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You don’t have to have read the books – or be a reader at all – to attend and love the Jewish Literary Festival! Our fifth event will be held on 28 April 2025, and will be a day of fascinating insights from people who have spent time thinking and writing about them.
Learn from the experts – about Artificial Intelligence; October 7th; the history of the original Jews of Cape Town; the frightening statistics of domestic violence; cherished animal species that are dying due to climate change and why; and what it takes to write your own book.
Our headline visiting international author is British comedian David Baddiel, who wrote the seminal Jews Don’t Count about anti-semitism, and has recently written a memoir called My Family, about his North London childhood. Former leader of the opposition Tony Leon will be speaking about his new book Being There for the very first time. This memoir goes behind the scenes of momentous moments in South African history, including the build-up to 1994, and what happened in 2024 when history was made with the formation of the Government of National Unity.
For the first time, this year we will explore movies made by Jewish South African filmmakers and look at film as a significant form of text. We also have our debut virtual venue where overseas authors will talk in real time about their works. This will include award-winning Zimbabwean-born author Peter Godwin on his incredible memoir Exit Wounds; well-known ENT professor Peter Friedland, now in Australia, on his book Quiet Time with the President, which is about his conversations with his patient Nelson Mandela; and journalist Roy Isacowitz on his book High Times which tells the story of ex-South African Michael Medjuck who became one of the biggest hash and weed smugglers in North America.
On the Thursday before the Festival, we will host a virtual event with Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, who is also co-host with Israeli news anchor Yonit Levi of a podcast called Unholy: Two Jews on the News. Freedland is the author of The Escape Artist: The man who broke out of Auschwitz to warn the world, and will talk to us about this book, his upcoming book, and what it is like being a Jewish journalist in the world today. Tickets for this event are included in the price of tickets for the festival on 28 April.
Tickets are now available on Quicket. Visit our website and our social media as more information is revealed about our authors and our programme in the build-up to JLF2025.
Please consider becoming a Friend of JLF2025 at R3 600, which entitles you to priority seating at all sessions, a VIP reception for authors and sponsors, and free access to our pre-Festival events, as well as a ticket to our upcoming Festival. To become a friend of JLF2025, go to: www.jewishliteraryfestival.co.za/donate/ Or click here for Yoco: https://pay.yoco.com/r/4jWrBK. Please email proof of payment to garymanstey@gmail.com.
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Andy Warhol, Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, 1980. Image: Artsy https://www.artsy.net/artwork/andy-warhol-ten-portraits-of-jews-of-the-twentieth-century-1984
By AMY CARRINGTON, Art Specialist, Aspire Art
On display as part of the Aspire Art Gallery’s Modern & Contemporary Art Live Auction in Cape Town, American artist Andy Warhol’s electrifying portrait of Albert Einstein is a vivid reminder of the artist’s ability to meld the realms of pop culture and historical significance. This piece is part of the Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century series, celebrating luminaries who have not only shaped modern thought but have also left an indelible mark on culture and society. Warhol’s choice to portray Einstein reflects a deep respect for intellectual achievement and highlights the crucial role that Jewish figures play in world history. Through this work, visitors will witness how art intersects with history, encouraging a dialogue on legacy and identity in the Jewish community.
A Unique Opportunity for Collectors
Limited to just 200 editions, Aspire Gallery’s piece (signed and numbered 190) is expected to attract significant interest, with an estimated value of R 1,400,000 – R1,800,000. The market for Warhol’s work continues to grow, as evidenced by a recent auction in New York where a similar piece fetched an impressive 127,000 USD.
Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century
In the late 1970s, having immortalised figures like Marilyn Monroe, Mick Jagger, and Mao Zedong, Warhol’s fascination with fame, identity, and repetition was well established. Yet, as the decade waned, he set his sights on a different kind of iconography.
In 1979, at the suggestion of his friend and gallerist Ronald Feldman, Warhol turned his lens toward a new pantheon of luminaries. The result wasTen Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, a striking portfolio featuring visionaries from politics, music, philosophy, and science – individuals who had left an indelible mark on history. Never one to shy away from irreverence, Warhol nicknamed the project Jewish Geniuses.
