Guests gathered from around the globe on Wednesday 27 December for the 9th annual celebration of the Friends of the UJC Cape Town. One hundred and eighty South African Friends, adult children and grandchildren of Friends and local Top Donors attended this spectacular evening.
The event, which has become a highlight of the summer season in Cape Town, was held at the newly built Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (Zeitz MOCAA) in the Silo District, V&A Waterfront. The atmosphere was alive with excitement in this iconic building. Russ Nerwich’s band provided background music and guests mingled, met others from far and wide and enjoyed the ambience, wine and food carefully overseen by Stanley Norrie, who undertook an unusual collaboration with Zeitz MOCAA kitchen in order to ensure this kosher event was possible.
Arie Fabian, welcomed the guests to Cape Town and Malcolm Fried, Marketing Director of Investec spoke on behalf of the Bank. It was both inspirational and invigorating to hear his passion and love for South Africa, as well as his hope for the future of the country.
We were privileged to have Mark Coetzee the Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA (a recognised artist in his own right as well as art historian and writer), as our Guest Speaker. He highlighted his journey in the art world over the past few decades, emphasizing the incredible support of Jewish communities from around the world, in so many global projects. Mark emphasized that one of the most impressive things about the Jewish community is their passion for education and art. He gave insight into the conceptualization and execution of building and curating the Zeitz MOCAA. He shared his dream of having a world-class art institution in Africa, focused on African artists, that would be accessible and relevant to both local and global populations. His passion for the upliftment of South Africa and Africa as a whole, through the medium of art, was truly inspiring for all.
The main focus of the annual event is to ensure support for the sustainable future of the Cape Town Jewish community and to celebrate Jewish Life in the Mother City. The proceeds of the Friends of the UJC Cape Town support the David Susman Community Foundation (DSCF). These funds, ably managed by Investec, have grown tremendously since inception with dedicated oversight by a qualified Board of Trustees. The Foundation is crucial to the Cape Town Jewish community, as it is a protection mechanism against any future adversity which may befall it.
We thank our Patrons, Donors and loyal supporters, and believe that the Friends of the UJC Cape Town, as well as the DSCF, will continue to grow from strength to strength. We would like to make special mention and thank our generous annual sponsor Investec, who has supported each event since inception. We also thank the following hotels for sponsoring prize draws of a weekend stay for two: Royal Portfolio — The Silo Hotel; The Delaire Graff Estate and Newmark Hotels — The Dock House and Manor House Hotels.
For more information on the Friends of the UJC Cape Town contact Robyn Slot on friends@ctjc.co.za or call +27 21 464 6700
