one very enthusiastic South African Oleh came to inform Telfed staff of the South African connection. The award winning song Toy was co-written and composed by Doron Medalie, the grandson of South African Olim, Dr. Jack and June Medalie. The Medalies moved to Israel in 1948 and served as Machalniks (overseas volunteers) in the War of Independence. This was the start of a remarkable contribution to the State of Israel. Dr. Medalie went on to head the Family Medicine Unit at Tel Aviv University. Doron is associated with some of Israel’s leading performers. Witnessing how Southern African immigrants make significant contributions to Israeli society — in all fields, from medicine to music — is both heartwarming and inspiring. These are proudly South African-Israeli moments!
Telfed staff members attended the Aliyah Expo in Johannesburg and Cape Town in May 2018 to provide information and advice. Telfed CEO, Dorron Kline, was accompanied by representatives from Telfed’s Aliyah and Klita, Housing and Employment Departments. While the technicalities associated with the aliyah process fall under the jurisdiction of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Israel Centre in South Africa, Telfed plays an invaluable role as the representative body of the Southern African community in Israel. The diverse and extensive pre-Aliyah and absorption services that Telfed offers are unique amongst the 23 Olim organisations in Israel.
Telfed staff were impressed with the interest shown, and used the meetings to provide individual advice. Ariela Siegel, Head of Aliyah and Klita at Telfed, said that ‘people were thirsty for information, and appreciated our presence at the Expos. People are looking for a better future and hope to find it in Israel.’
Dorron Kline, Telfed CEO, noted the growing interest in tertiary education in Israel. With thanks to benevolent donors, Telfed coordinates the SASI (Southern Africans Studying in Israel) Scholarship Programme, which provides accommodation scholarships based on need to those who come to study in Israel as tourists. Most SASI students choose to study in English, however, owing to the higher costs of studying in English at private institutions, there is a growing interest in commencing with a Mechina (pre-academic) Programme which enables students to significantly improve their Hebrew skills and gain entrance into Hebrew speaking public universities at much cheaper tuition rates.
Telfed will be opening scholarship applications for both SASI tourist students and Olim students in mid-June. More information is available on our website — www.telfed.org.il/SASIProgramme.
