friday 22 june 2012 / 2 Tammuz 5772 volume 16 - number 22

news opinion letters tapestrycommunity columns youth sports south african Th e Artist Proof Studio comes of age jewish report beautifully page 12 www.sajewishreport.co.za Sinai Indaba – Jewish spirituality with an African fl avour

In its second year of existence, Sinai Indaba, the brainchild of Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, has already established itself as a force in the Jewish community to be reckoned with. In Jo- hannesburg a packed-out audience of 3 000 and in Cape Town 1 100, listened to a top-range of Jewish speakers on subjects Jewish or of Jewish interest. The huge crowds who attended, attested to the Jews’ innate thirst for knowledge and spirituality. Even more encouraging was the many young faces in the audience; it was much, much more than a boring highfalutin talk shop for middle-aged men and women. The topics were stimulating; the speakers lived up to their reputations. Pictured on the big screen is fi lmmaker David Weiss – of Shrek fame - keep- ing the audience enthralled. (PHOTOGRAPH: ILAN OSSENDRYVER) SEE PAGES 6, 14-16 SAKS: Comparing the DAVIS: Our moral Building SA: Martin ACDP to march against SPORTS: Former cigar with the dumb-bell independence places our Sweet opens up horizons discriminatory Manchester United soccer tradition in best light for cash-strapped kids relabelling decision great Eric Cantona joins “Jews who were strongly wedded to their religion and those disaffi liated from “When we carefully examine a rule and “Two generations ago, we were where “This is our opportunity to join with the lo- in call to block u-21 soccer it – the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ ends of the cigar discover that it is far more nuanced than these children are now. Holocaust cal Christian Zionist communities that are event in Israel – used to be a minority. In the dumb-bell, claimed by a particular rabbi, ours is not to survivors’ children fought hard for their so supportive of Israel, and together with Nevertheless, the Israel Football Association the two extremes increase at the expense simply acquiesce without demur and then kids to be educated; the ultimate was them present a united front to the govern- is confi dent the tournament will go ahead of the ever-shrinking middle-of-the- claim that we are not responsible for any to have them become doctors and ment in protest against this ill-considered as planned. “We are certain that Ifa and roaders.” 7 hurt caused.” 6 lawyers.” 10 and divisive move,” says the SAZF. 3 Uefa will not mix politics with soccer. 20 2 SA JEWISH REPORT News 22 - 29 June 2012 Shabbat Times June 22/ 2 Tammuz June 23 / 3 Tammuz Inside/Outside Parshat Korach 17:07 17:59 Johannesburg 17:27 18:22 Cape Town Some arguments are petty aff airs between insecure individuals, while others are classic 16:47 17:40 Durban 17:08 18:01 Bloemfontein diff erences of opinion between people of stature, where each opinion is worthy of consideration. 16:59 17:53 Port Elizabeth 16:52 17:46 East London Th is week’s parsha tells the story of the the big, wide world. mutiny of Korach, a cousin of Moses who One of the many works by well-known Community Briefs challenged his authority. In the end, Korach PARSHAT KORACH author Herman Wouk, is an autobiographi- ISRAEL ENCOUNTER ART FUNDRAISER and his henchmen were swallowed by the Rabbi Yossy Goldman cal novel called Inside, Outside in which he earth in a Divine display of rather unearth- Sydenham Highlands portrays his own inner struggles straddling The Israel Centre with Hagshama, hosted an art auc- ly justice. these two worlds. tion at Beyachad at the end of last month. The auction Th e Midrash reveals some of the be- North Shul His pious Talmudist zayde had a pro- featured artworks by four well-known Israeli artists: hind-the-scenes dialogue and debate be- found infl uence on him, but so did Hol- Naama Nothmann, Baruch Nachson, Rinat Goldstuck tween these men. Remember, Korach was Yahrtzeit is this week, explained that it all lywood and Broadway. It took him a long and Eli Levy. The evening was opened by director of the no pushover. Besides being of noble line- depends on location. time to fi nd his way and settle into an ob- Israel Centre, Shimon Shamila, who explained that one age, he was clever, wealthy and quite char- Th e books are inside. Th e mezuzah is servant Jewish lifestyle while still writing of the main goals of the evening was to raise funds for ismatic. outside. When there are Jewish texts inside bestsellers. Jewish grade 11s, to participate in the Israel Encounter One of the questions Korach put to our study and living rooms, this indicates Being Jewish “Inside” is relatively easy. Tour, which allows individuals to immerse themselves in Moshe was this: Does a house full of holy that the home is a Jewish home. Th is is It’s when we hit the “Outside” that we en- Israeli culture, while learning about short- and long-term books still require a mezuzah? Moshe an- good and as it should be. But what happens counter temptation and turmoil. Th e chal- options in Israel. For further information: (011) 645-2560 swered that it did. Korach scoff ed at the when we leave the comfortable confi nes of lenge every Jew must face is to remain or www.jewishagency.org/sa idea, ridiculing Moshe. our home? Do we cease to be Jewish? proudly Jewish even in the face of confl ict- Th e little mezuzah contains but two The mezuzah is at the threshold of ing cultures, curious looks and often hos- chapters of Torah, the Shema Yisrael. A our homes, at the juncture and crossover tile attitudes. whole houseful of books with the entire between our inner lives and outer lives. Moshe rejected Korach’s argument with Torah won’t do the trick and a little mezu- As we make the transition from private good reason. Th e mezuzah does not replace zah will? It doesn’t make any sense, argued person to public citizen, we desperately the need for Jewish libraries, but it serves Korach. need to be reminded of whom we are and as a perennial reminder on our doorways. Why was Moshe’s answer correct? What that we take our identity with us wher- As we step out of our home to enter the Rosh Beth Din Rabbi Moshe Kurtstag admiring indeed is the signifi cance of a small parch- ever we may go. outside world, it beckons us to take our G-d the art works at the Israel Centre/Hagshama ment on the doorpost in relation to a li- Th ere is only One G-d, says the little and our Torah, our values and our tradi- brary inside? Th e Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose scroll, whether in our private domain or in tions, along with us. auction. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ILAN OSSENDRYVER) ‘Tribe Kili’ set to test SA women’s ‘inner mountains’

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY with an ORT team. I was inspired ROBYN SASSEN to start a similarly exciting project, and in the process, realised women “Kol Hakavod to them!” was one re- shouldn’t receive welfare parcels, sponse, at last week’s media confer- they should be able to empower ence for the 20 women summiting themselves.” Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds Amanda Porter, one of the climb- for ORT. “Th ey’re not brave, they’re ers, has six children and is married insane!” was another. A third whis- to a serial marathon runner. She ex- pered about how many are “princess- plained that the decision to do the es” and how climbing Africa’s highest Kili challenge bypassed her brain and mountain will reveal their inner core. went straight to her heart. “Courage” is the initiative’s byword. “I thank G-d for my physical ca- Th e fact that these women, from pability and the support of my fam- Jewish, Muslim and Christian cul- ily, but I also believe in the force of tures, at diff erent ages and stages in good.” life, are all getting up at 04:30 in the Another climber, executive lead- morning to train each day in the lead- ership coach Daphna Horowitz said: The peak in question: up to the climb, attests to their com- “We will help each other through Mount Kilimanjaro. mitment to this cause. this,” speaking of diff erent moun- Top row: Andy “Many have lost upwards of 20kg tains diff erent women have to face. Kopelowitz; Daphna in the process,” says Nicci Raz ORT’s “It is beyond our comfort zones. We Horowitz; Shira fundraising manager. must conquer the fear.” Zadikov; and Heidi “Th is challenge’s benefi t to ORT A very moved Rahima Ismael, the Feldman; Middle will be huge,” adds ORT SA’s CEO, Ye- one Muslim woman on the project, row: Amanda Porter; huda Kay. added that it’s imperative the project Estelle Smit; Yoch- Last September, a new branch cross many bridges in our society. eved Bacher; Kiki of ORT, Women’s Empowerment Th e women, guided by Tribe Safa- Marx; and Siobhan Division, was started under Robyn ri’s Lance de Villiers – who has taught Wilson; Front row: Smookler, Tribe Kili’s team leader. It them that mental strength is as cru- Kate Gershuni; focuses on teaching women fi nancial cial as physical fi tness – arrive in Sharon Wilensky; independence. Tanzania on August 9, Women’s Day. Robyn Smookler; “I joined ORT when Nicci was Th e climb is seven days. Like www.fa- Rahima Ismael; and training for the New York marathon, cebook.com/ortkiliclimb for updates. Tali Frankel.

PUBLISHER Bryan Silke - [email protected] • EDITOR Geoff Sifrin - geoff @sajewishreport.co.za • Sub-Editor Paul Maree • Ed Co-ordinator Sharon Akum - sharon@sajewishreport. south african co.za • Sports Editor Jack Milner • Books Editor Gwen Podbrey • Arts Editor Robyn Sassen • Cape Town correspondent Moira Schneider: 021-794-4206 • Pretoria correspondent Diane jewish report Wolfson: 082-707-9471 • Advertising: Adi Lew: 083-407-8034 - [email protected], Britt Landsman: 082-292-9520 - [email protected], Manuela Bernstein: 082-951-3838 - manuela@ sajewishreport.co.za, Marlene Bilewitz: 083-475-0288 - [email protected] • Classifi ed Sales Charissa Newman -jrclassifi [email protected] • Distribution Manager Britt Landsman • Design and layout: Frankie Matthysen, Nicole Cook • Website: Ilan Ossendryver • Subscription enquiries: Avusa Publishing (Pty) Ltd. Tel: 0860-13-2652. Board of Directors: Howard Feldman (Chairman), Issie Kirsh (Deputy Chairman), Marlene Bethlehem, Bertie Lubner, Benjy Porter, Herby Rosenberg, Howard Sackstein, Jason Valkin, Elton Bondi, Michael Sieff , Steven Krawitz and Denese Bloch. Advertisements and editorial copy from outside sources do not neccessarily refl ect the views of the editors and staff . Tel: (011) 023-8160 22 - 29 June 2012 News SA JEWISH REPORT 3 ANC Centenary Flame road show

celebrates ‘white democrats’ Morningside Bramley

Modern garden cluster. R4 mil. Stunning family home. R1,5 mil. Waverley Glenhazel

Garden Cluster. From R2,9 mil. Family home & cottage. R3 mil. Trevor Stamelman 082-608-0168 (011) 885-3742 [email protected] The ANC delegation arrives at the www.stamelmanproperties.co.za Great Park Shul with its Centenary Flame. Marcell Bress 082-767-1496

DAVID SAKS WE SELL PROPERTY that in hosting the function, the Board, in SELL WITH STAMELMAN PROPERTIES & SAVE PHOTOGRAPH: ILAN OSSENDRYVER addition to celebrating South Africa’s dra- matic transition, was also taking the oppor- Since the beginning of the year, the Cen- tunity of honouring the Jewish members of tenary Flame of the African National Con- the South African freedom struggle. gress has been travelling from one location She observed that both the ANC and the to another in the course of a countrywide SAJBD were marking their centenaries in road show celebrating the party’s centenary 2012, since it was in 1912 that the various year. branches of the Board had come together to At various stages of the journey, specifi c form a national body. aspects of the ANC’s history have been com- Pointing out that the 18 years since memorated. Last Th ursday in Johannes- South Africa’s transition to democracy cor- burg, the theme was “Celebrating the con- responded to the Hebrew word for life - Chai tribution of white democrats”. - Rabbi Hazdan said that what being alive Th e day culminated in a short ceremo- meant, was always to be looking to grow ny at the Great Park Synagogue, in which further. SAJBD National Director Wendy Kahn ac- Relating this to recent South African his- cepted the Centenary Flame on behalf of tory, he observed that the transition to mul- the Jewish community and Rabbi Dovid tiracial democracy was followed by putting Hazdan of Great Park delivered a stirring into place the building blocks of a democratic address that paid tribute to the central role culture, specifi cally through the Bill of Rights, played by the ANC in bringing nonracial de- through which the principles of the ANC’s fa- mocracy to South Africa. mous Freedom Charter were realised, the es- Th e event was hosted by the SAJBD, tablishment of an independent judiciary and which received an approach to do so just a in such constitutionally guaranteed rights to few days beforehand through veteran Jew- freedom of expression, thought and informa- ish ANC Councillor Joy Coplan. tion, as refl ected in the media, academia, civil In her introductory remarks, Kahn said society and arts and culture. ACDP to march against ‘relabelling’ Th e decision by Minister of Trade and In- June 28. dustry Rob Davies, to have goods coming Th ose participating, as well as a large from the West Bank relabelled as “Produced contingent of ACDP supporters, will include in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”, will IFP President Mangosuthu Buthelezi and have far-reaching and very negative implica- many of his followers; bishops and clerics of tions for trade relations between South Af- the Shembe Church; and members of other rica and Israel, says a media release from the African communities. SA Zionist Federation. “We are inviting you to join this march Th e African Christian Democratic Party and give voice to your concerns about this (ACDP) under its leader Reverend Kenneth government action,” the SAZF says. “Under Meshoe, has come out strongly against this the auspices of the SAZF, transport will be move, criticising the Minister for singling provided for protesters to and fromPretoria. out Israel for censure - “a country that has Buses will be leaving from Beyachad at 08:45 remained committed to partnering and on the morning of June 28 and returning at sharing the expertise in which it excels with 15:00. Each participant will be given a T- South Africa”. shirt and refreshments will be provided. Th e ACDP has organised a protest march, • Booking on the buses is essential; and from the Union Buildings in Pretoria to the there will be no charge for the event. Please offi ces of the Department of Trade and In- call (011) 645-2531/2510 or e-mail lisa@ dustry, to take place on Th ursday morning, beyachad.co.za 4 SA JEWISH REPORT News 22 - 29 June 2012 ‘Dr Rod’ - the Angel of Healing Zahava Aarons; Paula Levin; and Dr Andy Taub-Da Costa, authors of the book. Book makes a valuable contribution in explaining PND affl iction Postnatal depression (PND) aff ects up to 40 per cent of women, a startlingly high number. PND is a hellish illness that imposes on women’s lives and their

