Contents Production LOOKING AHEAD
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Contents LOOKING AHEAD “I don’t believe Telfed Magazine targets IN THE MAIL ........................ 2 readers in the 20-35 year age group,” asserts PEOPLE ............................... 6 Darren Rozowsky, a South African-born FEATURE ............................. 17 student at the Interdisciplinary Centre (IDC) in Herzlyia. FEATURE ............................. 20 12 “What is my affiliation to the Southern FOCUS ON TELFED .............. 25 African community?” he asks. “If Telfed is NEW ARRIVALS ..................... 32 concerned about continuity and where it will BETH PROTEA ..................... 33 be in say 15 years, it should start focusing KEREN TELFED .................... 34 more on the younger generation.” NUPTIALS ............................ 38 Prophetic views in the light of Telfed’s 19 recent Retreat, where members of the NOTICE BOARD .................... 39 Executive met to discuss the ‘Fed’s’ future. FEATURE ............................. 40 As if in response to Rozowsky’s incisive BUSINESS BRIEFS ............... 43 observations, the articles in this issue focus HEALTH AND BEAUTY .......... 44 mainly on the younger generation. They also reflect Telfed’s readiness to embark on IN MEMORIAM ..................... 46 youth-orientated programmes that promote CLASSIFIEDS ........................ 47 29 a strengthening of the bonds between Israel and the younger members of South Africa’s Jewish community. Production During the past few months, Telfed has Editor and Chief Correspondent: David Kaplan Design and Layout: Becky Rowe been in high gear welcoming youngsters Editorial Committee Chairman: David Bloom on short and long-term programmes. With Media Committee: Dave Bloom (Chair), the launch of the Jewish Agency’s MASA Sharon Bernstein, Gershon Gan, Pearl Feldman, programme — offering as many as 32 diverse David Kaplan, Becky Rowe, Naomi Heim, Neil programmes for South Africans — Telfed is Schwartz, Kevin Kenigsberg, Maurice Ostroff, preparing for an increasing number of young Leonie Barel visitors to Israel. Advertising: David Kaplan, Lena Nulman Proofreading: Sharon Bernstein, Marvyn Anticipating a busy schedule in the years ahead, Hatchuel, Jack and Rae Galloon, Ralph Telfed will be looking to the twentysomethings Lanesman, Harriet Levin, Leon Moss, Sidney like Rozowsky to play their part. Shapiro, Marcelle Weiss David Kaplan, Editor Extra or back copies of Telfed Magazine are available at NIS 15 per magazine. Contact Lena at (09)744-6110. South African Zionist Federation (Israel) Views and comments expressed in this publication are not 19 Schwartz Street, Ra’anana 43212 necessarily those of the South African Zionist Federation (Israel) or of the Editorial Board. SAZF (Israel) is not tel.: (09)744-6110, fax: (09)744-6112 responsible for articles and advertisements which appear herein. [email protected]; www.telfed.org.il 1 IN THE MAIL MAKING A DIFFERENCE I read with interest your excellent Good luck to the able people who Chronology of Contributions in Telfed run Telfed magazine and wishing you magazine celebratory issue (October all the best for years to come. 2005). However I wish to focus atten- Rona Kruger, Netanya tion on the contribution of the regional committees, Netanya in particular. THE OCHBERG SAGA During the years of 1973-1974, my Dear Editor, husband Jeff started the Netanya branch for the absorption of olim to help them It was with great pleasure that I read integrate into the Israeli scene. A net- the article “The Ochberg Orphans” work was established of people from in the October 2005 issue of Telfed Netanya as well as from neighbouring Magazine. I was so overcome with moshavim and kibbutzim. The groups emotion. My mother, Andja Avin, was were wonderful and many people met one of those children. their life long friends at those early Ochberg rescued my mother in house meetings that were held weekly. Warsaw, Poland and brought her to Social activities, organizing trips for Cape Town, where she lived until she our olim to supermarkets, civic places came on aliyah in 1960 with my father and banks, arranging gatherings with and four daughters. Initially settling the locals as well as welcoming visiting on Kibbutz Kfar Blum in the Upper groups from South Africa were all part Galilee, the family soon moved to and parcel of our work as was assist- Kiryat Gat. My mother passed away ing in job hunting, helping to find the in 1984. right school for the kids, advising Yvette Shiloh, Haifa Please Note: which Kupat Cholim to join, and T h e d a t e o n finding babysitters. the right corner Many people came to of your mailing settle in this area, knowing label indicates that Netanya Telfed was the date of your there for them - anytime. last payment for At one time there were so Telfed Magazine. many bowlers