Rosh Hashanah 2014
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J EEWISHW I S H A FFFAIRSFA I R S Rosh Hashanah 2014 South Africa - 20 Years of Democracy Price R50,00 incl. VAT Registered at the GPO as a Newspaper ISSN 0021 • 6313 New Year shared with loved ones Shana tova umetukah Specialist Banking Asset Management Wealth & Investment Australia Botswana Canada Hong Kong India Ireland Mauritius Namibia South Africa Switzerland Taiwan United Kingdom & Channel Islands United States Investec Limited and its subsidiaries, including Investec Bank Limited - 1969/004763/06, registered credit providers and authorised financial service providers. Cape Town 021 416 1000 Durban 031 575 4000 Johannesburg 011 286 7000 Pretoria 012 427 8300 FOR BOOKINGS +27 (0) 21 434 8111 [email protected] proteahotels.com/president WISHING ALL OUR JEWISH GUESTS A “L’SHANA TOVA.” BOOK 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE AND RECEIVE A 20% EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT FOR YOUR STAY. 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PHDS 30143/14 MISSION EDITORIAL BOARD In publishing JEWISH AFFAIRS, the SA EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jewish Board of Deputies aims to produce a cultural forum which caters for a wide David Saks SA Jewish Board of Deputies variety of interests in the community. The journal will be a vehicle for the publication of ACADEMIC ADVISORY BOARD articles of significant thought and opinion on Professor Marcus Arkin contemporary Jewish issues, and will aim to Suzanne Belling Author and Journalist encourage constructive debate, in the form of Dr Louise Bethlehem Hebrew University of Jerusalem reasoned and researched essays, on all matters Marlene Bethlehem SA Jewish Board of Deputies of Jewish and general interest. Cedric Ginsberg University of South Africa JEWISH AFFAIRS aims also to publish essays Dr Elaine Katz of scholarly research on all subjects of Jewish Professor Marcia Leveson interest, with special emphasis on aspects Naomi Musiker Archivist and Bibliographer of South African Jewish life and thought. Professor Reuben Musiker SAJBD Library Consultant Scholarly research papers that make an original Gwynne Schrire SA Jewish Board of Deputies contribution to their chosen field of enquiry Dr Gabriel A Sivan World Jewish Bible Centre will be submitted to the normal processes of academic refereeing before being accepted Professor Gideon Shimoni Hebrew University of Jerusalem for publication. Professor Milton Shain University of Cape Town John Simon JEWISH AFFAIRS will promote Jewish Mervyn Smith cultural and creative achievement in South The Hon. Mr Justice Ralph Zulman Africa, and consider Jewish traditions and heritage within the modern context. It aims ADVERTISING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS – Shirley Beagle to provide future researchers with a window ENQUIRIES [email protected] on the community’s reaction to societal 011 645 2583 challenges. In this way the journal hopes critically to explore, and honestly to confront, TYPESETTING/PRINTING – Bookpress, Johannesburg problems facing the Jewish community both in South Africa and abroad, by examining © South African Jewish Board of Deputies 2011 national and international affairs and their Permission to reprint material from JEWISH AFFAIRS should be impact on South Africa. applied for from The South African Jewish Board of Deputies The SA Jewish Board of Deputies is committed JEWISH AFFAIRS is published 3 times annually to dialogue and free enquiry. It aims to protect Annual subscription R140 including VAT and postage human rights and to strive for better relations Overseas Subscriptions R300 among peoples of diverse cultural backgrounds Postal Address: PO Box 87557, Houghton 2041 in South Africa. [email protected] The columns of JEWISH AFFAIRS will therefore be open to all shades of opinion. Main front cover image The views expressed by the contributors will be their own, and do not necessarily reflect Former President Thabo Mbeki speaking at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela, Oxford Synagogue, December 2013. the views of the Editor, the Editorial Board or the Publishers. Original, unpublished essays of between 1 000 and 6 000 words on However, in keeping with the provisions of all subjects are invited, and should be sent to: the National Constitution, the freedom of speech exercised in this journal will exclude The Editor, JEWISH AFFAIRS, PO Box 87557, Houghton 2041, the dissemination of hate propaganda, personal [email protected] attacks or invective, or any material which may be regarded as defamatory or malicious. In all such matters, the Editor’s decision is final. 