Dr Rodney Unterslak with his grandson Mendy in 2009. ability to function as mothers, wives and contributing members of society, and PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM carries a stigma that is associated with shame and blame, a plight that is in ROBYN SASSEN many ways more devastating to have to deal with than the illness itself. “He loved people. People loved him,” so said a heart-felt SHIRA DRUION as it uncovers the complexities that conspiracy of silence; I wanted to break tribute by a former patient to Johannesburg-based fam- PHOTOGRAPH: motherhood brings, from the perspec- that stigma. PND is so prevalent, it ily physician and homoeopath Dr Rodney Unterslak who ILAN OSSENDRYVER tive of several courageous and spirited aff ects thousands of women, and af- last Tuesday succumbed to the cancer, from which he mothers. Th e stories are told with rare ter my harrowing journey, I would do had suff ered since 2005. In response to the growing needs of honesty and a deep humility, paying anything to help other women who are A household name in the local community for over countless mothers and their families, tribute to women and their ability to suff ering too.” 25 years, Dr Unterslak was born on March 18, 1953. Af- Exclusive Books in Hyde Park, in con- fi nd light in the depths of their dark- Aarons is quiet in her strength, but fi liated to the Lubavitch community, he studied medi- junction with Penguin Publishing, re- ness. she is a reservoir of love and empathy. cine at Wits University and some years later homoeopa- cently launched a much awaited hand- Th e original idea for the book “Andy and I are not conventional pro- thy in Johannesburg and London, initially setting up his book on the subject, which sold out at stemmed from Da Costa’s desire to fessionals who adhere to strict thera- practice in Yeoville in Johannesburg and then, with the its opening launch. Th e book, “Recog- educate the masses about the trau- peutic boundaries, unlike many other demographic shift of the community, moving north to nising Postnatal Depression A Hand- mas and complications associated therapists. Cheltondale. He married Jennifer Orelowitz in 1975, book for Mothers”, is an informative with postnatal depression. Later it “We are fully aware that our treat- and they had two daughters and three sons. read intended to help educate and was combined with co-author, Paula ment modus operandi is very un– “He was an amazing, unbelievably generous member ultimately prevent the overwhelm- Levin’s own battle with PND. usual and that it is not easy to fi nd of our community,” said a colleague. “He was an exten- ing eff ects of postnatal depression on Da Costa admits: “Th e real catalyst therapists who treat the way we do. sively qualifi ed, immensely loving human being, a stal- women. for the book was Paula’s astounding I would classify myself as more of a wart - a hero - of Chabad, one for whom nothing was too Th e book which was authored by desire to share her experience with fringe therapist and it is therefore much when it came to doing for others.” three women - Jewish Life Editor Paula other women. She felt that by shar- both mine, Andy’s and Paula’s sincere People affi liated with Chabad have commented on Levin; postnatal medical maven, Dr ing her own story, she could empower prayer and hope that the book will be the close-knit nature of the community in Johannes- Andy Taub-Da Costa; and well known both men and women with vital infor- a springboard for other counsellors burg, refl ecting on “Dr Rod”, as he was aff ectionately psychologist, Zahava Aarons, is a mov- mation about the illness. Our inten- to start support groups that will off er known, as “a beacon of Ahavas Yisroel”. ing account of pain and suff ering that tion is to protect women and to save women this genuine care and empathy Another former patient commented on how Dr Rod has been triumphed by the resilience lives.” in their time of need. “was my direct source of inspiration, drawing directly of the human spirit. Levin, in an interview with Jewish “Th e aim of the book is to be an from the Rebbe’s energy.” Yet another commented on Each story is profoundly stirring Report, explains: “PND has this awful ambassador for openness.” how Dr Rod had helped her deal with monumental ob- stacles, “through gentleness”. Many people commented on Unterslak’s intimate memory of them and their children, and recounted inci- dents of calling him late at night from across the world, New ‘revolutionary service’ for olim and he was there to commiserate, to advise, to diagnose, to listen. Said Rabbi Yossy Goldman of Sydenham Shul: “He Th e Israeli Ministry of Absorption within one or two days of their arrival Over and above this, olim will also was an incredible human being who saved countless together with the Jewish Agency, has in Israel, at a special ceremony held at receive the following benefi ts at the lives, not only medically but spiritually and emotionally. launched a new “revolutionary ser- the Kotel. In the past, olim who made airport; their special government al- How prophetic that his parents named him Refoel, the vice” for olim. Th is new off ering will aliyah on their own would have to go lowance (Sal Klita), they can meet with Angel of Healing. And what an angel he truly was. He allow olim from South Africa and the to the Ministry of Absorption offi ces representatives of medical aid systems was a true ‘rofeh yedid’ - a healer and friend to all.” rest of the world to receive their new to have their ID document issued. and can sign up immediately, and they Unterslak was nominated for this year’s Helen Su- Israeli ID documents upon arrival in From Sunday June 17, all olim will also receive a free AIM card with zman Lifetime Achiever Award, at the annual Jewish Israel (at the airport), the Israel Cen- have received their ID document at the 200 shekels. Achievers event. He is survived by his wife, Jenny and tre in Johannesburg said in a media airport - within two hours after land- Th ese amazing new services will children, Chani Zwick, Dov-Ber, Yossi, Eli and Mushky release. ing in Israel. Th is new service is part of ensure that the fi rst steps in Israel are Denburg, their spouses and children. Until today, olim who have arrived an ongoing eff ort to improve the ser- that much easier for the new olim. in Israel on a Red Carpet Aliyah fl ight, vices that the State of Israel provides • For more information, contact have received their ID documents to olim. the Israel Centre on (011) 645-2560. 22 - 29 June 2012 News SA JEWISH REPORT 5