The series featured Albert Einstein’s wild halo of hair, Sigmund Freud’s penetrating gaze, Sarah Bernhardt’s dramatic poise, and the manic wit of the Marx Brothers. Rendered in Warhol’s signature silkscreened aesthetic, the portraits shimmered with bold contrasts and fractured lines, as if the subjects themselves were caught in the flicker of a television screen.
Culminating in an exhibition in 1980 at the Jewish Museum in New York, the series – limited to just 200 editions – captivated audiences.
Einstein, a revolutionary thinker who reshaped humanity’s understanding of time and space, was an ideal subject for Warhol’s exploration of cultural immortality. His theory of relativity altered the face of modern physics, yet his impact extended far beyond academia – he became a symbol of intellectual curiosity, pacifism, and humanitarianism. His playful, eccentric persona, captured in candid images with unkempt hair and a mischievous smile, made him one of the most recognisable figures of the 20th century.
The Cape Town auction takes place on 12 March 2025.
The Einstein portrait can be viewed at the Aspire Art Gallery, 37A Somerset Road, De Waterkant, at these times: • Friday, 7 March, 09:00-16:00 • Saturday, 8 March, 09:00-14:00 • Monday, 10 March, and Tuesday, 11 March, 09:00-16:00
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World-renowned Jewish Capetonian photographer, author and publisher, Marc Hoberman, has recently made a generous donation of his book collection to the Jacob Gitlin Library. Many in the community will no doubt know of the prolific father-and-son duo – Marc and his late father, Gerald Hoberman (1943-2013) – and their exceptional coffee table books. Marc has donated a wide collection of the Hobermans’ best-known works (including classics like Cape Town, Lighthouses of South Africa and Carnival in Venice), as well as Marc’s latest five books, just released within the last few months.
A truly magnificent display is available to view at the Library. It’s well worth a visit to take a look and enjoy. In true Hoberman style, the display is far more than just a table of books. Marc has personally designed the display which includes rare early Hoberman works on loan, including Gerald’s The Art of Coins and Marc’s London! (Harrods limited edition); fascinating stories; along with memorabilia from the Hoberman family’s archives (such as Gerald’s Leica camera, recovered from the ocean floor after his infamous helicopter crash from which he miraculously survived!)
The Hoberman legacy is a romantic one – from a shared dream between father and son to elevate the coffee table book to a fine art, Gerald and Marc launched HOBERMAN from their Constantia family home garage in 1999, mere days after Gerald retired from the family’s coal business (Coalcor) and Marc matriculated from Herzlia. Their exceptionally lavish books and iconic photography impacted not only the local market but throughout the world’s publishing industry.
Bucking the trend of the time – when publishers were increasingly lowering quality and price – the Hobermans’ books were celebrated with critical acclaim and international attention. Gerald and Marc were invited to make the official product for all of Her Majesty The Queen’s Palaces, and collaborate with brands such as Harrods and Ralph Lauren.
Crediting his father for the mentorship and example he set, Marc’s own professional success has made him a worthy successor to the Hoberman brand. Among numerous accolades, he won a National Geographic award for his wildlife photography; has been appointed as the official photographer for the BAFTA (British Academy of Film Awards); and serves as the official private photographer for Elton John.
And, despite all his international travel and the interactions with some of the world’s biggest celebrities, Marc remains proud of his Cape Town Jewish heritage. “I would truly love more members of the local community to share the pleasure of the Hoberman books, which is why I decided to make all our books available via the Gitlin Library,” he concludes.
An amusing story related by Marc Hoberman Marc recently published no less than five new books – all at the same time. Chatting to Rabbi Nissen Goldman over lunch one day, he wondered aloud: “What kind of meshuggeneh produces five books in one go?” Not expecting an answer to his rhetorical musing, he was delighted by Rabbi Goldman’s reply, “Moses did that!”
