SAUJS committee members, Dean Horwitz, Nathan Rose, Kevin Brenkel, Micky Pieterkosky, Kim Feldman, Leigh Barnett, Daniella Scher, Margaux Kluk. Absent: Josh Benjamin |
SAUJS has been busy this semester with a jam-packed calendar of events. We started the year off with a wonderful Shabbat dinner at the Wynberg Shul with guest speaker Gareth Cliff, who entertained us with his perspective of South African politics.
This was followed by a ‘Welcome back to University’ lunch and a proactive Israel Advocacy campaign with Noam Bedein, an activist SAUJS brought out from Sderot.
Term 1 finished with SAUJS joining hands with other South African students at the Equal Education march
for school libraries.
Too soon Pesach was upon us and we celebrated on the lawns of Jammie Plaza at UCT with a hearty lunch of traditional foods.
For Yom Hazikaron, as part of the Youth Zionist Council, SAUJS helped put together the very successful and moving community event.
Yom Ha’atzmaut saw us taking over UCT with Israeli flags and music, free delicious falafel, a zula, an exhibition and to top it off — a mechanical bull, just for fun. This event was a chance for the whole university to celebrate with us and learn a bit about Israel behind the politics.
To end the semester we had an epic ‘Blue and White’ party with the Hellenic Student Association. The club was packed, the music pumped and the dance floor rocked! This was an unbelievable night that propelled us onto the student social scene.
A report would not be complete without acknowledging our smaller events. With the implementation of the
superb Rabbi Abrahamson on campus, we were able to move many exams that fell on Shavuot. He also held enlightening shiurim that were enjoyed by all.
SAUJS also made an effort to give back by helping out at the Haven soup kitchen, an initiative we hope will grow from strength to strength for the rest of the year.
Our aim this semester was to get SAUJS back on the map, both as a viable student society and as a relevant Jewish organisation. With the help of a fantastic committee, I believe we have achieved our objective.
I hope you all have a fantastic holiday. We will see you next semester with more exciting events!