Israel news: News in Brief www.ynetnews.com “Hebrew slogans spray- painted on Romney says he will do the ‘opposite’ of Obama on Israel mosque near Ramallah” WASHINGTON - Mitt Romney has told an audience distance between ourselves and our allies like Isra- Unknown assailants spray-painted Hebrew of Christian conservatives that he would do the “op- el. If we have disagreements, you know, we can talk Th e Jewish World slogans on a mosque in the village of Jaba posite” of what President Barack Obama has done about them behind closed doors. But to the world, southeast of Ramallah. IDF and police forces when it comes to Israel. you show that we’re locked arm in arm.” are canvassing the area. It is suspected the “I think, by and large, you can just look at the Obama in the first two years of his administra- in seven seconds vandalism is a “price tag” act. things the president has done and do the opposite,” tion strongly criticised Israeli settlement expansion Romney said last week Saturday in an address by in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. In May video to a conference of the Faith and Freedom 2011 he called for Israel to negotiate on the basis of The Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem: The Jewish Chronicle, London: Coalition. the 1967 lines, albeit with land swaps and a num- www.jpost.com www.thejc.com Romney, the former Massachusetts governor ber of security guarantees for Israel. and the Republican presidential nominee, was cam- The Obama campaign accused Romney of “Hamas claims responsibility for “Chief Rabbi will oppose gay mar- paigning in Pennsylvania when the conference took “playing politics with the US-Israel relationship” rocket fi re into Israel” riage” place in Washington. and released a sheet of Obama’s pro-Israel ac- Gaza-based terror group claims responsibility The Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has fi nally broken Romney faulted Obama for asking Israel to hold tions, including funding for Israel’s anti-missile for at least three mortars fi red into Israel on his silence on gay and lesbian marriages and back while the West exhausts possibilities short of programmes and expanding security cooperation, Monday night, says responding to recent kill- opposed government plans to introduce it. war to get Iran to end its suspected nuclear weap- as well as blocking anti-Israel moves at the United ings of Palestinians. ons programme. Nations. “He’s almost sounded like he’s more frightened Referring to Romney’s “do the opposite” pledge, Canadian Jewish News, Toronto: Jewish Telegraph, Manchester, Leeds, Eng- that Israel might take military action than he’s con- Ben LaBolt, Obama’s campaign press secretary, www.cjnews.com land: cerned that Iran might become nuclear,” Romney asked: “Does that mean he would reverse President www.jewishtelegraph.com said of Obama. “I would make it very clear that for Obama’s policies of sending Israel the largest secu- “Jewish groups welcome curbing of us, as well as for them, it is unacceptable for Iran rity assistance packages in history? Nazi salute” “Government will look into shechi- to become a nuclear nation and that we’re prepared “Does it mean he would let Israel stand alone Quebec student leaders say they will try to ta again in January” to take any and all action to keep that from hap- at the United Nations, or that he would stop fund- curb demonstrators from using the Nazi salute MP Jim Paice said that the implementation of pening.” ing the Iron Dome system? Does it mean he would again, after B’nai Brith Canada and the Cen- an EU regulation on ritual slaughter of animals The Romney campaign has said that Obama abandon the coalition working together to confront tre for Israel and Jewish Affairs denounced according to religious laws, in January 2013 should do more to make clear that a military option Iran’s nuclear ambitions? the gesture as unacceptable and insensitive provided an opportunity for government to look is available should Iran forge ahead with its nuclear “Mitt Romney is yet again trying to score cheap to Jews and others, whatever the intention of at how to improve the welfare of these animals. enrichment, which the Islamic Republic insists is political points by distorting President Obama’s re- those who do it. for peaceful purposes. cord of support for Israel,” LaBolt said. “Our rela- Romney said his “overarching” message was tionship with Israel is too important for Gov Romney that “I would not want to show a dime’s worth of to play politics with it.” (JTA) World Jewish Daily, international: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, international: www.worldjewishdaily.com www.jta.org “Knesset committee: 80 per cent of “Walker refuses to authorise He- Billboard warns Jewish commuters against Manhattan’s ills Haredim will be drafted” brew version of ‘Th e Color Purple’” NEW YORK - A bright red billboard posted on a The billboard says it is sponsored by the Minister Mofaz reveals some recommen- Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple”, New York highway is warning Jewish commuters Congregation of Yad Moshe, which according dations by committee tasked with finding refused to authorise a Hebrew translation of the perils of Manhattan. to reports is associated with Dov Hikind, an Or- alternative to Tal Law; thousands of ultra- of her prize-winning work because “Israel The sign on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway thodox state assemblyman whose district is in Orthodox will be recruited to police, Prison is guilty of apartheid and persecution of the reads in Hebrew: “Dear Jew: You are entering a Brooklyn. Service, while 20 per cent will be exempt as Palestinian people, both inside Israel and dangerous place. Shield your eyes.” The words Reportedly the billboard has been up for sev- part of “torato emunato” deal. also in the Occupied Territories.” “Shield your eyes” are repeated in English. eral weeks. (JTA) 6 SA JEWISH REPORT Opinion 22 - 29 June 2012 jewishsouth african report Moral independence places our Sinai Indaba: A tradition in the best possible light It is not my custom to reply to sive along the lines of Abraham the barrage of hate mail that I re- in the Akedah, but rather en- statement of values ceived, prompted by a column in joined to use our empowerment this newspaper, but a recent ex- derived from G-d to shape the South African Jewry has two contrasting faces. One is its outstanding position of defamation by some- THE JURY world and concomitantly to take vitality and success in business, the arts, professions and so on, its fi ne one claiming to know exactly IS OUT responsibility therefor. community institutions and its contributions to broader society. Th e what and when I had not studied Dennis Davis Viewed within terms of the other is its anxiety about itself and its place here. any Torah or Talmud, elicited a discourse that prevails in much Recent years have been unsettling for South African Jews. Th e dra- surprising amount of e-mail cor- thereby accepting a principle of of our community, it seems to matic shrinking of their numbers due to emigration, the predicament of respondence by those who took accountability for His decisions me that we, all too often, follow elderly parents and others left behind, an uncertain South African so- off ence at this standard form of and being compelled by Abraham the paradigm of the Akedah - pas- ciety struggling to defi ne its post-apartheid identity amidst corruption establishment argument – de- to respond to the latter’s pleas. sive uncritical acceptance of the and crime, questions about the role of minority groups like Jews, grow- fame, but never address the mer- world, the tradition as conveyed ing antagonism towards Israel and other factors, have taken their toll. its of the targeted person. Rich lines of to us by those who claim author- After the passing away of several long-standing, great community I mention this reaction be- ity and the belief that human leaders such as Mendel Kaplan, Cyril Harris, etc, younger leaders are fac- cause it appears that many had commentary have been agency is trumped by the idea ing the challenge of forging a new cohesiveness. A signifi cant boost to grasped the more signifi cant spawned by these two that ultimately everything that this was given last weekend by the second Sinai Indaba, which was at- problem raised in this line of in- narratives. happens to us is beresheit. tended by some 3 000 (see stories on pages 14-16). sult (argument would surely be a But, as Hartman shows, that It may seem strange to begin a comment on a Jewish community misnomer). Th e problem is that Th is is not the place to trav- is not the only option off ered event by talking about the logistics rather than content. But the care within the community, there is erse the rich lines of commentary within our tradition. And the given to organising an event such as this, says something about the re- both a culture of authority which that have been spawned by these covenantal relationship which, spect with which the content and participants are viewed. refuses to question any decision two narratives, but rather it is as Rav Soleivitchik has shown so Sinai Indaba 11 was held in the Sandton Convention Centre. It ran or argument which fl ows from appropriate to note that Rabbi compellingly, is so central to the like a fi nely-tuned engine, from the strict adherence to the schedule, the someone in charge - in this case, Hartman derives the fl owing in- core of being Jewish, appears to technology, lunch, ushers, and media facilities (Anyone who has put to- any rabbi, and a denial that, even sight from these texts, One ap- dictate that we take responsibility gether something like this knows the stress that lies behind the calm within Orthodoxy, the tradition proach says: “I am nothing - only for our actions. exterior). is highly contested. in my relationship to G-d am I Put in blunt terms, when It was a tribute to the top-grade speakers from around the world, as something”, while in terms of the we carefully examine a rule like well as the multitude of local people, on diverse Jewish topics. Speakers Hartman refers to other approach, an individual’s Kol Isha and find that it is far ranged from political analysts to fi lmmakers, rabbis, professors, histori- two paradigmatic relationship to G-d makes him or more nuanced than claimed by ans, musicians and ordinary people with a special story to tell. her enhanced, enriched and em- a particular rabbi, ours is not Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, a member of the younger generation approaches to Jewish powered. to simply acquiesce without of leaders mentioned above - he was 32 when he became chief rabbi - consciousness. From these distinctions, Rab- demur and then claim that we in his introductory address spoke about the huge eff ort in putting the bi Hartman observes that within are not responsible for any hurt convention together, stressing that Sinai Indaba was about “values”. Th e Th e point can be illustrated the Jewish world of today, the caused. dignity of this Jewish gathering was itself a statement of values. by way of a reference to a recent latter line is not considered to be Similarly, we can adopt a It was apparent to any observer that there were many young people article, penned by a distinguished Jewish. Th e language of personal monastic approach to our belief there - at times they seemed to almost outnumber older participants. Orthodox rabbi, David Hartman. moral agency, so central to the So- system and refuse to develop Given the “weightiness” of many of the speakers’ topics, their attend- Hartman refers to two paradig- dom narrative has been well and moral responses based upon our ance there throughout the day attested to the compelling quality of the matic approaches to Jewish con- truly abdicated. tradition to all manner of human talks. sciousness which in turn illumi- By contrast, the language of problems or we can formulate our Th ere was also a noticeable presence of people - both speakers and nate the covenantal relationship the Akedah which Hartman con- conduct in terms of values based audience - who would feel just as much at home in another fast-growing with the divine. siders is not constitutive of Juda- upon G-d’s justice and compas- contemporary movement in the international Jewish world - Limmud. Th e fi rst one is the Akedah ism, now dominates, hence the sion and take responsibility for all Which shows that the diff erent approaches to exploring what it is to be where Abraham does not utter a discourse of beresheit that pre- our actions. Jewish, are not mutually exclusive and can comfortably overlap in some single syllable of protest against vails to disempower any scintilla areas, contrary to what various people may say. G-d’s instruction to sacrifi ce of moral agency. Th at is not the only Looking to future “Indabas”, consideration might be given to ex- Isaac. Obedience rather than Hartman suggests that the panding the structure of the sessions, which were all in the tight format questioning of authority, lies at foundational meaning of the option off ered within of “speaker on a stage, and large audience”, with little time for ques- the centre of this narrative. covenant is that human beings, our tradition. tions. Challenging the presenters and putting diff erent views was diffi - Th e second approach, which by entering into the reality of G-d, cult. Besides the formal talks in the main auditoriums – which were very also involves Abraham, concerns gain the ability to discover both To follow the moral independ- successful - perhaps there could also be smaller breakaway rooms where Sodom. Here Abraham refuses to themselves and their abilities. ence, as shown by Abraham at participants could engage directly with the speakers. accept G-d’s decision to destroy Expressed differently, a di- Sodom, is to place our tradition Warm and well deserved tributes were paid to the chief rabbi, who the city without attempting to vine empowerment of human in the best possible light and to really came into his own publically in this event. He was very much the change the outcome. beings to take responsibility for ensure that even when we hate, master of the house and full credit is due to him. Now Abraham repeatedly all facets of their lives, lies at the defame and refuse to engage, it Sinai Indaba is not something he inherited from previous leaders, confronts G-d, eventually utter- heart of the covenantal relation- is not beresheit, but rather it is a but is his own creation - which will gather momentum in future, if the ing the astounding phrase: “Will ship. On this line of argument product of our own actions. positive response to this second one is any indication. He has started the judge of all the earth not act which a number of very learned Am I simply a pessimist to something new and vibrant among South African Jewry, and it was a justly?” And the upshot is that rabbinical teachers taught me think that within Orthodoxy in boost to the spirit. G-d says: “Can I hide from Abra- was central to our tradition, hu- this country, this paradigm is al- We are looking forward to Sinai Indaba 111. ham that which I am about to do”, man beings are not to be pas- most dead? 22 - 29 June 2012 Opinion SA JEWISH REPORT 7 Th e cigar and the dumb-bell I once heard a rabbi compare the Jewish world of the recent past to a lit cigar, with one end hot, the other cold and the majority located in the temperate middle.

Th e Jewish world now emerging, by contrast, was beginning to represent a barbell, heavily weighted at both ends with just a narrow bar in between. Th e meaning of this was that until fairly recently, Jews who were strongly wedded to their religion and BARBARIC YAWP those completely disaffi liated from it – the “hot” and “cold” ends of the cigar - were a small minority. Th e David Saks majority were somewhere in between, generally com- mitted to their Judaism, but in a partial, rather half- Just six per cent of Conservative Jewish children hearted way. and one per cent of Reform ones attend Jewish day Th e barbell image showed how increasingly, the schools, as opposed to 93 per cent of Orthodox ones. two extremes were now rapidly increasingly at the ex- Perhaps the biggest kicker in the survey is in the pense of the ever-shrinking middle-of-the-roaders. comparative number of children who are Orthodox Th e truth of this metaphor is borne out by numer- compared to those in non-Orthodox and secular fami- ous studies, notably by the fi ndings of a new survey of lies. New York Jewry (which comprises close to 10 per cent Even when counting those only with a Jewish fa- of the entire Jewish world). ther, the non-Orthodox proportion has dropped to Jacob Ukeles, one of the survey’s authors, virtually barely one in four. Not just intermarriage is the reason paraphrased the cigar-barbell comparison when he for this; non-Orthodox Jews tend to marry much lat- commented: “Th ere are more deeply engaged Jews and er, if they marry at all, and even when they do, seldom there are more unengaged Jews. Th ese two wings are have more than one or two children. growing at the expense of the middle.” In the UK, incidentally, the number of Jewish chil- In the UK, the Diaspora’s fourth-largest Jewish dren from strictly Orthodox families exceeded the rest community after the US, France and Canada, very (including those who attend Orthodox synagogues similar trends are emerging. Elsewhere, there seems but are otherwise largely non-observant) a good while to be a tendency to go in one direction or another. ago. South African Jewry must be close to that level On the European mainland, the tendency would by now. seem to be towards greater assimilation, whereas in For non-Orthodox Jews who care about ensuring South Africa and Mexico, it is towards increased religi- Jewish continuity, these fi gures are nothing short osity. of catastrophic. No amount of spin-doctoring (some Another common thread in the various surveys now seek to claim that intermarried households actu- that have been conducted is that the non-Orthodox ally enrich the community through making it more versions of Judaism, whether going under the names pluralistic and inclusive) can hide the fact that in the Reform, Conservative, Liberal or Reconstructionist, most crucial area of all, that of passing on a love of and have not benefi ted from the return to religiosity. commitment to Judaism to the next generation, their In the New York survey, Reform and Conservative movements are failing utterly. Jews each declined by some 40 000 in the period 2002 Given the current rate of - 2011 whereas the Orthodox and completely unaffi li- attrition, the day cannot be far ated grew by 100 000. away when there will no longer Since 2006, one out of two New York marriages in be a next generation to receive which one partner was a non-Orthodox Jew was to a whatever they have to give. non-Jew, without any conversion. Even where there Israel, with that special was a non-Orthodox conversion, in the case of a wom- subtlety and tact for which an converting, neither she nor the children would be Israelis are justly famous, re- considered Jewish by the Orthodox. cently infuriated mainstream Th e latter will therefore consider themselves to American Jewry by placing constitute an even larger proportion of New York adverts in the New York Times Jewry than the 40 per cent estimated by the survey and elsewhere, urging Jews to since that count included non-Orthodox converts and make aliyah to avoid having “patrilineal” Jews. In turn, this points to how the Or- Christian grandchildren. thodox and non-Orthodox/secular Jews are well on While the message could their way to becoming de facto separate communities have been delivered more sen- altogether, not just diff erent in terms of their religious sitively, the underlying truth beliefs, but in terms of their attitudes towards such could hardly be denied. Out- sociopolitical issues as abortion, pornography, Mid- side of Israel, it is increasingly dle East policy, homosexuality and the separation of looking like there is no future church and state. for non-Orthodox Jewry. Th ere is a pronounced economic dimension as well, For Israel itself, which now with the Orthodox comprising a far higher proportion has so pressing a need for a of the Jewish poor than their counterparts. strong Diaspora to promote its Much larger families and lower levels of secular case in a progressively more hos- education play their part here, as do the costs of Jew- tile world, the long-term impli- ish education itself. cations of this are alarming.

