The City Bowl today retains but a remnant of what was once a lebedieke community of Jews, who filled the roads and avenues of Vredehoek, Gardens and Oranjezicht, and packed the pews of the shuls of the area.
While dissipated today, its colourful personalities largely forgotten, one man not even a member of the Jewish community harbours a host of fond memories and insights, and looks back to that era with a smile and a real sense of sadness at its demise.
Read this issue and you’ll see without any doubt that things are really jumping at this tip of Africa. While not launching ships from the Cape Town harbour, we are certainly launching campaigns – and in great style.
Aside from that there are very exciting tours, specially as this is Israel’s 60th anniversary year – tours for young adults and tours for age non-specific. And the Cape celebrations are much in evidence, particularly on page 28.
Other than that there is so much more – honourings and dedications, AGMs and conferences, exhibitions and commemorations, young action and achievements, hellos and goodbyes, thought-provoking perspectives … plus all the usual fare. But not overboard! And, as a special treat, we give readers 4 pages of bridal pics, which we know too well are your first ports of call.
The National Executive Committee of the Board comprises a broad and genuinely representative cross-section of South African Jewish leaders. The latter are drawn from all the major Jewish centres countrywide and include some of the country’s foremost businessmen, academics and lawyers, as well as lay and professional leaders, who have given many years of service in a wide variety of capacities to Jewish communal life.
Earlier this month, the NEC held its first meeting for 2008. There were many serious issues on the table. What emerged very strongly was the extent to which crime, the ongoing power crisis and the general post-Polokwane uncertainty was negatively impacting on our community’s morale.
The South African Holocaust Foundation (the recently formed umbrella organisation of the Holocaust Centres in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg), in partnership with Yad Vashem, has established an exciting Fellowship Programme to support teacher training across the country. The programme has been endorsed by the National Department of Education
In March this year, 21 senior educators from provincial regions, accompanied by education personnel from the SA Holocaust Foundation, will be attending a two week, specially designed programme at the International School of Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem. The programme is being fully sponsored by Yad Vashem.
Did you know that Progressive Judaism is not just a passing fad but has formally existed for over 200 years and its roots go back to the earliest rabbinic period, over 2000 years ago? Did you know that our movement includes over 1200 congregations across the world with over 1.7 million signed up members? Did you know that all Jewish movements including Orthodoxy have adopted some of the initiatives brought in by Reform movements across the world?
Many people seem to hold the belief that Progressive Judaism, Progressive Jews, our rabbis, synagogues and services are ‘not really Jewish’, ‘watered-down Judaism’ or ‘Orthodoxlight’.
In June 1958, 121 delegates gathered in Oudtshoorn for a Young Israel Rally Most of the delegates were from Cape Town, with others from Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Oudtshoorn.
A group of those now ‘veteran’ delegates are entertaining the possibility of having a 50th reunion for both the 1958 and 1959 Rallies in Cape Town next year and they are hoping that someone could produce a similar picture taken at the 1959 Rally.
This February issue covers two months of activity, there having been no communication with readers since the beginning of December. And, naturally, during the past eight or so weeks much has happened within the community, beginning with Channukah and with many a memorable event taking place, as ever, during the ‘festive season’.
Engagements and weddings always play a significant part in raising spirits and bringing joy at this time of year.
Unfortunately, this month does not reflect much evidence of them, specifically the latter, the reason being that the happy couples tend to take their time in selecting their photographs – probably because they prefer to spend such time far more enjoyably on their respective honeymoons. But there has been much else to cover in this 40 page issue.
After the Jewish Board of Deputies’ victory in 2006, Radio 786 launched a series of new applications to prevent the implementation of the sanctions imposed on it by ICASA. These sanctions included being ordered to desist from the broadcasting of hate speech and in general from “the advocacy of hatred against the Jewish people, including the impairment of their dignity”. Radio 786 was further directed to publicise the ruling as well as its full judgment and Sanction Order through the medium of its news broadcasts, website and inhouse news letter and magazine.
The new attacks included a review application to the Cape High Court and an application to the High Court, Johannesburg, to declare all the regulations under which the broadcasting was controlled in South Africa to be invalid. This was a massive onslaught on the legislation and this case was defended by the Minister of Tele-communications and by ICASA. The Board decided to join in as well, although, of course, it had not framed the regulations, but it felt it needed to protect all the years of effort it had put into the matter and to protect in particular the victory it had had at the hearing.
Walking into the Shul at 45 William Street, Obs-Mowbray one senses and experiences in real time, the timeless, rich simplicity of the architecture dating back 80 years to 1927, when the building was designed.
It is a sanctuary in time; like nothing has changed. Yet this is contrasted by the vibrant community still enjoying its sacred atmosphere.
Everyone is very contemporary, friendly and in touch with all that is our new, modern world. The familiarity of the unassuming village atmosphere, the superb acoustics and the spaciousness makes one feel at home yet elevated — relaxed yet excited to be here.
On Tuesday 13 November Cyril Jaffe turned 92, a celebration that he enjoyed with a group of his ‘old’ friends.
So happens, such get-togethers have been going on for several years, but never on a Tuesday! Cyril and his pals have been gathering in his home for tea and cake every Friday morning — the Friday Club — most of whose members are today in their late 80s and early 90s.
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