Marc Hoberman at the Gitlin LibraryBeautiful photographs from the HOBERMAN books donated to the Gitlin LibraryBeautiful photographs from the HOBERMAN books donated to the Gitlin LibraryBeautiful photographs from the HOBERMAN books donated to the Gitlin LibraryBeautiful photographs from the HOBERMAN books donated to the Gitlin LibraryMarc HobermanBeautiful photographs from the HOBERMAN books donated to the Gitlin Library
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During early January this year, I watched the very harrowing documentary, India’s Daughter, for the second time. It was screened by Lockdown University, an online educational initiative started by former South African Wendy Fisher, daughter of Natie Kirsch, during Covid. The filmmaker, Leslee Udwin, gave viewers access to the movie, and presented two webinars afterwards, in which she spoke about the ssues that gave rise to making the film and to her establishing an NGO called Think Equal.
Born in Israel, Leslee came to South Africa with her parents as a young child, and lived in Cape Town for ten years. She became acutely aware in her youth of issues of discrimination relating to both gender and race. This ultimately prompted her to leave South Africa, after starting her acting career in Cape Town’s Space Theatre. At the Space, Leslee worked with many leading actors, including Yvonne Bryceland, Richard E Grant and Henry Goodman. Many of our readers may remember the theatre, which stood out for its anti-apartheid stance, allowing people of all races to attend the theatre and to perform there, despite the racial laws in place at the time. “There was no way I was prepared to perform in ‘whites-only’ theatres,” Leslee explains, “and so my options became extremely limited from a work perspective. I had to leave the country to continue my career in the theatre, and so I moved to London when I was 21.”
After several years in London’s theatre world, Leslee moved into film production, and became involved in making films geared to create a social impact. Well-known films such as East is East and Who Bombed Birmingham? reflect this. They dealt with topics such as domestic violence, racism, miscarriage of justice and all make a plea for tolerance, inclusion and justice. Winning various awards (including the ‘British Oscar’ or BAFTA) as a filmmaker, Leslee’s position in the world of serious filmmaking was established.
India’s Daughter was made after the 2012 horrific gang rape in Delhi, India, of a young woman, Jyoti Singh, who eventually died of her injuries sustained during the incident. The crime sparked huge protests in India at the time, and it was this that prompted Leslee to make the film. She explains: “I was absolutely awestruck by the ordinary men and women of India who poured out onto the streets in response to this horrific gang rape and who demanded an end to the violation of women and girls. They were so courageous and I thought the least I could do was amplify their voices.”
While the film has been acknowledged in many countries for the importance of the issues it raises, and indeed has been credited with sparking a movement to end gender-based violence, it was banned in India, largely because it washed the national dirty linen in public. “I was accused in a fiery Lok Sabha (Indian Parliament) debate the morning after the ban of ‘decimating the tourist industry of India’.
“I learned a great deal about the world’s approach to the role of women in society,” Leslee explains. “It’s clear that in many societies – in both the so-called ‘developed’ world and in emerging economies – women are discriminated against and violated in unjust and even brutal ways,” Leslee says. “We have to change the attitudes that underpin this reality. This is why I created an organisation called Think Equal with a mission to revolutionise the global education system. More importantly, we have devised a tangible 4.5 kilogram pack of tools which deliver social and emotional learning for wellbeing, psychosocial support and social justice for 3-6-year-old children while their brains are being built. I am overjoyed at the momentum with which the cleansing fire of the movement and programme of Think Equal is being implemented around the world. In a mere eight years, we have reached 36 countries and seven of them have now commenced implementation compulsorily for every single child across the country.”
You can view Leslee’s discussions about the film and about violence against women here and here. Watch the documentary by streaming it on Apple TV or Amazon Prime.
“Think Equal is a global initiative which calls for a system change in education, to end the discriminatory mindset and the cycle of violence across our world and ensure positive life outcomes for our children.
Together with world experts, Think Equal has designed a programme to teach social and emotional learning to early years (3-6-year-olds).
We ask governments, policymakers and school networks to adopt, and ideally mandate, this programme as a new subject from the age of 3: the optimal window to modify attitudes, values and behaviours, based on evidence from neuroscientists.
We ask those who have a duty of care to our children: ‘How can it be deemed compulsory for a child to learn mathematics, but it is optional for that child to learn how to value another human being or to lead healthy relationships?’.”