News in Brief JOURNALISTS ASK ISRAELI AG TO RECONSIDER BLAU INDICTMENT BRUSSELS - The International Press Institute has pecially investigative reporting”. called on Israel’s attorney general to reconsider “It is our understanding that Uri Blau han- an indictment against an Israeli investigative re- dled the leaked information with care, using it porter for acquiring classified documents. only to write stories that were in the public inter- Uri Blau, a reporter for the Israeli daily est,” the institute wrote. “The documents in Mr Haaretz, published an article in 2008 using clas- Blau’s possession were not republished far and sified documents given to him by Anat Kamm, wide. who copied them from a superior’s computer “Even if, as you suggest, the ‘potential for during her service in the Israeli military. damage in the unprotected possession of the Kamm is serving a 4 1/2-year prison term for documents was enormous’, it remained just her role in obtaining the documents and turning that - potential damage. Mr Blau did not share them over to Blau. or transfer the documents, and has not been ac- The institute in a letter to Attorney General cused of having done so. Yehuda Weinstein, said that prosecuting Blau, “Moreover,” the letter said, “the articles he who faces a seven-year prison sentence for wrote using the information, were even cleared possession of the documents, would “under- by the military censor prior to publication.” mine press freedom in general and investigative The institute wrote that in Blau’s case, the journalism in particular”, and would “set a grave documents were used solely to serve a strong precedent for the future of Israeli journalism, es- public interest. (JTA) 8 SA JEWISH REPORT Letters 22 - 29 June 2012 Th e Editor, PO Box 84650, Greenside, 2034 email: [email protected] A GOOD NEW KOSHER RESTAURANT IN CAPE TOWN DELIGHTED BY RECOGNITION OF BERNIE FANAROFF’S ACHIEVEMENTS In the June 15 issue of the Jewish Report, which has a menu to suit the most dis- I was delighted with your front page and page SA (Numsa). Julian Richfi eld makes valid comments re- cerning palate. Tucked away from the fi ve splash on Bernie Fanaroff . (SAJR June 1). He did this because he cared about persons garding kosher restaurants. busy Main Road is Evergreen, a kosher As the person who organised an honorary who were paid less than himself, and often la- However, there is a restaurant which restaurant which is well worth a visit. doctorate for Fanaroff from the University of boured in authoritarian or racist workplaces. has opened in Sea Point in Cape Town, I Sacks, Cape Town the Western Cape, I discovered there is another Bernie Fanaroff ’s life testifi es to an ethical READYMADE KOSHER FOOD IN CT EMINENTLY AFFORDABLE - ethics - reason to celebrate him. drive that is all too rare today. Uniquely among South African astrono- Th ank goodness that the SKA project res- I have just returned from Cape Town and R35. mers, he sacrifi ced his scientifi c career for cued him for astronomy, to which he now re- was astonished at how cheap ready-made Th ere are many people in Johannesburg two decades to build up the trade union today turns. kosher food is there. who would love these specials; instead we called the National Union of Metalworkers of Keith Gottschalk, Cape Town I salute Goldees and Checkers Sea Point. pay hundreds of rands on a Shabbos. For R100 at Goldees I can feed four people Just to mention: Goldees has reduced OUR INDISPUTABLE MIDDLE EASTERN ORIGINS with a choice of a three-course meal consist- prices during the week on herring and meals. We should all be concerned about growing deni- Of course, neither Jews nor Palestinian Ar- ing of minestrone soup, a meat dish, veggies One can feel despondent in Johannes- als that we Jews have any connection with Bibli- abs are entirely descended from the indigenous and a mousse or pudding that is delicious. burg when people are being overpriced for cal Israel, but there is scientifi c proof that such a inhabitants of ancient Canaan. Both groups are At Checkers I can buy Perogan at R3,99, food. Come on someone, do something to connection exists and is far from tenuous. essentially Semitic, but both groups carry non- not like here (in Johannesburg). Many won- make us happy when we shop! In the early 1990s, Uzi Ritte, a population Semitic genes as well. In the case of Jews, this derful dishes including a gefi lte fi sh pie for Lorraine Katzen, Johannesburg biologist at the Hebrew University, found a dis- was mainly due to non-Semitic gentiles convert- tinct correspondence between the mitochondrial ing to Judaism, though such conversions were HERBER HOUSE TO HAVE THEIR REUNION IN ISRAEL DNA of North African Jews and the mitochon- rare until about 60 years ago. Some Herber House alumni have decided to does not hold good memories, but perhaps drial DNA of European Jews, despite a thousand In the case of Palestinian Arabs, this would be have a reunion in Israel on Wednesday, Oc- the then friendships do. years or more of geographical separation. due to liaisons with various non-Semitic groups tober 17. Th e venue will be fi nalised, once we Please contact Ben Bar-Yehuda (aka Ben- Ritte went further in his researches and con- that have conquered and controlled Palestine know the number of participants. nie Croock) in Israel at benbary@netvision. fi rmed that all contemporary Jewish groups, since the Arabs themselves invaded in 638 CE. Yes, the years have passed by and we net.il or phone Israel 03-635-8640; also other than the Falashas (whose ancestors were Palestine was successively overrun and colo- have had no contact, some of us in the past available on Skype, or Bernard Lapidus at almost all converts to Judaism), are all geneti- nised by Seljuk Turks (1071 - 1099), Crusaders 60 years, but it would be good to get together [email protected] or phone Toronto 1-905- cally connected to one another. (1099 - 1187), Ottoman Turks (1517 - 1917) and and to hear about everyone’s experiences. 886-0429. In the year 2000, Michael Hammer, a biolo- fi nally the British (1917 - 1948) and there was I am aware, that to some, Herber House Bernard Lapidus, Toronto gist at the University of Arizona, confi rmed the sexual contact between the Palestinian Arabs fi ndings of Ritte and then discovered that the and each of the aforementioned. BOXING FANS SUFFERED A TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT IN THIS TOURNAMENT genetic make-up of the average modern Jew is In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Th e long anticipated boxing tournament - absence as such. almost identical to that of the average Palestin- Ottoman authorities settled thousands of non- Last Man Standing - which took place at Em- Surely then another boxer could have ian Arab. Semitic Muslims from the Balkans and the Cau- perors Palace last Saturday night and should been roped in to fi ll Ran Nakash’s non-par- Almut Nebel and Marina Faerman of the casus in Palestine and they too became part of have been a great success, turned out in the ticipation? Indeed a very unprofessional and Hebrew University and Dvora Filon of Hadassah the Palestinian population. fi nal rounds to be a damp squib. unsatisfactory state of aff airs and it saddens University Hospital, Jerusalem, carried out fur- Yet, despite a noticeable degree of marriage Th e one contest featuring the well-known me to think that Golden Gloves Promotions ther DNA testing and also concluded that: or sexual liaison with non-Semites, both Jews Israeli boxer was non-existent. Nobody in have ”tkd” the boxing fans. All modern Jews are genetically connected to and Palestinian Arabs remain essentially Semitic the crowd knew about his non-appearance, In the fi nal count-down, a sad and sorry one another. in type and in ancestry. for whatever reason and the authorities- night with all the setbacks and incidents that Modern Jews and Palestinian Arabs have al- Historical revisionism often arises from feel- that-be didn’t even have the foresight and marred and irritated the boxing faithful. most an identical genetic make-up. ing of inferiority and if Palestinian Arabs felt decency to announce from the ringside his Barney Segal, Johannesburg Jews and Palestinian Arabs are largely de- themselves to be the equals of Israeli Jews, they scended from the indigenous inhabitants of an- would not need to rewrite history. Perhaps peace SA JEWISH COMMUNITY SUFFERS FROM SEVERE INTOLERANCE cient Canaan (Israel-Palestine) although Pales- and political independence will restore a sense of Tolerance has never been a widely spread the appearance of our rabbis on public tinian Arabs also have Arab ancestry from Arabia. greater worth to a people which is nearer than human virtue. It is in extremely short sup- platforms with Orthodox rabbis. Our claim to be descendents of the Biblical any other to our own people. ply in this country and unfortunately in Why do the Orthodox behave this way Hebrews or Israelites therefore seems to be be- Rabbi Hillel Avidan, Durban Jewish our Jewish community. when they have shown they are capable of yond dispute. Progressive Congregation Most South African Progressive and making the absolutely wonderful gesture Orthodox Jews come from the same fami- of choosing Professor Jonathan Jansen GORDIN SHOULD RATHER FOCUS ON HIS OWN MOVEMENT’S FAULTS lies; some of these have been shattered by to head the Holocaust Museum? Is it eas- I read Jeremy Gordin’s article (comment- ence in 1948 (my uncle among them) were al- the movement of their brethren away from ier for them to show tolerance towards ing on David Saks’ “Yodelling yentas” article most exclusively traditionally Orthodox. their original roots, either towards Reform a righteous Gentile than towards fellow in his Barbaric Yawp column) with pitying His own Reform leaders of the time, who or towards Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox. Jews? amusement. Gordin’s desperate titling of were fearing an adverse reaction by their Many families however do manage to We do not dictate to our cousins or the majority of South African Jews as be- host countries to Zionism, remained com- tolerate these movements and still remain children or friends who have chosen to ing members of a “fundamentalist sect” has pletely opposed to the movement until the close to one another. worship in a more Orthodox environment. to be the most pathetic line in the paper to late 20th century and today only constitute a Jews are in a minority worldwide. In Tolerance is the watchword in our spiritual date, though. I think it is fantastic that a small minority of Israel’s population. South Africa our numbers have actually outlook. We love them and understand representative of a group whose members No doubt his anguish at watching a Re- shrunk. One would think that the rem- them and most of them feel the same to- have a less than one per cent chance of their form self-infl icted Holocaust in America nant left here would do all in its power to wards us and we feel that their leaders are grandchildren being Jewish, whose siddur made him come up with this satire, but could retain some form of cohesion. creating unnecessary animosity in order to (or “egalitarian” hymn book) is ”modernised” he limit his assimilationist anti-Torah, and However, we read bigoted letters, for score petty political points. whenever it gets too “Jewish” for the times hence anti-Jewish rantings to his own con- example decrying the amount of space in We should try to set an example of true and whose religious conversion entails a gregants or limited followers? your letters columns given to Progressive brotherhood by starting with ourselves. complimentary signature, should be point- Perhaps he should focus on his own opinion and we have shrill opposition to Th ereafter we should turn to the devastat- ing fi ngers at us all. movement’s faults instead of preaching ha- the sound of the female voice in prayer ing lack of tolerance and unity in the great- How interesting it is that he bemoans the tred and instead focus on trying to bring his or even in secular songs, as well as ugly er South African community and of course lack of Orthodox participation in the creation congregants closer to the ultimate truth of discrimination in our Jewish day schools in Israel and the world. and defence of Israel. Th e 800 of our South Hashem. against Progressive learners and against Susan Tucker, Dunkeld West, Jhb African boys who fought for Israel’s Independ- Ariel Sher, Johannesburg 22 - 29 June 2012 Community Columns SA JEWISH REPORT 9

A column of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies ANC Centenary Flame road show Last week Th ursday, the Board Th e Shoah was one of the had the honour of hosting one of greatest catastrophes to befall the stages on the journey of the any people throughout history. Centenary Flame of the African Ever since, Jews have struggled National Congress, a celebratory to come to terms with its legacy. road show travelling “the length It is surely testimony to our resil- and breadth of South Africa to ience as a people that this has not celebrate 100 years of the ANC, taken the form of despair and de- touching all facets of society as it featism, but has instead inspired makes its way through the diff er- us to rebuild and look to ways in ent provinces”. which we can use that tragedy to Th e theme for that day was build a better future. “celebrating the contribution of One way we have done so is white democrats” and it culmi- through Holocaust education. nated in a short ceremony at the Th rough museums, resource cen- Great Park Synagogue. tres and specialised educational Messages were delivered by the programmes, we strive to convey ANC, our national director, Wendy Above Board the lessons not just about what Kahn and Rabbi Dovid Hazdan. Mary Kluk happened but, even more impor- Wendy formally accepted the sym- National Chairman tantly, how it happened. bolic handover of the torch on be- Th e Holocaust culminated in half of the Jewish community. mass murder, but it began with Th e ceremony was a very words of hatred that in turn poignant and moving one. It was not about fanned the fl ames of prejudice and intoler- expressing support for the ANC as a politi- ance. If we are to ensure that the six million cal party – the SAJBD is and always will be Jewish victims of Nazism, as well as the strictly apolitical in that regard – but to victims of similar crimes against humanity, acknowledge and pay tribute to everything did not die in vain, then we need to use the the organisation has achieved over the past lessons of what happened to them and why hundred years. to ensure that such horrors are never again Today, we live in a nonracial democra- allowed to occur. cy that strenuously upholds basic human A few weeks ago, one of Johannesburg’s rights and freedoms, and a huge share of leading private schools was embarrassed the credit for bringing this about undeni- by a grossly inappropriate demonstration ably belongs to the ruling party. identifying with Nazism by some of its pu- pils. While intended as a joke, this display Holocaust education a perennial duty was crass and insensitive in the extreme, At the time of writing, I am about to and deeply off ended many of those pre- leave for Israel to attend the triennial Yad sent. Vashem conference on Holocaust educa- Th is incident only underlines the need tion. Some 350 educators from near and for education about the Holocaust. Once far, are expected to attend the event, shar- they are made aware of what Nazism ac- ing their experiences and discussing ways tually meant and what its proponents of communicating the lessons of the Holo- wrought in the world, very few will wish caust that will have the most relevance and to regard with anything other than horror impact in today’s world. and disgust. Community Briefs UJW DEVELOPS ‘VOLUNTEERS’ PROGRAMME’ TO HELP SELWYN SEGAL For many years, the Union of Jewish Women have lowing: singing, pet therapy or outings on Monday been providing birthday cakes and arranging teas afternoons; baking, gardening, movement/danc- for the residents at Selwyn Segal. They have now ing, walking or arts and crafts on Tuesday after- developed a Volunteers’ Programme, which will en- noons; outdoor and indoor sports on Wednesday able more UJW volunteers to enable the Selwyn afternoons; or nail painting sessions on Friday Segal residents to feel that much more loved. They afternoons. To volunteer, please contact Estelle on are requesting volunteer input for any of the fol- 083-297-6560.

