I recently had the opportunity to listen to Adrian Gore’s keynote address at the annual Friends of the UJC event held in December last year. (You can read more about it on page X of this publication.) The South African business leader spoke about how adopting an optimistic mindset – rather than the pessimistic outlook people often default to – can unlock ideas and possibilities that might otherwise remain unseen. His point was simple but powerful: when we focus only on what is wrong, we fail to recognise what is right and, in doing so, we become blind to the opportunities that the positives can create.
This idea stayed with me and made me reflect on how such thinking could be applied not only in business, but also in everyday life.
Take loneliness, for example – a concern I hear people express frequently. If someone moves beyond the feeling itself and begins to identify what is good in their life – “I am healthy,” “I have a car,” “I enjoy reading” – those positives can point towards practical solutions. A love of reading might lead to joining a book club, which in turn creates opportunities for connection and friendship.
Or consider the person who says, “I’ve turned 60 – old age is looming.” Through a more optimistic lens, this stage of life may bring greater freedom, good health, or time to pursue long-neglected interests. That shift in perspective can open the door to new possibilities, whether it’s investing more energy in a beautiful garden, volunteering, or taking part in a community activity such as an open garden day.
While Gore was speaking primarily about business and government, it seems to me that this mindset is just as valuable on a personal level. Choosing optimism does not mean ignoring difficulties; it means recognising that within most challenges lie opportunities, if only we are willing to look for them.
This month, we feature some extraordinary members of our community whose work in different fields was recognised through various awards they received in the latter part of 2025
Tracing family roots seems to be an ever-growing trend. And it’s interesting that many of the people who are pursuing this sort of research are fairly young. In this edition of the Chronicle, we carry two stories that reflect this trend: one is about the genealogical research that Berlin-based Sivan Kaufman, daughter of former Capetonian Ronny Kaufman, has undertaken; the other, the second in our series of articles about the Fabian family, was prompted by Ryan Fabian, who is in his 30s.
If you’re interested in art, we recommend the article about the fabulous exhibition on at the SA Jewish Museum at the moment. It’s a crucially important showing of the work of two of South Africa’s most talented artists, both of whom came to South Africa from Lithuania.
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