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Each year, the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) Cape Council and the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies (Cape SAJBD) come together to celebrate Tu B’Shvat, the Jewish New Year for trees. This year, thanks to the generous support of Food & Trees for Africa and the Jewish National Fund of South Africa (JNF SA), we had the privilege of planting trees at all the Jewish day schools across Cape Town.
As we planted these trees, we emphasised the significance of replanting the South African Grove in the Be’eri Forest – the site of the Nova Festival – which was devastated during the attacks on 7 October 2023. This initiative not only honours the memory of those affected but also reinforces our commitment to environmental restoration and the deep-rooted connection between our community and the land.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners and the school communities for their enthusiastic participation in this meaningful endeavour. Together, we are nurturing growth, resilience, and a brighter future for all.
Did you know? • Tu B’Shvat is considered the Rosh Hashanah of the trees • The date falls closest to the time in Israel when much of the year’s rain has fallen, promising fertile soil & trees bearing an abundance of fruit • On this holiday we eat produce that is native to the land of Israel: figs, dates, pomegranates, grapes, wheat, olives • Spiritually, it is a time to give thanks for our blessings, consider our roots and connection to our enduring Jewish values, and contemplate how to strengthen these while nurturing our own personal growth.
Follow South African Zionist Federation – Cape Council on Instagram and Facebook.
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For the past 16 months, anti-Israel organisations – led by the BDS Movement, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and others – have organised repeated protests, motorcades and demonstrations in and around Sea Point. These events frequently disrupt traffic, violate local by-laws, and have led to instances of harassment and verbal abuse directed at pedestrians and motorists.
This forms the background to the letter which the Cape SAJBD recently sent to the Mayor of Cape Town, the Premier of the Western Cape, and the Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Services (SAPS). We wrote to formally request that the City of Cape Town and SAPS take appropriate enforcement action to uphold the law and protect the rights of all residents and visitors.
While we recognise and respect the constitutional right to protest, these demonstrations have increasingly crossed legal boundaries. In particular, the motorcades have repeatedly blocked roads and created obstructions to traffic, causing excessive noise disturbances through loud hooting and smoke machines. Those involved have also verbally abused and intimidated pedestrians and motorists, and this has led, in some instances, to physical altercations. In the recent motorcade on Sunday, 9 February, an innocent bystander was physically attacked by an aggressive group of protestors – but he is too afraid to press charges. During this same motorcade, some vehicles illegally stopped outside La Perla and left their vehicles to verbally assault patrons of the restaurant – a video of this has been circulating online.
These activities violate multiple sections of the Streets, Public Places, and Noise Nuisances By-law (2007), including: Section 2: Prohibiting obstruction of roads and public spaces, and Section 3: Prohibiting excessive noise and disturbances. Residents of Sea Point who wish to complain would do well to be aware of these laws as they will strengthen your argument if you complain to the civic authorities.
Based on the past physical confrontations, we have requested that these protests/motorcades be stopped entirely. However, should neither the City nor SAPS be able or willing to prevent these initiatives, we have requested that these measures be taken to restrict the aggressors and make it extremely challenging for them to proceed with their intimidatory and antagonistic protests:
• Stricter enforcement of traffic laws by deploying more police during these events
• Possibly a roadblock when entering Sea Point. This will allow traffic police to ensure that each vehicle is abiding by the traffic laws and deter them from doing anything illegal during a motorcade. Tow trucks should be on standby to remove vehicles obstructing traffic.
• Investigation and prosecution – taking legal action against individuals and organisers who violate by-laws, engage in hate speech, or physically assault others. And the Board would be willing to open cases on behalf of members of the community.
On Sunday, 12 November 2023, police had to use water cannons and smoke grenades to disperse violent protesters in Sea Point. Several individuals were found in possession of firearms, yet no-one was prosecuted. Without decisive action, this situation and future motorcades/protests may escalate further, risking serious injury or worse.