A GRAND MISSION TO FIGHT SCOURGE OF RHINO POACHING Brandon Katz, Russel Lenhoff, Saul Cohen and Law- raising funds to help the fi ght against rhino poaching rence Segall, have collectively called themselves Team and also to hand out shoes to underprivileged chil- Wasted Potential, joining 61 other teams from Johan- dren. Visit http://wastedpotential.wozaonline.co.za or nesburg and Cape Town on a mission to make a dif- www.putfootrally.com for further information; they’ll ference. This Wednesday, June 20, they’re collectively give regular updates of their progress through Africa embarking on the Put Foot Rally, traversing 7 000km, via twitter and facebook: @WastedP_PFR or www. across six countries in 17 days. The rally is in aid of facebook.com/TeamWastedPotential 10 SA JEWISH REPORT News 22 - 29 June 2012

BUILDING SOUTH AFRICA  PEOPLE DOING REMARKABLE THINGS Sweet opens up horizons for fi nancially-strapped youngsters

ROBYN SASSEN

Vusumuzi Nhlapo (18) from Alafang High School, Kathlehong will do an Accountan- cy-focused MBA at the University of Cape Town. His 19-year-old classmate, Lerato Motumi says she will do an accounting de- gree specialising in investment at Pretoria University. If you had asked teenagers of this age, from these financially distressed back- grounds, about their aspirations for the future, five years ago, the answers would have been considerably different. Vu- sumuzi and Lerato had attended a screen- ing of Martin Sweet’s My Future, My Ca- reer project. Sweet originated My Future, My Career, among other initiatives. Martin Sweet with jubilant high school learners at one of the screenings of My Future My Career. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ILAN OSSENDRYVER)

MD of Primestars Marketing, Sweet come from peri-urban environments. saw the movies. for investors or potential investors to originated and facilitates My Future, My Th ey’re poor. Th ey get bussed to these mov- “Realising what good marks can mean play a role in this project, which serves to Career, among other initiatives, focused on ies, which are paid for. Th ey get free pop- for a career, has resulted in the granting of strengthen the fabric of our society. Th e re- opening up the horizons of kids in fi nan- corn and Coke and they get to understand many bursaries. Children are working hard- verse can happen so quickly. I believe we are cially diffi cult circumstances. that their lives needn’t echo that of their er to do better because their goals are now growing opportunity to improve society. “We realised the value of cinemas for parents. meaningful to them.” “I was inspired to start something of education,” he said, explaining how he’d “Knowing what you want to do, who A lawyer by training, Sweet was born in this nature by the matric results of Jewish become aware of the urgency of this pro- you want to be and what you want to Klerksdorp, studied at Wits University, and kids. Two generations ago, we were where ject after the tragic stampede that killed a achieve in your life, can be difficult,” moved through the corporate world while children like Vusumuzi and Lerato are, parent at the University of Johannesburg Sweet said. “But with the right informa- he developed his career in local politics. now. Holocaust survivors’ children had in January, when she tried to register her tion, guidance and role models, the jour- “I always wanted to do something of val- scant opportunities to grow. Th ey fought child. ney can be exciting.” ue to the broader community. Our objective hard for their kids to be educated; the ul- “Education experts cite a lack of career My Future, My Career, comprising 14 is about skills development,” but it’s also timate was to have them become doctors guidance and a misunderstanding of faculty separate in-depth career education fi lms, about planting seeds. “Many of these kids and lawyers. entry requirements as major contributing ran between February and April, at Ster-Ki- just need motivation for something within “When we look at the SA we’re in today,” factors to that chaos. nekor cinemas nationally. “Th e results have them to be ignited. he cites Th omas Paine: “We have it in our “Th e children this project addresses, been phenomenal.” Over 48 000 learners “Th ere are all kinds of opportunities power ‘to begin the world all over again’.” News in Brief

CHIEF RABBI WILL FIGHT NONORTHODOX RABBIS’ SALARIES JERUSALEM - Israel’s Sephardic chief rabbi has The agreement announced last month came said he will fi ght the state’s agreement to pay the three weeks after a panel of Supreme Court judges salaries of some non-Orthodox rabbis who lead called on the attorney general to intervene during their communities. a hearing on a petition fi led more than seven years Rabbi Shlomo Amar said in an interview with ago calling for the state to recognise and pay the the haredi Kol Berama radio station last Sunday salaries of rabbis of all streams of Judaism. night that he would convene the Chief Rabbinate The Israel Religious Action Centre of the Israel Council, made up of Orthodox rabbis throughout Movement for Progressive Judaism, the Reform Israel, to discuss ways to reverse the decision. The movement in Israel, had fi led the petition. The at- meeting reportedly will take place next week. torney general’s offi ce had opposed the request; “The greatest danger for our generation is the the settlement was negotiated out of court. danger of assimilation, and we need to be strong Some 4 000 Orthodox rabbis serve as rabbis and steadfast in our fi ght,” Amar said. “It is forbid- of their communities and draw a salary from the den to remain silent because there is nothing more government’s Religious Services Ministry. serious than this measure.” The non-Orthodox rabbis would have the He added that the decision to recognise non- moniker “rabbi of a non-Orthodox community”, Orthodox rabbis could “uproot all the foundations and fi nancing for the positions would come from of the Torah”. the Culture and Sports Ministry. Amar also objected to the fact that the attorney The decision is limited to regional councils and general, who brokered the agreement, did not con- farming communities and is not intended for large sult with the Chief Rabbinate. cities. (JTA)

ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS DROP IN NETHERLANDS, REPORT FINDS AMSTERDAM - The number of anti-Semitic inci- “There was no comparable external cause in dents recorded in the Netherlands, dropped by 2011,” according to the CIDI report, which was nine per cent last year, but vandalism and as- compiled by researcher Elise Friedmann. The saults rose sharply, according to the annual re- Netherlands has a Jewish population of some port by the country’s watchdog on anti-Semitism. 40 000. The Centre for Information and Documenta- In 2010, CIDI recorded nine cases of in-per- tion on Israel, or CIDI, attributed the overall drop son anti-Semitic confrontations. The threefold in recorded incidents to a decrease in the amount increase in 2011 is attributable to greater aware- of hate mail reported. ness to the need to report such incidents, accord- However, the Hague-based organisation reg- ing to a news release by CIDI. istered a sharp rise in real-life anti-Semitic inci- “The Dutch government has been promising dents - such as vandalism, assaults or abuse - to since 2008 to apply an improved and more uni- 55 last year from 31 in 2010. form system for the registration of anti-Semitic In total, CIDI registered 113 anti-Semitic in- and xenophobic incidents. To date, there are no cidents in 2011, compared to 124 the previous signs of this,” CIDI said. year. CIDI found 18 cases of hate mail in 2011, Dutch police do not register or fl ag reports of compared to 47 in 2010. xenophobic incidents at the time of deposition. The organisation’s records for 2011 show 28 Police compile their annual hate crimes report victims of anti-Semitic, non-physical abuse on by applying a search engine to the texts of all the street or in the public sphere. In 2009, CIDI complaints. listed 20 such incidents. That year saw anti- CIDI has called the procedure “inadequate” Semitism incidents of all categories skyrocketing and urged the Dutch police to implement an im- worldwide in connection with Israel’s attack on mediate fl ag system like the one used in Britain Hamas in Gaza. and elsewhere. (JTA) 22 - 29 June 2012 SA JEWISH REPORT 11 12 SA JEWISH REPORT Tapestry 22 - 29 June 2012 Arts in Brief Putting spotlight back on ‘OFFENCE AND SEDUCTION’ ON SHOW AT RESOLUTION GALLERY Currently on show at Resolution Gallery in Rosebank, Johannesburg is “Offence and Se- sculptor Herman Wald duction”, an exhibition by Carol Nathan Levin and Frederick Clarke, about how women’s sexuality is often tainted with ideas of shame, dirtiness and secrecy. Clarke’s work uses what Sculptor Herman Wald died 42 years ago, his smaller works largely ignored by mainstream has become considered “Mother Earth” asso- ciations, and Levin confronts the physical and art historians. Now, his son, Louis, is attempting to set the record straight with an exhibition emotional pain in the aftermath of the removal of her ovaries because of the threat of cancer. at the South African Jewish Museum which runs until July 15. Each aims to demystify the imbalance in which we all live, by making beautiful objects deal- MOIRA SCHNEIDER ing with ostensibly controversial subject mat- penheimer, as was Th e Diamond Dig- CAPE TOWN ter. The exhibition closes on July 28, (011)880- gers in Kimberley. PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED 4052 or visit www.resolutiongallery.com Descended from seven genera- tions of rabbis, Herman initially had ‘THE LINE’ MOVES TO MARKET Herman’s most iconic work as far as a battle for acceptance of his career THEATRE FOR NEW SEASSON the Jewish community is concerned, is by his rabbi-father, in relation to the his Monument to Martyred European prohibition of the Second Command- Following the sold-out premiere season Jewry at Johannesburg’s West Park ment against making graven images. of ‘The Line’, a play directed and Jewish Cemetery. Th e work is the site Th e Hungarian-born Wald escaped written by award-winning theatre person- of the annual Holocaust memorial ser- from Nazi persecution, arriving in this ality, Gina Shmukler, earlier this year at vice and the sculptor and his wife, Vera, country in 1937. In 1928, his father Wits University’s WALE festival, the Market are buried close to it. had been fatally wounded in a pogrom Theatre has invited the work for a new sea- Another Holocaust monument, in his hometown of Kluj and 15 years son. The Line is a culmination of Shmukler’s Kria - referencing the custom for later, his mother and her family per- masters research on trauma and theatre- mourners to rend their garments - ished at the hands of the Nazis. making, and is constructed from a series of in- stood in the grounds of Sandringham Wald was traumatised by these terviews with South Africans involved in or af- Gardens for 50 years and is destined to events and it is no surprise that he fected by the xenophobic attacks in May 2008. grace the Johannesburg Holocaust and was “very much” pre-occupied with It is written and directed by Shmukler, with Genocide Centre on the centre’s com- these themes. music by Charl-John Lingenfelder and design pletion. Louis, a computer soft- by Niall Griffi n; Khutjo Green and Gabi Harris “Th is notion of human suff ering ware engineer, publicised perform. July 28-August 12, (011)832-1341. in relation to bigotry is central to my the website he has created Dad’s work,” says Louis in a telephone for his father’s work two GILAN GORK BRINGS BACK interview from his base in London. years ago. As a result, the ‘BEYOND THE MIND’ Wald also created signifi cant works University of the Witwa- SA-born mentalist, Gilan Gork, who enjoys a for synagogues, among them Wings of tersrand commissioned two healthy international reputation, brings back the Shechinah – from which the exhi- Louis Wald with Wings of the Shechinah, a work of his large works by the sculp- his interactive show “Beyond the Mind”, bition takes its name – that adorned father’s. Inset: Sculptor Herman Wald. tor which were erected fi ve by popular demand. It’s directed by Renos the Holy Ark at the now-defunct Berea months ago. Spanoudes, and will be staged at Old Mutual Shul in Johannesburg. Th at work will grand scale for synagogues in much the “Perfectly coinciden- Theatre on the Square in Sandton, July 3-14. be housed from December in a glass foyer at same way as the famous Christian sculptors tally, the two works have become the focal Gork promises to silence his biggest skep- the new Yeshiva Maharsha Shul under con- had done in big churches. He saw the power points of the university’s 90th birthday tics; audiences will get to not only observe struction in Fairmount Extension and will of sculpture to deliver the message of reli- celebrations,” he says. “Th ey are also asking Gork’s developed mental and intuitive skills, be visible from outside. gion,” Louis comments. for maquettes - preliminary models - of the as well as feats they never thought possible; Another was Th e Sanctum, an arch- About 15 per cent of Wald’s work was works to be used as trophies.” they will also unlock their own abilities. “I shaped wooden screen that separated the Jewish-themed. Th e most iconic work to Louis is considering Wits as a Johannes- believe it is important to help my audiences choir from the congregation at the former the non-Jewish South African is the Impala burg location for mounting the “massive” recognise their own potential,” said Gork in a Springs Synagogue. Both works are on dis- Fountain in Johannesburg’s Main Street, exhibition. And further afi eld, his next tar- media statement. Call (011)883-8606 or visit play at the exhibition. commissioned by Harry Oppenheimer in get is the New York Jewish Museum. www.gilangork.com/promo “My Dad tried to make sculpture on a memory of his late father, Sir Ernest Op- • See www.hermanwaldexhibition.com Th is retrospective is about grown-up printmaking

Exhibition: “Coming of Age: 21 Years of Art- ist Proof Studio”, Johannesburg Art Gallery Until: July 5 REVIEWED BY ROBYN SASSEN