in the town If no date appears, that you had to just stand we have not yet in the street wearing white received payment and a car would stop to from you. offer a lift. 2 IN THE MAIL Celia seen Dear Editor, (bottom right) My late mother was one of the at a Habonim many children that accompanied Isaac camp in 1935. Ochberg from Poland to Johannesburg. She often spoke of “Papa Ochberg”. She was born Phyllis Ratzer in 1908 but was adopted by the Woolf family and took Ed. note: In the their name. She married Paul Sherman Ochberg article, Sam in 1933 and died in Johannesburg in Levin surmised that it 2002 at the age of 94. was unlikely that there were any Ochberg My husband and I are olim cha- orphans alive today, dashim and always look forward to particularly in Israel. So, you can imagine the surprise receiving your great magazine. when one Cecilia Harris (nee Zaika/Harris) of Haifa called Rene Simpson, Tel Aviv to advise that she was one of them. She left Russia for South Africa at the age of three with her two sisters and was adopted by the Harris family in Johannesburg. Her sister Lisa Zaika, a nurse, “came to Palestine from South Africa on holiday in 1937 on an Italian boat and stayed,” says Cecilia, who joined her many years later. “She was always dodging the British authorities who were looking for her, but always managed to stay one step ahead of them. She had a friend in the police force that would send his son to warn her whenever they were about to raid her room. They never found her.” Lisa passed away in 2003. continued on next page POPE-GERI INSURANCE FOR EXCELLENCE CAR AND HOUSE INSURANCE - ENGLISH SUMMARY - MEDICAL AND LIFE INSURANCE countrywide (09)862-4824 3 IN THE MAIL SIMIE REPORTING….. Dear Editor, A photo of my father, Simie Weinstein, appears Chaim Gershater, fifth in your Telfed Magazine from the left. (Oct. 2005). JOURNEY OF A JOURNALIST I was extremely moved Simie Weinstein, Dear Editor, to see his picture, which took me back broadcasting What an emotional surprise to rec- the news in almost 50 years. ognize my dad, Chaim Gershater, in Afrikaans. I can recall as a child, we would a photo in the 30-anniversary edition listen to his broadcasts at our neigh- of Telfed magazine. He was standing bours who owned a radio with a short in amongst a group of South African wave receiver. Being very young, I journalists taken in 1951 in Eilat, couldn’t understand how my father’s escorted by Telfed Director Sam Levin voice was coming out of a box. I’ll be (far right in photo above). very grateful if you could assist me in Educated in Vilna, and a graduate obtaining the original picture. of the Vilna Tarbuth Teachers’ College, Eli Avni, Ramat Gan he immigrated to South Africa in 1926. clockwise from Using the Tanach and its English top: Percy HABONIM REVISITED Manheim, translation, he taught himself English Wellesley Aaron, Dear Editor, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, Max Spitz and Following your report on Habonim’s majoring in English. Jack Raphael. 75th reunion at Kibbutz Yizreel In 1929, he accepted the position of in the October issue of Telfed, Headmaster at the Hebrew School in I thought some of your read- Bulawayo. Many well-known members ers would be interested in this of the Jewish community, who went photo from my archive. It on to occupy senior positions in the includes the founder of World Rhodesian Government, were among Habonim Wellesley Aaron, his pupils. who is seen here with South In 1942 he took up the post of editor Africans Percy Manheim (top of The Zionist Record in Johannesburg, left) and in the front row, Jack a position he held until his untimely Raphael and Max Spitz. They death in 1959, at the age of 54. He represented Israel at the 1953 visited Israel on many occasions Maccabiah in bowls. recording much of the early years of Norman Spiro, Tel Aviv its Statehood. 4 IN THE MAIL He wrote numerous articles on Rabin’s memorial in Johannesburg, as Israel, a collection of which was pub- he would have had to share the podium lished in a book, “30 Days in Israel.” with a Reform rabbi. He interviewed and wrote on Ben You would think that a young, Gurion who invited my dad to join savvy, modern Jew, raised on the him on the first ticker tape parade in liberal tenets of the “new” South New York, travelling in the car behind Africa, the rainbow nation, the Israeli premier. He also flew on El would be more open-minded, Please Note: The Al’s inaugural flight from Johannesburg more out-reaching than we older, editor reserves the to Tel Aviv. “verkrampte”, world-weary lot. right to shor ten In a book titled “The Jews of South Instead - the opposite! Either this and edit letter s Africa,” he authored the chapter on guy has become arrogant beyond as well as to post the History of the Lithuanian Jews in reason during his short reign, or same instead on the South Africa.