1988 1987 KPMG invests in the CA-Eden Trust; Trust to seek out potential CA’s from previously disadvantaged South Africa’s first black backgrounds (today the Thuthuka Bursary female CA qualifies at Fund) KPMG; Nonkululeko Gobodo qualifies at KPMG Celebrating 1994 how far we’ve come 2002 and committing to KPMG appoints first black partner; Arvind Hari KPMG’s Independent how much further Transformation Advisory Board; Board established and chaired by Dawn Makhobo we still need to go. 2002 2003 Contact us: Michael Rudnicki KPMG merges with KMMT; T: 083 377 6492 The first merger of substance between an international Appointment of black firm and a leading black directors; KPMG admits E: [email protected] accounting firm 50% new black directors Robyn Berger 2006 T: 083 273 7390 2007 E: [email protected] 2008 kpmg.co.za KPMG launches the Growth Acceleration Programme; A Appointment of Moses transformation skills programme Kgosana as CEO; The first for 20 unemployed B.Com of the ‘Big Four’ accounting graduates within the tax and firms to appoint a black advisory domain Enterprise Development African CEO Initiatives; Established an EDI 2009 project focusing on technical skills development and soft skills training to small black-owned firms. 2012 KPMG Staff Empowerment 2011 2012 Trust; The first of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms to deliver 2010 equity value to staff and has distributed over R50 million in Awarded Top Gender Empowered dividends to over Company Award and Financial 400 black staff Sector category Award at the Top Women in Business Awards; Acknowledgement of strides taken by KPMG in Appointment of Edson KPMG launches a transformation the empowerment goal cascaded to all staff members Magondo as Head of Audit of women The first of the big four as part of performance management accounting firms to appoint processes; A ground-breaking KPMG achieves AAA level a black African as performance management goal 2 BEE rating; The first of the 2011 Head of Audit influencing staff remuneration that ‘Big Four’ accounting firms to entrenches the value achieve AAA rating of transformation firm-wide 2013 2011 2013 Winner of the Support Services Sector at the Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards; Prestigious accolade for progressive transformation activity Winner of the Honourary Award Appointment of Tantaswa Fubu KPMG launches the in the Consulting industry at the as Executive Director, Head of Prestigious Internship Top Women in Business Awards; HR and Transformation; The first Programme; A public- Awarded to companies that have of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms maintained and exceeded private partnership to to appoint a black African female normal practice over a as Head of People provide employment for 64 10 year period in and Transformation graduates gender empowerment activities JEWISH AFFAIRS ROSH HASHANAH 2014 CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY In September 1993, a prominent newspaper columnist suggested that for most consumers, cellular phones were about as “necessary as the hula hoop, the yo-yo and battery-operated luminous socks” and dismissed then as “executive toys” for the rich. Fast forward 20 years and the cell phone has become an indispensable tool used by more than four billion people worldwide. In South Africa, there are now more than 60 million of these devices in use and the demand is growing day by day. The mobile revolution became a reality in South Africa at 05h00 on 1 June 1994 when Vodacom activated the phones of more than 36 000 subscribers for the first time ever. Essentially, it was estimated that the market could potentially grow to 250 000 subscribers. By the end of 1995, this was surpassed with 400 000 cell phones in use in the country. Within four years, Vodacom alone had more than one million customers. Twenty years after the network was first lit up, Vodacom now has over 33 million customers in South Africa. Vodacom also has a history of firsts. The company was the first in the world to launch prepaid services on an intelligent network platform, making mobile communications accessible to all South Africans. It was the first local network operator to offer services like international roaming, fax and data communication, voicemail, emergency services and a 3G network. In 2012, Vodacom was the first South African telecommunication operator to launch a Long Term Evolution (LTE) better known as 4G high speed data network. Born into the new democracy Vodacom’s goal has been to provide all South Africans with access to communication services. Delivering on this promise, the company has invested in excess of R70 billion to establish a world-class network that has more than 10 000 towers and covers 99.8% of the population.