You might think community printmaking and imagine clichéd, poorly printed work, celebrated because they’re about empow- erment. You won’t find that here: this major Artist Proof Studio retrospective is about grown-up printmaking. This is a 10 out of 10 show of arguably the best hand- pulled prints you will find anywhere. This exhibition will sweep you off your feet, for several reasons. Firstly, the exhibition fi lls the Johannes- “Untitled” by Norman Catherine (2012) “Zoey” by Leroye Malaton (2012) burg Art Gallery’s entire exhibition arena, divided into separately curated spaces, so ety-clack under your feet. The exhibition’s installation of portraits. Not only is this enjoys focus, with portraits of people lost it’s not one long bombastic outlook. curatorial acuity, celebrating one of the eye- and heart-catching, it reveals the re- to Aids and the felt toys made by women Secondly, it’s not about egos, it’s about bigger jewels in the crown of contempo- lief printing process. These are not snap- associated with this project. There’s a fo- community. Begun by Kim Berman and rary local art, overrides all that. shots. They’re not drawings. They’re cut cus on international collaborations, an- the late Nhlanhla Xaba in 1991, APS has APS, based on an eponymous studio into the surface of linoleum and printed other on portfolios… one room leads to given birth to new, opinionated, skilled in Boston, was destroyed by fire in March on a press. another; when your feet tire, your heart generations. 2003, which tragically killed its co-found- The lino itself is on display in this in- takes over. And thirdly, the work speaks for itself. er, Xaba. Much of the exhibition is a cel- stallation; later in the show, you will see Each corner holds a new surprise: Leb- Yes, there are pieces by the art world’s ebration of Xaba’s contribution to APS; the prints pulled from these blocks of ohang Sithole’s jazz drypoints are so rich “usual suspects”: William Kentridge, Brett there’s a tribute to him in one space, and lino, in a poetic linking gesture. you dance to them; Dzunisani Maluleke’s Murray, Kudzanai Chiurai, Diane Victor, another about healing, curated by Hay- The exhibition spills through JAG’s lino landscapes make you weep at their who have collaborated with APS, but, as ley Berman and Stompie Selibe. They’re halls, with exuberance and a focus on sophisticated simplicity; Sizwe Khoza’s significantly, there are new names. rooms of mourning and celebration, leav- excellence. Here, a pointy-toothed boar work is deliciously painterly. This is the Johannesburg Art Gallery is not this ing one emotionally bruised, yet jubilant. stands over a terrified man in bed, made next generation of “usual suspects”. city’s most genteel place. The area is re- Upon entering the exhibition you are by Norman Catherine; there a Wim Botha plete with taxi ranks and street barbers. confronted with the community that’s dragon writhes poisonously in the air. There’s another APS show at Gallery 2, Park- It’s neglected: parquet flooring goes click- made APS the robust entity it is, in an APS’s Aids initiative, Paper Prayers, wood, June 23-July 7: (011)447-0155. 22 - 29 June 2012 News SA JEWISH REPORT 13 Jewish Achievers: And the winners are... Th e Jewish Achiever Awards are dedicated to acknowledging great achievement in business as well as in other areas of excellence. While the three business awards, for listed company, non-listed company and entrepreneur, will be announced at the gala dinner, the winners of the four non-business awards which are: Lifetime Achievement, Arts/Science/Sport/Culture, Humanitarian, and Community Service, have already been selected. Th ey are respectively: Alec Wapnick, Professor Barry Schoub, the Moshal family and Gerald Leissner.

Th is year’s recipient of the Jewish Achiever Community Service Award, A visionary and exceptional man, this year’s recipient of the Hel- Gerald Leissner (pictured), generally fl ies under the proverbial radar. en Suzman Lifetime Achiever Award, Alec Wapnick (pictured) has He’s never actively sought out a high profi le, but he’s been described as made a valuable contribution to property development in Pretoria, one of the most signifi cant Jewish philanthropists in South Africa for Johannesburg and surrounding areas. his work over the past 40 years. Wapnick pioneered the conversion of redundant and derelict of- Many years ago, in helping to build a nursery school and shul, he fice blocks in the Pretoria CBD into secure and desirable residential realised that he had a fl air for raising money, but also understood that, accommodation. He took his successful recipe of regeneration to Jo- in order for projects to survive and thrive, he had to continue to be hannesburg. In Wapnick’s eyes, the city centres still demonstrate actively involved. It was to lead to a lifelong desire to actively make a vibrant life, a full future and a sound investment opportunity; he diff erence and change the lives of others for the better. remains passionately committed to urban renewal.

Professor Barry Schoub (pictured), winner of the Jewish Achiever Arts, Science, Culture and Sports Award for his invaluable contribution to science, was earlier this year awarded South Africa’s highest honour - Th e Order of Mapun- gubwe - by President Ja- cob Zuma. Schoub has for many years been at the fore- front of SA’s public health arena. In an illustrious career, he has researched and written prolifi cally; his crowning source of professional pride is the creation of the Institute which has provided a world class service, as well as guiding the man- agement and control of outbreaks of commu- nicable diseases. He is delighted to be recognised at this year’s Jewish Achiever Awards: “Winning this award is a great honour. Being Jewish is very important to me and plays an integral part in my life. Th e Jewish Achiever Awards acknowl- edge and demonstrate what members of the community have achieved. I am very proud and humbled to be a recipient.”

John Moshal (pictured) and his family who share this year’s Chivas Humanitarian Award, in honour of the late Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris, comes from generations of a family determined to give back and make a diff erence in the lives of other people. He started community service at the age of 12, eventually becoming honorary life president of the Council of KwaZulu-Natal Jewry. He is proudest of all, however, of his children Karyn, Anthony, Martin and Rich- ard who have taken up the mantel of giving back to the community. “Our family credo is one in which we spend more on others than we do on ourselves.” 14 SA JEWISH REPORT News 22 - 29 June 2012

Sinai Indaba ‘A community dedicated to Heaven will endure forever’

ROBYN SASSEN David Weiss; Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein; Rabbi David Aaron; Rabbi Berel Wein. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ILAN OSSENDRYVER) It was a who’s who in Johannesburg’s Ortho- dox Jewry, in the capacity audience of over 3 000 at the opening of Sinai Indaba II at the Sandton Convention Centre, last weekend. Th e opening session, led by an upbeat Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, focused on the fu- Rabbi Berel Wein ture of the Jewish world. “In our thousands, we celebrate and expe- rience Sinai, today. We aren’t predicting the future, we’re creating it: a community dedi- cated to Heaven will endure forever.” Acclaimed historian and storyteller, Rabbi Berel Wein, discovered that looking in your was for G-d.” edge, culture and art. Th e universities are re- rearview mirror when you drive in Israel is And then the worse thing imaginable hap- spected internationally. Israel’s Jewry is the unusual. “Th at’s the problem in the Jewish pened, on March 19. She witnessed the killing biggest community in the world, but we con- world. Th e rearview mirror of the Jewish peo- of her husband and two sons. “My heart broke. tinually face immense challenges: security; ple is important, but oft neglected. Our past “Afterwards I knew I had two choices. social equality; and the media delegitimising governs our future. I could get under the blankets and cry or I us.” “But this is not a passive situation. We could get out in the world and continue my Eminent Baltimore-based rosh yeshiva, have to educate, publicise, believe and an- husband’s work. I felt that if I do not do some- Rabbi Yissocher Frand added. “Th e Jew- swer. Th e future is never easy. It is lonely for thing, all the good he had done during his life ish people’s mission statement is Kiddush us; we are a small people in a large world with would have been in vain.” Hashem.” Th is is manifest in integrity, hon- enemies.” A veteran of IDF military intelligence, Dr esty and civility. Rebbetzen Eva Sandler, in Hebrew and Morchedai Kedar, who directs the Centre for “Be a mensch!” he added. “We are ambas- Rabbi Yissocher Frand with the aid of a translator, told her story. the Study of the Middle East and Islam, said. sadors of the Rabbeinu Shel Olam. Th is must Born and raised in Toulouse, France to a re- “Zionism started 114 years ago, at the fi rst Zi- be the mantra of our households, and it starts ligious family, she met and married her hus- onist Congress in Basel. It aimed to take mil- with us.” band while studying at a seminary in Israel. lions of Jews out of exile. Th e bigger challenge Coming from fi ve distinct directions, the Th ey lived in Israel for six years before re- is to take exile out of the Jews. message is clear: Our future is challenging but turning to France. “When we returned there, “It takes years to change a mindset. Israel it is in our own hands; it’s a proactive chal- it was not for our livelihood or our honour; it became a bastion of human rights and knowl- lenge, there for the taking. Embrace the present rather than wallowing in the past

SHIRA DRUION “Recording the stories will enable every one fragmented male and female halves in order to of us to acknowledge G-d’s daily intervention in achieve wholesomeness, because separation is Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein’s magnanimous every aspect of our lives.” really an artifi cial state of being for a Jew.” Sinai Indaba 11 eff orts, drew Jews from a kalei- Th e view on building a relationship with G-d He posited that through the holiness of mar- doscope of backgrounds and beliefs together for was also shared by world-renowned speaker Lori riage, indestructible Jewish families, with solid hours of shared wisdom and inspiration from Palatnik, who highlighted the importance of an values could be produced. the elite of the global Jewish world. internal GPS in our relationship with G-d. Dr David Pelcovitz, Yeshiva University psy- Th e list of these international greats was the “If you don’t know where you are going, G-d chology professor, pointed out how vital a healthy Rabbi Manis Friedman heartbeat of the day, ensuring that the Sinai ex- can’t get you there! Our ability to achieve our po- relationship with a signifi cant other was, particu- perience was as moving as it was stimulating and tential is far more promising if we embrace the larly when dealing with stress and suff ering. informative. present instead of wallowing in the past or being He said: “Speaking about pain and fi nding Th e thread running through the programme paralysed with fear by what the future may hold. words to express trauma, not only impact emo- was the relevance of eternal Jewish values in the “If we begin to live in the present, we will live tionally on a person, but also carry powerful relationships that form the fabric of our lives. more fulfi lling and happy lives.” physiological ramifi cations”. He added that talk- Rabbi Yissocher Frand, rosh yeshiva of Ner Th e notion of relationships was also chal- ing about issues was not everyone’s elected form Yisroel in Baltimore, was emphatic in his mes- lenged by famous Chabadnik, Rabbi Manis of dealing with stress, but that diff erent people sage that our relationship with G-d had become Friedman, with his mystical wisdom and wry hu- would have diff erent preferences for dealing one of mechanical performances of mitzvoth mour on marriage and intimacy. He explained: with pain, which would include talking, as well which had been reduced to the motions and was “G-d created us as one being that was both fe- as art, music, prayer and writing. devoid of sincerity and passion. male and male, and then separated us into two He encouraged an active approach to suff er- He said a constructive solution to this prob- separate entities. ing, saying that passivity was not the primary lem would be to keep a journal of divine provi- “Th e journey to a successful marriage is choice of a modus operandi to evoke change in a dence stories which would assist in the nurtur- recognising that we are ultimately one and are relationship with ourselves or with a signifi cant ing of a loving relationship with G-d. therefore always striving to reassemble the other. Rabbi Goldstein makes a passionate plea for family values Rebbetzen Eva Sandler SHIRA DRUION a conglomeration of stories about families, and human beings, who would ultimately grow the pivotal role that the family continued to play up to enrich the Jewish nation as proud and Sinai Indaba 11 came to a high-note close with an “in the narrative of our historical people”. strong Jews. inspirational address from Chief Rabbi Warren Th e idea was embellished by Rabbi Leib Kele- Lori Palatanik, expert on relationships, gave Goldstein, followed by fi ve of the world experts man, who emphasised the importance of the pa- the concept of Jewish continuity a diff erent spin, brought to SA, who stood at the podium, facing rental role for the insurance of the continuation inspiring the audience with information about the more than 3 000 people who had come to be of the Jewish family. In his approach to parenting, her Renaissance Women’s project which aims to part of this stimulating experience which this year he encouraged the investment of parents’ time aff ord 1 000 women this year the chance to go to in its second year, has already established itself as and care in the lives of their children. Israel to be inspired and enriched. a highlight on the Jewish calendar. He told parents: “Your role as parents in the “When you inspire women, you inspire fami- Rabbi Goldstein said: “Th e future of the Jew- educative process of your children, is indispen- lies; when you inspire families you inspire com- ish world begins with family. Th e chapters of our sable and is one that cannot be assumed by any munities and communities can evoke change in history are written in the homes of Jewish fami- other with as much impact or competency.” the world.” lies. We are all members of families, and for the Th ese sentiments were echoed by Rabbi Da- Rabbi Berel Wein gave a panoramic view on future of the SA community and the international vid Aaron, an authority on mysticism, who spoke the continuity of the Jewish people. “Th e Jews are Jewish community, it is imperative that we do our of the profound impact his mother had made on a miraculous people who continue to intrigue the utmost to retain the family nucleus as the guaran- him with and ability to be present as a mother for world over with their mesmerising display of na- tee for the next generation.“ him throughout his life. tional resilience. Despite the many tragedies that Rabbi David Aaron He said the importance of family was evident He stressed to parents the gravity of imbu- have befallen us, we continue to prevail. I am not in the emphasis the Torah allocated to the chroni- ing children with self-belief and self-worth to sure of many things, but what I am sure of is that cles of our biblical texts. Th e Torah was essentially empower them to become successful and solid the Jewish people will be here tomorrow.” 22 - 29 June 2012 News SA JEWISH REPORT 15