We urge the City and SAPS to take immediate steps to enforce existing laws and ensure that all demonstrations in Sea Point remain lawful and non-violent. The Cape SAJBD is engaging with the leadership and security officials at the highest levels; however, the voices of fellow Capetonians can be extremely powerful and re-enforce our message, and we encourage you to write to the City of Cape Town and, in particular, to the Mayor – mayor.mayor@capetown.gov.za . The more people who raise their voices, the more who complain; and the more noise we make, the more pressure it will place on Western Cape leadership to act.
The reality is that these protests and motorcades will continue to take place either legally or illegally. We fully understand the frustration, anger, and desire to respond to these violations of our space. However, their protestors’ goal is to provoke, intimidate, and lure our community into confrontation, and they have already demonstrated a readiness for physical altercations. Which is why we strongly urge our community members to refrain from direct engagement.
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The world is truly scary right now. Gone are the days when people of differing views on political, social and economic issues could debate and discuss things. It seems as if, in today’s environment, power dictates everything. And that means that the many millions of us who wield neither political nor financial power are being silenced.
It’s for this reason that I want to highlight someone whom I think we should elevate to the status of a hero – she is certainly to my mind much more a hero than the sabre-rattling men of power like Trump and Musk, whose aggressive and impulsive comments seem to be pushing the world to the brink.
My new hero is the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Marianne Budde. On the day of the inauguration of President Trump into the highest office of possibly the most powerful nation in the world, she spoke her truth. Guided by her conscience and moral views, Bishop Budde took the bold step to appeal publicly to the new President to show mercy to people who feel threatened by his views on things like immigration and the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
We should applaud her for speaking her truth to power, for being prepared to take a moral stance in the face of such huge power. But we should also take note of the sort of reactions to her comments that came her way. As one news report stated: “She had not anticipated the level of fury and personal attack that her words had unleashed. People were questioning everything from her character and qualifications to the state of her eternal soul, and ‘how soon I should get to my eternal soul, and whether I belong in this country’.” Extremely worrying responses!
In every age, in societies across the world, there have been people who have stood up to power because of their moral conscience, knowing only too well that they do so at significant risk to themselves and their office. And, over time, societies often acknowledge the value of the individual’s contribution – but only long after the events have passed. Surely we should take heed of this sort of moral conscience at the time it is expressed so that we can limit the potentially disastrous impact of leaders who abuse their power? So that more of us have the confidence to speak up and share our moral conscience?
So, join me in raising a glass to Bishop Budde!
Characterised by so many different sorts of emotions – from optimism about the possible ending of the war in Israel to the devastation of the return of the bodies of the youngest hostages and their mother – this past month has certainly not been an easy one. We at the Cape Jewish Chronicle, we in Cape Town, we in the wider South Africa, and all of us across the world, grieve for the loss of so many innocent victims. They did not deserve the fate metered out to them.
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The most recognised victim of Nazi tyranny during World War II is probably Anne Frank, the teenage diary writer many of us got to know so well during our childhoods. The Diary of Anne Frank is both a coming-of-age tale and a record of a particular experience of those directly impacted by the Germans’ plans to wipe out the Jewish population of Europe. Anne’s experiences and her thoughts – so vividly expressed in her writing – together with the iconic photograph of the girl with the dark hair, give us an insight into her life, bringing us closer to her. It’s almost as if we feel we know her well.
Today, we have a new iconic image associated with yet another attempt to destroy the Jewish nation. The Bibas family – young mother Shiri and the two red-haired little boys, Ariel and Kfir – became the symbol of the hostage crisis in Israel during the Israel-Gaza War. For month after month, we called for their release, unable to fathom how any aggressor could conceivably hold in captivity such innocent victims, such very young children. Our collective psyche told us that we would see these children again: it seemed inconceivable that such adorable little boys could not walk out of Gaza one day.
But, to our horror, history has repeated itself. As we learned from Anne Frank’s story, tragically, she died just a few weeks before the end of the War, a young life cut short far too soon. And with Ariel and Kfir, during the period of a ceasefire and the hope of a permanent end to the war, it’s become clear that our calls for their release were naïve since they had been murdered long beforehand. In the words of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, “I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.”
Shiri, Ariel, Kfir, Anne: You are all with us, in our hearts and in our memories. We will never forget you.
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