The Jews of South Africa in 2019

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The Jews of South Africa in 2019 Jewish education? antisemitism? emigration? identity? jpr Institute for Jewish Policy Research Should we invest Coming in 2019... in Jewish schools or a once-in-a-decade opportunity ? The Jews of South Africa in 2019 old age homes to have your say The Jewish Community Survey of South Africa Should we invest will take place in 2019 Identity, community, society, demography HAVE YOUR SAY in Jewish schools or The Jewish Community This will be a once-in-a-decade opportunity to old age homes? 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The Jewish Communitywill help community HAVE YOUR SAYSurvey of Southplanners Africa and service The Jewish Community Survey of South Africa will help community will take place in 2019 providers ensure a planners and service HAVE YOUR SAY vibrant Jewish future providers ensure a This will be a once-in-a-decade opportunity to in South Africa have your say and help community planners vibrant Jewish future and service providers ensure a vibrant Jewish UNITY SH COMM in South Africa future in South Africa JEWI H AFRICA OF SOUT SURVEY www.jcssa2019.co.za w HAVE YOUR SAY www.jcssa2019.co.za facebook.com/jcssa2019 HAVE YOUR SAY facebook.com/jcssa2019 Institute for Jewish Policy Research ITY COMMUN JEWISH FRICA UNITY SOUTH A SH COMM VEY OF JEWI H SAUFRICA OF SOUT SURVEY www.jcssa2019.co.za www.jcssa2019.co.za Institute for Jewish Policy Research facebook.com/jcssa2019facebook.com/jcssa2019 Institute for Jewish Policy Research The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) is a London-based independent research organisation, consultancy and think-tank. It aims to advance the prospects of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom and around the world by conducting research and informing policy development in dialogue with those best placed to positively influence Jewish life. The Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research was established in 1980 at the University of Cape Town by the Kaplan Kushlick Foundation and is named in honour of the parents of Mendel and Robert Kaplan. An autonomous centre, with its own governing body, the centre is the only one of its kind in South Africa. The centre stimulates and promotes the field of Jewish Studies, with a special research focus on Jewish life in South Africa. This is the fourth national study of the Jews of South Africa undertaken by the Kaplan Centre. Author Dr David Graham is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) in London and Honorary Associate at the Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies, University of Sydney. A geographer by training and expert in the study of Jews in Britain, Europe and Australia, his skills encompass statistical analysis, survey design, census analysis and GIS. Dr Graham has been at the forefront of multiple surveys of Jewish communities around the world and was most recently instrumental in the development and success of the Gen17 Jewish community study of Australia. He publishes widely for academic, professional and general interest audiences and holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford. This study was produced by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research and the Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research at the University of Cape Town. / Contents Introduction and acknowledgements 2 Executive summary 5 1 Demography 12 2 Geography and migration 20 3 Jewish identity 29 4 Jewish community life 45 5 Attachment to Israel 54 6 Charitable giving and volunteering 58 7 Intermarriage 64 8 Jewish schooling 67 9 Life in South Africa and antisemitism 71 10 Socio-economic wellbeing and disadvantage 82 11 Health and welfare 90 Appendices 92 / Introduction and acknowledgements The data presented in this report are the result processes common to all Jewish communities: of work undertaken over the course of almost changes in age structure and patterns of three years by the Institute for Jewish Policy Jewish identification. Research and the Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research at the University Moreover, all this has been happening in of Cape Town. the context of a country that has experienced profound social and political change, which Our shared goal from the beginning was will inevitably have left its mark on all South to conduct a survey of Jews in South Africa Africans, including South African Jews. The to generate data to support planning for the past two decades began with a sustained period community. However, in order to do so, we first of rapid economic growth that was interrupted needed to determine how best to conduct such by the global financial crisis and ended with a survey from a methodological point of view. a long period of economic and political malaise. Thus, before embarking on the process of Nevertheless, as this report confirms, the gathering new survey data, we worked together Jewish community has been galvanised and, to gather key sources of existing data to construct in many ways, is thriving. It has adapted to an up-to-date socio-demographic profile of the new and ever-changing realities in the spheres South African Jewish population. of education and welfare, and has approached religious and cultural life in positive and innovative The best source of such information in many ways. Indeed, while some of its creativity countries is a national census, and since the has been inspired by initiatives elsewhere, early twentieth century, the South African census it has also served as a source of innovation has provided valuable information about Jews to Jewish communities worldwide. in the country. However, the last time a religion question was asked in the South African census Given that the size of South Africa’s Jewish was in 2001 and significant changes are known population has not been systematically to have taken place in the community since then. re-examined since 2001, it was particularly Importantly, large numbers of South African Jews important to utilise this opportunity to undertake have emigrated from the country, a process which that work.2 The pre-survey socio-demographic began as early as the 1970s, with an estimated work involved gathering information about Jewish 21,000 Jews leaving between 1970 and 1979 births and deaths, geographical distributions, alone;1 this has continued up to the present Jewish school enrolment and synagogue day, albeit at highly varied rates along the way. membership. This ensured we had access In addition, internal movement has taken place to a reliable demographic profile of the South between South African cities, as well as other African Jewish population that could be used 1 Dubb, A.A. (1994). The Jewish Population of South Africa: The 1991 Sociodemographic Survey. Kaplan Centre – Jewish Studies and Research, University of Cape Town, p.20. 2 DellaPergola, S. (2018). World Jewish Population, 2018. Number 23 (reprinted from the American Jewish Year Book 2018), Berman Jewish DataBank, Table 4 p.20. The Jews of South Africa in 2019 / 3 to weight data derived from the survey itself.
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