Sinai Indaba Sinai Indaba: Where values can be dissected, argued about and explained ROBYN SASSEN character.” Similarly, Rabbi Friedman examined Choosing talks from the rich bouquet of 24 how body and soul part at death, and how sessions of Sinai Indaba II was not easy for the soul never dies, but how our customs of any of this year’s thousands of attendees. mourning are there to give solace to both One thing you were guaranteed of, no mat- the departed soul and the bereaved. ter the choice, was an exceptional experience. But, argued Rabbi Frand, citing Hillel From the organisational aspects of with respect to the demon of narcissism the indaba, to the fact that each of the 12 so prevalent in Western society it was no speakers are superstars not only to us in longer considered a mental illness; “If I am South Africa, but to the whole world, to not for myself who will be for me,” but con- the fact that unlike any other conference versely, “if I am only for myself, what am I?” marketed for a lay audience, there was an Professor Kolbrener approached the is- implicit promise that you would leave an sue of selfhood at a diff erent tack, consider- auditorium with not just awe for the clever ing his own transition into frum life. speaker, but a kernel of wisdom that could “I was termed by the worst ‘f’ word impact your life for good. someone in my position could be called: a Th is meaty programme represented fundamentalist;” he unpicked how an ob- various indaba inroads. One approach was servant Jew straddles the concepts of free- a combination of Canadian-born Rabbi Da- thinking or pleasure principles without vid Aaron explaining the secret life of G-d; slipping into the quagmire of oxymoron, Rabbi Berel Wein taking us on a terrifying but retaining a discursive engagement with rollercoaster ride through anti-Semitic his- how ancient Greek culture simultaneously tory; Professor William Kolbrener splaying cleaves to and pummels Jewish values. faith and fundamentalism, and creativ- Th e directional pointers were clear. We ity autonomy and independence in a 21st might be fi nding out where in the bigger century Torah understanding; Rabbi Manis picture we fi t, but a glance through the sto- Friedman looking at the soul and the after- ries and scholarship of the inimitable Rabbi life; and Rabbi Yissocher Frand confronting Berel Wein refl ected how anti-Semitism narcissism. has eff ectively shaped us from the outside, Th e secret of everything in your life from its religious, national and racial ex- seemed a rather pop kabbalah way of open- pressions to something which, ironically le- ing the day, but Rabbi Aaron skipped be- gitimised by Zionist ideology, fostered anti- yond popular hyperbole and delivered, Israel sentiment, simply anti-Semitism in demonstrating ideas about understanding another get-up. oneself, simultaneously digestible and im- A place where values can be dissected, mense. “Th e soul is a manifestation of G-d. explained and argued over, Sinai Indaba’s Your character is the role your soul plays. made its mark in South Africa, and whet Don’t confuse your self-worth with your community appetite for Sinai Indaba III. 16 SA JEWISH REPORT News 22 - 29 June 2012

Sinai Indaba Iran: Global community shouldn’t wait for Israel to do its dirty work

GEOFF SIFRIN Why are the Iranians behaving this way? Mordechai Kedar Kedar says Iranian President Mahmoud Ah- “Th e West is sleepwalking” in relation to Iran, madinejad belongs to a Muslim group which Mordechai Kedar, a former Lieutenant Colonel believes that salvation of the world will come by in the IDF Military Intelligence, and a world two possible means – either by its entire popu- authority on the political discourse in Arabic lation becoming Shiite Muslims, or by it being countries, terrorism, the Arab Spring and Pal- plunged into total mayhem and then being re- estinian statehood, told Sinai Indaba 11 at the established in a new way. weekend. Converting the entire world is not seen as He has taught at Bar Ilan and Tel Aviv Uni- likely, so a confl agration provoked by a nuclear Professor William Kolbrener versities, published academic articles, and is a attack against various countries might achieve member of several research centres in Israel. the latter aim of “mayhem”. “Iran has already got its missiles which can Regional developments are not encourag- carry warheads,” he says, “and its submarines ing. Th e Arab Spring started with great hopes, can potentially do the same. If Iran acquires but now those countries are in a worse state. a nuclear weapon, and if it puts these three Egypt is in chaos. In Syria about 15 000 peo- things together, the world may wake up one ple have been killed recently and there is mass day and fi nd that the entire geopolitical power abuse of human rights. It is possible that Syria situation has shifted.” A nuclear Iran guided by as a country might actually break up. a radical Islamist hand is a real danger. Kedar is cynical about the United Nations. Contrary to expectations in some quarters “Th en US president Jimmy Carter demand- “Th ere are so many serious global problems, that Israel will soon launch an attack on Iran’s ed their release but did nothing. Th en Ronald such as Iran, Syria and Egypt and yet the UN is nuclear facilities, Kedar believes Israel “will not Reagan was voted president and he said that obsessed with whether a Palestinian has to go do the dirty work for the world” and be blamed when he assumes his position, the fi rst thing he through a checkpoint” in the West Bank. for starting a war. Th e global community needs will do is to fl atten Tehran if the hostages are He spoke with pride about Israel itself. It is to take its own action; the situation is urgent not returned. He was serious and they believed 114 years since the fi rst Zionist conference, he and dangerous. him. So they released the hostages.” says, and Zionism has been a great success on Viral attacks like Stuxnet launched on Irani- Th e other way is for the world to support almost every level. Israel is today the biggest Professor David Pelcovitz an computers, might slow the Iranians’ progress an insurrection by the Iranian people against Jewish community in the world and a demo- to achieving a nuclear bomb, but would not stop the regime. About 90 per cent of Iranians are cratic country where human rights are taken it. Nor wwould assassinating nuclear scientists. secular and don’t support it. When Ayatollah Ali seriously. It is a place for taking the Jews out of Th ere were, however, two possible approaches Khamenei gives his Friday broadcast of prayers, exile, but its biggest success is to take the exile to Iran which might work. he does not do it from a mosque – the mosques out of the Jews. Firstly, he says, “the world needs to give Iran are empty – but from the university, so there Israel has problems, of course. Social in- a ‘credible’ threat. It must say to it: ‘You have will be students seen in the public broadcasts to equality is a big issue, and the economy is not one week to load all your nuclear material onto give the impression he has the support of the great. And there is the question of inequity in a ship and send it to us. If you don’t, in a week young people. Possibly with help from the out- army service, since the Haredim do not serve. we will begin to fl atten you’. side world the regime might be toppled. Internationally, the growing campaign of delig- “Only a credible threat will work. Th e Irani- If it achieves nuclear status, Iran will not at- itimisation of Israel is dangerous – the move to- ans are rational, there is logic to their actions tack Israel in the fi rst stage of its conquests, he wards the relabelling in South Africa of Israeli and if they believe the threat is serious, they will says. It will go initially for the Gulf States and goods produced in the West Bank, is but one act accordingly. Th is is shown by their behaviour for Saudi Arabia, which is totally vulnerable and recent example. after the diplomats were taken hostage in the lives in fear. Saudi Arabia is thus an ally in a pos- But Israelis are optimistic, he says. “And Is- American embassy in Tehran in 1979. sible action against Iran. rael belongs to all of us.” Anti-Semitism is an issue that still consumes Jewish thought Lori Palatanik MOIRA SCHNEIDER most an entitlement,” he said. the nuclear programme to “force Mahdi to come CAPE TOWN Hollywood screenwriter David Weiss (Shrek down”. 2, Th e Smurfs and the Rugrats Movie) spoke of Kedar also noted that Ahmadinejad “does Th e main issue that consumed Jews was anti- his conversion to Christianity as a youngster and not control the state, especially not the nuclear Semitism and how to avoid it, eminent historian his later adoption of Orthodox Judaism through programme,” but was instead subject to three Rabbi Berel Wein told a packed Cape Town audi- the insistence of his non-Jewish wife. He now unelected religious authorities who told him ence at Sinai Indaba 11. has “two beautiful children who say the Shema what to do. Th e Cape Town leg of the Indaba attracted at night. As history has shown, Iran would take notice 1 100 participants, proportionately the highest “I would never have dreamt in a million years of a credible threat, he said, “but unfortunately attendance in the country, Chief Rabbi Warren I’d be talking in South Africa about keeping ko- the world has not yet shown them this resolve. Goldstein, noted. sher. Any of us can become anything if you take Th is is why they continue in their plan.” Mentioning the alternatives of acculturation one step at a time.” Iran was a threat to the world, to the world and assimilation, Rabbi Wein said all Jewish so- Mentioning the “wonderful opportunities” order, the economy, Israel defi nitely and a threat cieties throughout history had acculturated and available here, including Sinai Indaba, he said: to whoever believes in a world that can be led by taken on at least the superfi cial trappings of the “Each of you knows you can take one more step logic. “Th e West knows how to do things in spite societies in which they lived. that will bring you closer to eternity.” of objections from Russia and China,” he said, Speaking on “Patterns in Jewish History: Israel would not attack Iran on its own, in the citing the example of Libya. What Have We Learned so Far?” Rabbi Wein view of Dr Mordechai Kedar, world expert on the Speaking of the Iranian mindset which made said assimilation had proven to be a failure in the geo-political and military situation in the Middle it “hard to deal with them”, Kedar said the world Jewish world as a cure for anti-Semitism, he said. East, Th e Arabic-speaking Kedar who has made had had 16 years in which to discontinue the nu- Rabbi Lawrence Kelerman Mentioning three apostates who had aff ected the several appearances on broadcaster Al Jazeera, clear programme there. “Instead there’s another world in the 19th century - Benjamin Disraeli, was addressing the topic “Nuclear Iran”. round of talks which end in an agreement which Karl Marx and Heinrich Heine - Rabbi Wein said: “I think Israel won’t sacrifi ce herself to rescue they’ll not honour. “Th ey preached assimilation, otherwise Jews the world from the Iranian problem,” Kedar pre- “Th is is how they bought 16 very precious would never fi nd refuge in Western society.” dicted. “Israel will not attack Iran, in my view, as years to continue with the programme. Th e It was painfully ironic that Hitler had cured one state. Maybe if there is some form of coali- world hasn’t told them: ‘Guys, it’s the end of the us of that notion. “Assimilation has not proven tion, Israel might take part.” game, we’re going to attack you next week.’ Th is to be an answer – not for Jews and not for the Th e problem in Iran was not the nuclear one, is the only way to bring the matter to a conclu- non-Jews.” he stated. “It is the regime which is more than sion,” he maintained. Dealing with the relationship of the Jews to convinced that Allah lights the path and keeps Th e “fi rst row of targets” for Iran would be the Land of Israel, he said: “In theory they loved them from any mistake. What should be done in the Gulf States, which were very attractive be- it, in practice it’s always been a problem. We be- Iran is to change the regime.” cause of their oil. “Iran would control 56 per cent came accustomed to living wherever we lived.” A sect of Iranians – of which Iranian presi- of the world’s oil – just imagine what a super- In the 19th century, however, before the dent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a member - be- power it would be!” advent of Zionism, for some reason Jews from lieve that their messiah, Mahdi, would be sent Describing Israel as “a thorn in their eyes”, he Eastern Europe started going back to the Land by Allah to save mankind when the whole world said the country would, along with North Africa of Israel. “If you lived in the Land of Israel, it was sinks into total chaos. and Turkey, be in “the second row”. Although Yonatan Razel a given that you were entitled to be supported by “It is easier to push the world into total chaos Israel was a threat because of its “rumoured” Jews in the Diaspora. than to convert everybody to Shi’ite Islam,” Ke- nuclear weapons, Iran wanted to see the country “Th at mentality hasn’t disappeared - it’s al- dar explained of the Iranian rationale of using “wiped off the map”. 22 - 29 June 2012 News SA JEWISH REPORT 17

Th e number of black students dropping out of UCT – 41 per cent – need to get more attention and should not be overshad- owed by the emphasis on a race-based admissions policy. Th e Peer Mentorship Programme Shaping the future. Today

As the debate rages on over the University UCT. After an application and interview of Cape Town’s race-based redress admis- process, 16 extremely capable mentors sion policy, far too little attention is paid to (predominantly from SAUJS and the BMF Some of the mentors interact at the fi rst workshop. the 41 per cent of admitted black students Student Chapter) were selected to mentor who drop out of the university due to a lack 16 first and second-year recipients of the of institutional and social support. (UCT’s HCI Foundation’s National Bursary Pro- most recent data indicates that only 36 per gramme. cent of black undergraduate science stu- Some of the mentors themselves come dents completed their degree.) from underprivileged backgrounds and Many of these students come from ru- endured hardships in order to make it ral parts of the country and are the first through their first year at UCT, and now in their family to attend university. We as want to give back to those who are facing Jews are nurtured by immediate relatives a similar uphill battle. who are university graduates and guide us Th e aim of the programme is to pro- through the transition from secondary to vide critical one-on-one peer social support tertiary education. For those who come throughout the mentee’s fi rst year at uni- from less privileged backgrounds, the versity. Mentors and mentees meet at least demands of university can be so difficult once a month to discuss the mentee’s obsta- that one drops out due to poor academic cles and goals, and mentors gain leadership performance, external family pressures, experience through building a relationship or the inability to manage one’s time and with and advising their mentee. money as a fulltime student. The programme’s success is tracked Recognising this problem and wanting through feedback from the mentors and to grow a more educated and diverse gen- mentees, as well as by looking at the men- eration of “born free” South Africans, the tees’ academic performance before and Cape Jewish Board of Deputies partnered after the programme. Every four months, with the HCI Foundation and the Black all 32 participants meet for facilitated de- Management Forum (BMF) to launch velopment workshops and social bonding a pilot Peer Mentorship Programme at activities.

