By JOSH FRIEDMAN, Programme & Development Manager, Cape SAJBD
The Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies (Cape SAJBD) engages regularly with our country communities. Following various visits around the Western Cape over the last few years – including Shabbat dinners, centenary celebrations and more – we visited Paarl on the weekend of the 26-27 June for a special Power Shabbos.
The visit was warmly embraced by the Paarl Hebrew Congregation, under the leadership of Rabbi Bryan Opert and a dedicated committee headed by President Selwyn Chatz, and brought together community members for a memorable and uplifting Shabbat programme.
Friday night began with a well-attended service, led by the Cape SAJBD’s Josh Friedman, followed by a festive Power Brocha, at which approximately 70 people gathered for an evening of community, connection and engagement. Cape SAJBD Executive Director Daniel Bloch and Chairperson Simone Sulcas then tag-teamed an address titled Jewish Life in the Western Cape: A Global and Local Update, sharing insights into the local communal landscape as well as reflections from the recent AJC Global Forum in Washington DC. The gold standard shared is that, relative to many Jewish communities around the world who are experiencing shrinking spaces, increased violent antisemitism and who, at times, cannot visibly express their Judaism, here our civil rights as Jews are protected and, where infringed upon, challenged rigorously by the Cape SAJBD.
The evening also featured an address by UJC Vice Chair Tamara Davidson, who highlighted the work of the United Jewish Campaign and the vital role it plays in sustaining and strengthening the network of Jewish organisations that serve the Western Cape Jewish community, making it one of the most desirable places for Jewish people not only to live, but to thrive.
In a particularly meaningful development, the special Shabbat also made possible a Shabbat morning minyan — no small achievement for a congregation that does not ordinarily open every week for Saturday morning services. The opportunity to daven together again on Shabbat morning added an extra layer of significance to the weekend and reflected the growing energy within the Paarl Jewish community.
The visit also offered an opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage of the Paarl Hebrew Congregation, one of the Western Cape’s historic Jewish communities. Established in 1893, the congregation traces its roots to the Jewish traders and settlers who helped shape life in the Boland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its synagogue in Breda Street remains a proud symbol of more than 130 years of Jewish life in Paarl and the surrounding district. Like many smaller South African Jewish communities, Paarl’s numbers declined over time as families moved to larger urban centres. Yet today, the congregation is experiencing a welcome revival.
Paarl, like much of the Cape Winelands, is enjoying something of a renaissance, with semigrants from around South Africa increasingly making the Winelands area their home. Drawn by lifestyle, schools, natural beauty and the proximity to Cape Town, both young families and retirees are settling in the region – and with them comes renewed interest in Jewish communal life. That shift is beginning to be felt in Paarl’s Jewish community too, where growing participation and a renewed sense of possibility are helping to breathe fresh life into this historic congregation.
For the Cape SAJBD and UJC, the Paarl visit formed part of a broader effort to deepen ties with Jewish communities across the Western Cape, strengthen communal connection, and ensure that smaller centres feel part of the wider communal conversation. It was a Shabbat marked by warmth, hospitality and genuine enthusiasm, and the Board and UJC are deeply appreciative to Rabbi Opert, Selwyn Chatz and the Paarl congregation for hosting them so generously.
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