Community Briefs REMEMBERING THROUGH THE ‘THEN’ AND ‘NOW’

Sixty four years separate these two photographs. The Sea” at Israel’s Museum of the Jewish People, which black and white “then” photograph was taken during opened on June 1, instigated by Stanley Medicks (pic- Israel’s War of Independence during the Liberation of tured kneeling in both photographs). The exhibition, the Galilee in October 1948. The “now” photograph which will be permanently housed in the museum, tells was taken this month when these brave heroes were the story of these volunteers who were instrumental in honoured in a special exhibition “By Land, by Air and by helping Israel win that crucial war. 18 SA JEWISH REPORT Youth - [email protected] 22 - 29 June 2012 Th e road to freedom’s not an easy one... MARGARET SOLOMONS PHOTOGRAPH: YAEL GORDON

Th e Civic and Social Awareness Committee of the SRC of King Da- vid High School Victory Park, led the school in a novel commemora- tion of two signifi cant South Afri- can holidays. Saul Musker, head of the com- mittee and also the junior mayor of Johannesburg, addressed the school: “We fi nd ourselves today in the twilight zone between two very special days in SA history. A few weeks ago, on April 27, we celebrated Freedom Day and, on June 16, we marked Youth Day. On that day in 1976, a group of students marched through Sowe- to in protest against the Apart- heid government’s system of Ban- tu education. in our fi rst-ever democratic elec- “Since then, SA has made to look forward, and contribute to “We will now all walk up to the “Th e police opened fi re on tions. enormous strides in undoing the achieving true equality and free- fi eld together, and release the bal- these young activists, killing in- “’Never, never and never again damage of decades of oppression. dom in South Africa. loons into the air at once, making nocent children. Th is day proved shall it be that this beautiful land But as Madiba again stated: ‘Th ere “We didn’t want to mark these a wish as we do so for the next to be the beginning of the end will again experience the oppres- is no easy road to freedom.’ holidays in the usual way, with 17 years in South Africa - a wish for the National Party and apart- sion of one by another and suff er “As young South Africans, it is slideshows and history lessons. for our people, for our country - heid. Miraculously, on April 27, the indignity of being the skunk our duty to remember the events Instead we have infl ated 400 he- about the education system, the 1994, millions of South Africans of the world,’ said former Presi- of our past, and to remind our- lium balloons in the colours of the Springboks, Nelson Mandela, or of every race, lined up in queues dent Nelson Mandela after this selves of what came before. But SA fl ag, one for each learner and simply a wish for our people or stretching for kilometres to vote historic milestone. more importantly, it is our duty teacher at the school. our future.” An opportunity we’ll savour our KDL Primary’s under-10

Idan Horowitz and Mathew Disler. netball teams shine whole life YONIT WEIL PHOTOGRAPH: NIKI TAUROG BY IDAN HOROWITZ AND MATHEW DISLER Th e netball season at King David Linksfi eld Primary has come to an end. All teams had a great time. Th e under-10s season started with a victory The annual Bible Quiz that takes and gold medals at the Jewish Sports Festival against all the Jewish day place in Israel, is an event to school and the under-10s continued to be unbeaten until the last match which we had been looking for- where they lost by two points to Marion College in a nail biting fi nal. ward to for years. This is the Th e under-10 B team took their revenge by being undefeated the en- 49th time that Israel has hosted tire season and winning their last match 10-0. this competition and we could never have imagined the incred- The under ible experience we were about to 10-A netball have. team: Back: Th e competition turned out to Poles apart in language and grades. coach Yonit be about a lot more than just an culture, we celebrated together the A very big thank you to Rabbi Weil. Dani event in which we answered ques- privilege of getting to know kids Laurence Perez (MD of Yeshiva Shafer; Mon- tions on Torah and Tanach. We our age and kids who shared the College) and Rabbi Ilan Raanan tana Gold- met Jews from all over the world same love that we have for Eretz (Rosh Kodesh Boys’ High School berg; Mila and together we explored our Yisrael. It was a lifetime experience and dean of Girls’ High) and Yeshi- Davidowitz; beautiful homeland with kids from and one that we will promote to va College for giving us this won- and Kelsey 22 countries. our juniors coming from the lower derful opportunity. Levine. Front: Maya Katzen; Carnations of diff erent hues, Butterfl ies symbolise spirits of 1,5m Savanah Hodes; Jenna intrigue TA youngsters Jewish kids killed in Holocaust Marcus; and Art exhibi- Dani Dozetos. tion in the foyer.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY VIVIENNE WEINER

OWN CORRESPONDENT Th e Holocaust Museum in Houston in the US, is plan- PHOTOGRAPH: SUZANNE BELLING ning an exhibition of handmade butterfl ies in mem- ory of the 1,5 million Jewish children who died in Th e grade 3 learners at Torah Academy Primary the Holocaust. King David Sandton’s grade 5, 6 and School, were amazed when they achieved the desired 7 art learners joined the eff ort to create meaningful results of their science experiment - colouring white and beautiful butterfl ies. Pavel Friedman’s poem, carnations in diff erent shades. “Th e Butterfl y”, written in 1942, gave the learners a Teacher Jenny Lichtenstein (pictured with her glimpse of life during the war and inspired them to class) explained that the carnations were put in bot- participate in this project. Pavel was born 1921 in tles of food colouring and the various shades of liq- Prague and deported to Terezin in 1942. He died in uid were sucked up through their stems, changing Auschwitz in 1944. KDS displayed all the butterfl ies The under 10-B netball team. Back: Coach Yonit Weil. Demi Gruskin; Erin Atie; the plain fl owers into those of varying hues. in a special exhibit in the foyer of the hall. Eden Cohen; Gila Taurog; Meagan Pearlman; Gabi Gordon; and Michal Sacke. 22 - 29 June 2012 Classifi eds SA JEWISH REPORT 19

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News in Brief Cantona joins in call AMSTERDAM CHIEF RABBI DECRIES SHECHITAH DEAL AMSTERDAM - The chief rabbi of Amsterdam blocked it pending the signing of an agreement has warned that an agreement allowing kosher with the Jewish and Muslim communities. to block u-21 soccer slaughter in the Netherlands ultimately could Ralbag says the agreement allows inter- eliminate the practice. ference by scientific advisers as well as with Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag called the agreement the size of the knife used for slaughter, among “flawed” in a letter dated June 13 - the day other issues. Nonetheless, it does not contra- event in Israel after he approved the deal by declaring it dict halachah, the letter notes. did not violate principles of Jewish law, or In January, NIK briefly suspended Ralbag halachah. for describing homosexuality as a curable con- Former Manchester United and French national soccer great, The agreement, which the Dutch Jew- dition. Eric Cantona, has come out in support of a call by the Pal- ish community and the Dutch government Ron Eisenmann, president of the Amster- signed on June 5, adapts kosher slaughter to dam Orthodox Jewish community, which be- estine Football Association that Uefa should bar Israel from state norms without restricting religious free- longs to NIK, told JTA that Ralbag had been doms. The Dutch Senate ratified the deal on informed in advance of all halachic matters in hosting the championships over their “detention without tri- June 13. the agreement. Representing the Jewish community at the “Without his consent, there would have al” of Palestinian players. signing was the Organisation of the Jewish been no agreement,” Eisenmann said, adding Th e Israeli Football Association was over the Communities in the Netherlands, or NIK, which that Ralbag had been consulted only on mat- moon at the news they won the right to host is Ralbag’s employer in Holland. ters within that scope. the 2013 European Under-21 Soccer Cham- “To our regret and surprise, a week ago the In their letter, Ralbag and the dayanim pionships. Th e games are scheduled to take community signed an agreement with the gov- mention “a rabbi who, in our stead, went forth place in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and in several ernment without showing it in advance,” Ral- and said he favoured the deal”. cities around Tel Aviv, with the top eight un- bag wrote in a letter. The letter was co-signed Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, chief rabbi of the der-21 national teams in Europe. by two dayanim, or judges, of the Amsterdam inter-Provincial Chief Rabbinate in Holland, Five stadiums were chosen to host the rabbinical court headed by Ralbag. helped NIK broker the deal with government games: the National Stadium in Ramat-Gan, The deal, the dayanim wrote, “is not in ac- officials with his “enormous network of con- Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, Blumfi eld Sta- cordance with our wishes, views and liking”. tacts”, Eisenmann said. dium in Tel Aviv and two new stadiums that Still, they approved the deal to avoid an im- Jacobs did not rule on kashrut and halachic will be built - one in Natanya and the other in mediate ban on kosher slaughter, the letter issues connected to the deal, Eisenmann said, Petah Tikva. Israel competed with Bulgaria, explains. as they were Ralbag’s responsibility. Czech Republic, England and Wales for the Last year the Dutch parliament passed a Contacted by JTA, Jacobs declined to be honour of hosting the championships. law banning ritual slaughter. The Dutch Senate interviewed for this article. (JTA) However, according to AFP, in a letter addressed to Uefa President Michel Platini, CAMERA SHOWS VANDALS IN ORTHODOX BROOKLYN NEIGHBOURHOOD PFA President Jibril Rajoub expressed con- NEW YORK - The vandals who spray-painted swas- been identifi ed as yet. cern over the fate of three players, Palestine tikas on buildings in an Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn The six swastikas were spray-painted early on midfi elder Mahmud Sarsak, Olympic squad neighbourhood, were caught on a surveillance June 15 on a synagogue and a mikvah, as well as goalkeeper Omar Abu Rois and Ramallah camera. on a school and several shops, including a kosher player Mohammed Nimr, all of whom are be- The images indicate that the vandals in Bor- take-away restaurant. ing held by Israel without charge. Former Manchester United soccer great Eric ough Park were older teenagers or young adults, The New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes “We are deeply concerned about the situ- Cantona, has supported a Palestinian call to who looked directly into the camera, The New York Task Force is investigating the incident, according ation of our footballers,” Rajoub wrote in the bar Israel from hosting the 2013 European Jewish Week reported. None of the vandals has to reports. (JTA) letter, dated June 12. “We ask your excel- Under-21 Soccer Championships. lency not to give Israel the honour of hosting the next Uefa U21 Championship in 2013.” Uefa and Fifa did nothing to move the event. Sarsak, 25, is currently on a hunger strike Should they react diff erently to Israel, it which has lasted more than 80 days, spark- would be another case of out-and-out hypoc- ing a growing international outcry. He was risy. arrested in July 2009 after setting out from Earlier this week, Fifa President Sepp Gaza to sign on with a West Bank football Blatter wrote to IFA Chairman Avi Luzon, team. In late March, he began refusing food asking him to draw the attention of Israeli in a protest which has continued until the authorities to the matter. “Fifa President Jo- present, despite a brief pause in mid-April. seph Blatter expressed grave concern about Now Cantona has co-signed a letter with the alleged illegal detention of Palestine foot- other international fi gures to call for the ball players,” a Fifa statement said. release of Sarsak. In a letter sent to Platini, “Th e reports Fifa received, state that in ap- Cantona said Israel should be subjected to parent violation of their integrity and human the same scrutiny faced by Euro 2012 hosts rights and without the right of a trial, several Poland and Ukraine. Palestine football players have allegedly been “Why are these same groups silent when illegally detained by Israeli authorities. Israel is to host the Uefa under-21 competi- “In particular, the mentioned reports re- tion in 2013? Racism, human rights abuses fer to the Palestine player Mahmoud Sarsak, and gross violations of international law are whose health is in a very delicate state due to daily occurrences in that country. the fact that he has been undergoing a hun- “It is time to end Israel’s impunity and ger strike for approximately 90 days in pro- to insist on the same standards of equality, test of his alleged illegal detention.” justice and respect for international law that Fifa said it had heard about the situation we demand of other states,” Cantona added. through correspondence with the Palestine Also joining the campaign to release Sar- Football Association, media reports and the sak is former Seville striker Frédéric Kanou- world players’ union FIFPro. té. Th e player has called to grant Sarsak “the Nevertheless, the IFA is confi dent the right to a fair and independent trial”. tournament will go ahead as planned. “We It is noteworthy that Cantona men- are certain that ifa and Uefa will not mix tions the current European Championships politics with soccer and are certain that the in Ukraine and Poland; despite those coun- under-21 European Championships will take tries’ history of racism and anti-Semitism, place, as decided, in Israel next summer.” Soccer strain for Bibi

JACK MILNER brought him to Hadassah University Medical Centre on Mount Scopus where his leg was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put in a cast. Th e Likud party cancelled its (62) learned that soccer is not for the faint- faction meeting in light of the injury. hearted, even if you’re playing against kids. “I participated in a youth soccer match Netanyahu tore a ligament in his left leg intended to advance tourism in Israel, to last week Monday while participating in a present the truce face of the State of Israel,” joint Arab-Jewish soccer game for children the prime minister was quoted as saying in at the capital’s Kraft Stadium. the Jerusalem Post. Five minutes into the match, Netanyahu “Th is was not exactly like the Euro soc- fell when he twisted his ankle while kicking cer games, which I’ll be watching along with the ball. At fi rst, the prime minister contin- many Israelis. But tomorrow I’ll be back at ued playing and even scored a goal, but when the Prime Minister’s Offi ce, and I’ll contin- he showed signs of pain his security guards ue playing on other fi elds for Israel.”